Food Standards Agency
Thursday 24 July 2008
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The Food Standards Agency has launched the 'eatwell plate', a visual tool that illustrates the types and proportions of foods that make up a balanced diet. It updates the previous illustrative model, the 'Balance of Good Health'.
Some food groups shown on the eatwell plate have been renamed making them easier to understand, the design has been made more contemporary and photography of real foods that reflect current eating patterns have been included.
Whether people are eating out or cooking food at home, the eatwell plate is a useful reminder of what types of foods we should try to eat more of, and which we should try to eat less of, for a balanced and healthy diet.
‘This is about a simple, straightforward approach...’
The launch comes as new Agency research shows that people are confused about what foods they can eat and are unsure what a healthy balanced diet looks like.
The eatwell plate shows we should try to eat lots of starchy foods, such as bread, pasta, potatoes and rice, as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Of the 2,094 people surveyed:
On the subject of eating foods high in fat and sugar, which make up the smallest proportion of the eatwell plate:
Rosemary Hignett, Head of Nutrition at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘The eatwell plate is a reminder of the essentials – the secret is simply knowing the proportions of a balanced diet and making easy, practical food swaps where we can.
‘It’s not a ten-minute fad; it’s a diet for life that we know will help reduce the number of diet-related illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, which are on the rise in the UK.
‘This is about a simple, straightforward approach that allows us to enjoy a varied diet that includes foods from all groups. Once armed with the knowledge of what we should try to eat more or less of, there are other tools available such as nutritional front of pack labelling to help with choices about salt, sugar and fat in our food.’
In addition to the eatwell plate and nutritional front of pack labelling, the Agency publishes a booklet with 8 tips for eating well.
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