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Food Standards Agency

Tuesday 9 February 2010

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Guidelines for use and reproduction of the eatwell plate model

Thursday 28 May 2009

The Food Standards Agency would like to encourage organisations and individuals to use the eatwell plate to help ensure everyone receives consistent messages about the balance of foods in a healthy diet.

When you use the plate, please do not change it. It is available as a jpeg from the FSA. See re-use of the eatwell plate .

Please include the supporting text – the eatwell plate tips (see point 3 below) – and if space permits, please use the additional supporting healthy eating messages as detailed below.

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Using the eatwell plate

  1. The eatwell plate should be used appropriately within the context of Government healthy eating messaging as outlined in this guidance. The eatwell plate and/or the FSA name or logo should not be used as a form of endorsement for a product(s) and/or organisation.
  2. Accurate eatwell plate title, food group proportions, headings, colours and healthy eating messages should be used as provided below in ‘Plate specifics’. A jpeg of the visual is available – please see the re-use guidance .
  3. Include the following eatwell plate tips to support the plate visual:

    The eatwell plate shows how much of what you eat should come from each food group. This includes everything you eat during the day, including snacks.
    So, try to eat:
    – plenty of fruit and vegetables
    – plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods – choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can
    – some milk and dairy foods
    – some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
    – just a small amount of foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar
  4. Note that the eatwell plate does not include references to frequency of serving and ‘recommended’ portion sizes, other than in relation to fruit and vegetables – at least five portions of a variety a day – or fish – eat two portions a week, one of which should be oily. This is consistent with the Agency’s previous advice and is in accordance with the available evidence.The eatwell plate is intended as a tool suitable for use with most adults, and therefore it would be misleading to include specific frequency or proportion advice when people have individual requirements. However, registered dietitians, who work with individuals, should still tailor their advice in consultations based upon the individual's current diet and food preferences.
  5. In addition to use of the eatwell plate tips above and the supporting healthy eating messages given below, please consider use of wider Agency healthy eating messages as found in the (External) eight tips for eating well.
  6. Note that the Government advocates that vitamin and mineral supplements are not a replacement for good eating habits. Most people can get all the nutrients their body needs by choosing a variety of foods, in the proportions shown, from the main four food groups in the eatwell plate. Some people need certain supplements, for which there are Government recommendations. With the exception of these, vitamin and mineral supplements should not be referred to in conjunction with the eatwell plate. See the (External) vitamins and minerals section.
  7. Much of the food people eat is in the form of dishes or meals with more than one kind of food in them. For example, pizzas, casseroles, pies, lasagne, spaghetti bolognese and sandwiches are all made with foods from more than one of the five food groups. These are often called ‘combination’ or ‘composite’ foods. To make healthy choices, people will need to identify the main food items or ingredients in combination foods and think about how these fit with the proportions shown in the eatwell plate.
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Plate specifics

Title: The eatwell plate

Subheading: Use the eatwell plate to help you get the balance right.
It shows how much of what you eat should come from each food group.

Segment proportions
Split into five segments to represent the five food groups as follows:

(This adds up to 101% due to rounding up.)

Segment proportions should remain as specified and in the positions illustrated on the visual.

Colours
Percentages of colours used for the title and edges of each of the five sections are as follows:


Title green:
C 76
M 0
Y 100
K 11
Plate green:
C 66.2
M 1.57
Y 89
K 0
Plate yellow:
C 0
M 5.49
Y 82.3
K 0
Plate blue:
C 62.3
M 10.5
Y 7.06
K 0
Plate pink:
C 9.8
M 54.1
Y 38.4
K 0
Plate purple:
C 53.3
M 84.7
Y 0
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Re-use of the eatwell plate

The eatwell plate was produced by the FSA and is subject to Crown copyright protection. You may re-use the eatwell plate for the purposes of non-commercial research, private study (including school work) or for internal circulation within your organisation without requiring formal permission. This is subject to the eatwell plate being reproduced accurately and not being used in a misleading context.

The eatwell plate must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the source identified as the Food Standards Agency.

You will need to include the statement:
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and Queen's Printer for Scotland.

For any other form of re-use, including health promotion and commercial publication, please apply for a Click-Use PSI Licence. The licence is free of charge, lasts for five years and allows you to re-use as much core Crown copyright material as you wish during that time, subject to OPSI’s terms and conditions. For more information see: (External) www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm

If you don’t already have a licence, you can apply for one by visiting: (External) www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/system/online/pLogin.asp

or write to:
Office of Public Sector Information
Information Policy Team
Kew, Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
tel: 020 8392 5330
email: licensing@opsi.gov.uk

Once you have gained permission, or if you don’t require a licence, please email: eatwellplate@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk to obtain a jpeg of the visual including the surrounding text.

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Additional supporting healthy eating messages

Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
Eat plenty, choose wholegrain varieties when you can

Fruit and vegetables
Eat plenty, at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.

Milk and dairy foods
Eat some, choose lower fat alternatives whenever possible or eat higher fat versions infrequently or in smaller amounts.

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
Eat some, choose lower fat alternatives whenever possible or eat higher fat versions infrequently or in smaller amounts. Aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish.

Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar
Eat just a small amount.

Try to choose options that are lower in salt when you can. Adults should have no more than 6 grams of salt a day.

The Food Standards Agency welcomes the opportunity to discuss any aspects of the above or provide advice on your resource/publication. Please email any enquiries to eatwellplate@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

The plate and supporting tips can be found at (External) the eatwell plate .

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