As a British dietitian I’m a huge supporter of the plate model. I think it’s a wonderfully simple and easy to understand example of what a balanced diet should look like, and I am extremely pleased to announce that it’s had a revamp!

It was felt that the old model needed to be more appealing. They’ve given it a more contemporary feel, which better represents the foods we currently eat. The model has also been renamed, “The Eatwell Plate,” which I really like, and I feel it has a much more positive sound to it.

The overall advice of the model has not change at all, they have merely updated the pictures, the colours, and some of the headings have also been reworded to make the information more self explanatory.

Overall I think the new model is a vast improvement, expressing the vibrancy and variety, which a healthy balanced diet offers.

The plate is split into five segments to represent the five food groups as follows:

• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods 33%
• Fruit and vegetables 33%
• Milk and dairy foods 15%
• Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein 12%
• Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar 8%

For more information check out:

• The Food Standards Agency
• Larger version of the Eatwell Plate

I’d love to hear from you, what do you think of the UK system? Do you prefer the pyramid shape, such as that used in the USA? Share your thoughts!