Summary
Summary: This study describes barriers to using the MyPlate visual as a resource for communicating dietary recommendations to Asian American participants of a federally funded nutrition education program. To identify potential barriers to using MyPlate, researchers collected quantitative and qualitative data via a cross-sectional survey and a series of focus group interviews with convenience samples of Cambodian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean adult participants of a nutrition education class in downtown Los Angeles.
This study uses data from the 2019 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).
Findings: Findings showed that 13.2% of the participants ate meals only on a plate, 30.7% were accustomed to eating only refined grains like white rice, and 22.4% did not customarily make half their meals to consist of fruits and vegetables. Food customs, preference, and taste vary across these subgroups. The heterogeneity and complexity of dietary practices among Asian subgroups suggest a need to better tailor nutrition education resources for use in these populations.
Although the USDA designed the MyPlate visual to convey appropriate serving sizes and food groups to achieve a healthy diet, this study found that Asian subgroups in the U.S. did not relate to this visual, as it does not reflect these individuals’ origins, diverse cultural backgrounds, and eating patterns. USDA should adapt MyPlate to capture the wide array of cultural eating customs in the U.S.; this action could facilitate greater acceptance and adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
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Journal Article: MyPlate and Urban Low-Income Asian Americans in the United States: A Study to Improve Nutrition Education