Food Standards Agency
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People are confused about what foods they can eat and are not sure what a healthy balanced diet looks like, reveals a new survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
These findings coincide with the launch of the new eatwell plate, a practical tool that cuts through the array of conflicting messages around food and reminds us what a healthy diet is. It helps people make confident choices about what they eat by clearly showing the types and proportions of foods that strike a good balance.
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 or less of for a balanced and healthy daily diet.
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 10-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.'
Details of the survey are available at the link below.
Back to top1. Based on consumer research in 1993 and 2003, the plate model is proven to be the preferred tool in the UK for communicating what a balanced diet looks like.
2. The eatwell plate has been updated as a result of consumer research so it is more practical; some food groups have been renamed so they are clearer to people; it’s more contemporary; and it includes real photography of foods that reflect current eating patterns.
3. The former version of the plate model is called the Balance of Good Health and, among others, is used by:
* organisations using an adapted version of the plate model
Back to topDownload pdf
(pdf 248KB) The Balance of Good Health: Qualitative research September 2003Download ppt
(PPT 87KB) (External) Get Adobe Acrobat reader You may need the free Acrobat Reader to view a pdf
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