The UK government has revamped its 5 A DAY logo and Eatwell Guide, with the role of juices and smoothies downgraded in comparison to fresh fruit and vegetables.
Alongside Chancellor George Osborne's sugar tax announcement, Public Health England (PHE) announced that a healthy diet should now include more fruit, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates, and fewer sugary foods and drinks. The department is now recommending the public eat 'at least' five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
PHE's new guidelines recommend 30g of fibre a day - the same as eating five portions of fruit and vegetables, two wholewheat cereal biscuits, two thick slices of wholemal bread and one large baked potato with the skin on. Brits currently consume an average of 19g per day.
A redesigned 5 A DAY logo is now free and easier to use on packaging, according to PHE, which has pointed out that there are increased sales opportunities for suppliers and manufacturers with fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables all counting towards the aspirational target.
Currently only one in five Britons are estimated to get their 5 A DAY.
Sugary soft drinks have been removed from the Eatwell Guide [click on the gallery image to enlarge], while foods high in fat, salt and sugar have been moved to the periphery to indicate that they are not an essential part of a balanced, healthy diet.
Sugar warning for smoothies
The advice that only a 150ml serving of fruit juice counts as one of the 5 A DAY has now also been extended to include smoothies by PHE, which says this reflects their high sugar content. The criteria for using the new 5 A DAY logo on smoothies has changed to reflect the new classification.
Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist atPHE, said: 'Our new Eatwell Guide helps people to understand what a healthy balanced diet looks like. The evidence shows that we should continue to base our meals on starchy carbohydrates, especially wholegrain, and eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day.
'On the whole, cutting back on foods and drinks that are high in saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories would improve our diets, helping to reduce obesity and the risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease and some cancers. A smoothie, together with fruit juice, now only counts as one of your 5 A DAY and should be drunk with a meal as it’s high in sugar.'
