Supporting adherence to the UK’s Eatwell Guide in the general public

This article looks at compliance with healthy eating guidelines and what difference could be made to chronic disease if there were population adherence to the UK’s Eatwell Guide.

Food-based Guidelines

Food based guidelines exist to prevent chronic disease, promote health and help the public make good food choices.¹ The Eatwell Guide is in use across the UK.²

The first UK food model was produced in 1994 and was called ‘The Balance of Good Health’, this was followed in 2007 by the Eatwell Plate. In 2015 the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published the report on Carbohydrates and Health, revising dietary recommendations for fibre and sugars.³ SACN advised the government to limit the recommended average intake of free sugars to no more than 5% of total energy intake (from 11%) and increase the average fibre intake to 30gm per day (from 23.5gm per day).³