Description
Staying healthy is the work of a lifetime, but it’s certainly easier when you understand the basic principles of nutrition. That’s why the USDA offers guidelines like the MyPlate system. And several of our clients have decided to educate people both about nutrition and about local foods with a tabletop display based on MyPlate.
The idea behind the display is simple: people can mix and match foods to build a plate of local specialties that fits the MyPlate guidelines. We create a series of 25 magnets (five options for each section on the MyPlate display) with pictures of different foods on them. Our clients tell us which foods they want represented.
So if there’s a lot of fish farms in your area, you could make sure that fish is one of the foods pictured for the Protein section. If your state fruit is peaches, you can have them as an option for the Fruit section, and so on. With fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy all included in MyPlate, there’s sure to be a category — or several! — that your area specializes in.
By showing consumers what their options for local food are, the MyPlate display helps them support local farmers. Plus, it shows that eating healthy isn’t boring — there’s lots of ways to meet our bodies’ nutrition requirements.
How the MyPlate Display Works
The display itself consists of a magnetic panel with the MyPlate graphic in the center. A raised border around the graphic helps make sure the pieces fit in correctly. Since each section in the MyPlate graphic is shaped differently, there’s no danger of mixing up pieces.
Below the panel, a built-in cubby holds all the food magnets. This easy storage helps make sure none of the pieces goes missing. The instructions on the panel explain how to use the magnets, as well as calling attention to the local food aspect of the display.
