Do you have an Alexa in your home? If you do, you’re one of nearly 40 million Americans who utilize this helpful virtual assistant! Now, in addition to playing music and podcasts and sharing the weather forecast, Alexa can also provide food and nutrition advice and science-based tips from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines are our nation’s leading science-based nutrition advice, and they are updated every five years to help people of all ages meet their nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. For the first time, the 2020-2025 edition of the Dietary Guidelines is organized by life stage, and they contain nutrition guidance for infants and toddlers. In 2021, the MyPlate on Alexa skill was introduced to complement the guidelines and provide easily accessible, science-based food and nutrition information for people in all stages of life in a new and fun way.
For caregivers of children as young as 4 months of age to older adults, the MyPlate Alexa skill can help almost anyone incorporate more flavorful, nutritious foods into their diets with just a few words. The new skill is an integral part of MyPlate’s aim to help Americans reach their healthiest selves, achieving their nutrition and wellness goals based on preference and budget. In helping families introduce more nutritious meals into their homes, the development and continuation of healthy eating habits may be more easily achieved!
To access the MyPlate Alexa skill, you need either an Alexa device (Echo, Dot, etc.) or the free Amazon Alexa app downloaded onto your smartphone. To enable the skill, say “Alexa, enable the MyPlate skill!” to your device or app. This will open the MyPlate skill and you will be prompted to get started. Once enabled, say “Alexa, open MyPlate” to your device or app when you want to use the skill.
If you don’t have an Alexa device and you can’t or don’t want to download the Alexa app, you can still access food and nutrition advice based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans using other MyPlate tools, such as the Start Simple with MyPlate app and MyPlate quiz using a mobile device or web browser.
Written by Ellie Lennon, Undergraduate Student, Didactic Program in Dietetics, Middle Tennessee State University
Reviewed by Jenny Lobb, MPH, RDN, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Franklin County
Sources:
Dietary Guidelines for Americans: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
MyPlate on Alexa: https://www.myplate.gov/myplateassistant
Live Healthy Live Well 
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