If you search for "how to eat a balanced diet," you'll eventually run into the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate. It was created in 2011 by nutrition scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a science-first alternative to the USDA's MyPlate, and here's the short answer to the obvious question: yes, it's still relevant in 2026. Harvard still maintains it, health agencies in several countries have adopted versions of it, and it remains one of the most cited visual frameworks in nutrition education.