Plato del Bien Comer — Mexico's Food Guide Explained + Free Calculator (2026)
Mexico's official food guide — the Plato del Bien Comer (often searched as plato del buen comer) — explained: the three food groups of NOM-043, SMAE portion equivalents, the Jarra del Buen Beber, and a free personalized calculator.
What is the Plato del Bien Comer?
The Plato del Bien Comer is Mexico's official graphic of the food groups, established in NOM-043-SSA2-2012. It sorts all foods into three groups and shows how to combine them at each meal. It pairs with the Jarra del Buen Beber for drinks. (Often searched as "plato del buen comer.")
The three groups and how the plate is divided
The plate splits each meal across the three groups, each with its colour and share. The point isn't to cut out groups but to balance them: every meal should include at least one food from each.
The classic Mexican pairing — corn with beans — combines a cereal and a legume into a complete, good-quality protein at low cost.
The six traits of a correct diet
- Complete — includes foods from all three groups at each meal
- Balanced — nutrients are in the right proportions to each other
- Safe (inocua) — prepared hygienically and without excess
- Sufficient — covers each person's energy and nutrient needs
- Varied — includes different foods from each group across meals
- Adequate — fits a person's age, sex, activity, culture, and resources
Per NOM-043, the Plato del Bien Comer turns these six traits into something practical: a plate built from the three groups, meal after meal.
How to use it day to day
Build every meal around the plate: fill most of it with vegetables and fruits, a portion with cereals — preferably whole-grain — and another with legumes or an animal-origin food. Always pair it with plain water, not sugary drinks.
Combine legumes with cereals (beans with tortilla, lentils with rice) for good-quality protein at lower cost. Go easy on salt, sugar, and fat, and check the NOM-051 warning seals on packaged products to spot the ones to avoid.
For a personalized guide, the free calculator on this page turns your age, sex, weight, height, and activity into daily targets per group using the Sistema Mexicano de Alimentos Equivalentes (SMAE).