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Eatwell Plate redesigned to cut out sugary drinks

Eatwell Plate redesigned to cut out sugary drinks

The Eatwell Plate, which nurses use to demonstrate healthy eating, has been updated to exclude sugary soft drinks and downplay sugary, salty and high fat foods.

This comes after the government announced the sugar tax – on manufacturers that make sugar-sweetened soft drinks – yesterday.

Sugary soft drinks have been removed from the image and foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar have been moved to the periphery of the guide, reflecting advice that they are not an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Health professionals including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and dietitians are encouraged to use the Eatwell Guide to help the nation improve their diet, Public Health England (PHE) urged.

In response, Douglas Twenefour, deputy head of care at Diabetes UK, said: “By removing these foods from the plate Public Health England is now sending an even clearer message to people as to how they can reduce their risk of obesity and improve their health.”

Smoothies should now also be limited to 150ml a day, due to their high sugar content, and only count as one portion of fruit and vegetables.

Most popular smoothies are sold in 250ml bottles and claim to count as two of your five-a-day, meaning manufacturers will now need to change their labels to avoid misleading packaging.

PHE has also redesigned their five-a-day logo so it’s easier for people to see if the product counts as part of their recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables.

See the full guidance here.

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The Eatwell Plate, which nurses use to demonstrate healthy eating, has been updated to exclude sugary soft drinks and downplay sugary, salty and high fat foods