Recognise this image (right)? It’s the dietary pie chart that’s been tacked to the walls of GP waiting rooms for years, where carbs loom large and essential fats are but a sliver of our recommended daily foods.
The current version of the Eatwell Guide was launched by Public Health England in 2016, yet it is largely unchanged from the very first chart brought out 30 years ago. We are told to fill our plates with food from five main groups: 39% fruit and veg, 37% starchy carbohydrates, 12% protein, 8% dairy, and 1% oils and spreads, with 3% of junk food allowed. It is aimed at all adults, regardless of age, weight, gender or ethnicity.
However, this ‘ideal’ plate has come under heavy fire over the past ten years as nutritional science has evolved. And now the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has come up with its own guidelines aimed specifically at people aged over 65, who they say have different requirements. As BDA dietitian Alison Smith says: ‘The Eatwell Guide is not meeting older adults’ needs.’