About Us
A Plate Model for meal planning was first described in 1970 in the Swedish magazine "Var Naring" ("Our Nourishment"). In the early 1980's, Swedish nutritionists Margit Eliasson, Brita Karlstrom, and Birgitta Melin; and Bengt Vessby, MD, wrote Mat Vid Diabetes och Hjartkarlssjukdom: Bra Mat for Alla. (Food for People with Diabetes and Heart Disease: Good Food for Everyone), a patient booklet to help clients more easily select healthful meals with acceptable food proportions, without measuring.

In Idaho beginning in 1993, the following five members of the Idaho Diabetes Care and Education practice group adapted the Swedish Plate Model:

  • Marisue Smith, RD, LD, CDE
  • Helena Rizor, RD, CDE, MPAS, PA-C
  • Julie Harker Buck, MHE, RD, LD
  • Kathleen Thomas, RD, CD, LD, CDE,
  • Marjorie Rich, RD, LD, CDE
We created the Idaho Plate Method to show healthy foods/meals familiar to our clients and also to incorporate the American Diabetes Association Nutrition Recommendations for people with diabetes. Our products are the result of feedback obtained from fifty educators around the country and our own experiences with the Idaho Plate Method material. We continue to update and improve our material to meet the needs of our clients and educator requests. The Spanish version comes with English translation.