So, did you look at your dinner plate differently last night? I have to admit that, after yesterday’s announcement of the MyPlate symbol, I did. Our plates had vegetable, fruit, protein and grain, accompanied by a glass of milk. The plate was about half watermelon and carrots, the other half pasta and meatballs, and the milk was low-fat. Pretty close to the proportions recommended by the new MyPlate icon. First Lady Michelle Obama joined Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin yesterday to release the new icon that illustrates the recommendations of the2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPlate includes two circles represent a dinner plate and glass or a dinner plate and smaller side plate, showing all the food groups that Americans should consume each day—fruit, vegetables, grains and protein on the larger plate and dairy in the smaller circle. Fruit and vegetables fill up half of the dinner plate, while protein and grains fill the other half. The dairy symbol could represent a glass of milk or a smaller dish of yogurt or cottage cheese. All dairy products that retain their calcium content, including fluid milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream and frozen dessert, are included as part of the dairy group. However, the emphasis is on dairy products that are low-fat and fat-free and those that do not have significant amounts of added sugar. USDA also launched a new website, www.choosemyplate.gov, providing more information to help consumers follow the recommendations of MyPlate and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. The website provides a wealth of information that will be useful to consumers and could be a great reference for educating your customers about the nutritional benefits of dairy products. You’ll find tips for helping people include more dairy products in their diet, methods for lactose intolerant individuals to continue eating or drinking dairy products, and a ready-to-print handout,”10 Tips: Got Your Dairy Today?” What do you think of the MyPlate design and dairy’s role in the icon? Will you be using the new graphic and supporting materials to communicate with your customers?