5 Great Changes to the Healthy Eating Pyramid

Nutrition Australia has just released a new Healthy Eating Pyramid! I'm sure you're all familiar with the old one (shown to the left), but Nutrition Australia have now released a new pyramid which aligns with the Dietary Guidelines that were released in 2013. There are some major changes to the new pyramid that Nutrition Australia has produced - and we are very glad to say that most of it is quite good! As always with general advice given to a wider population, there are things that individuals will have to adjust based on their own, unique body and dietary requirements and preferences. But we've highlighted below some of the most beneficial changes to the Healthy Eating Pyramid. 1. Eat ALL of the Veggies! That's right - veggies are now number one on your list of things to eat each day! This is great, as the largest layer of the previous pyramid was grains. As we all know, vegetables contain so many goodies in them and are so essential to a balanced, healthy diet. It is great to have this recognised and shown to the wider population.

2. The differentiation of Fruit & Vegetables

Despite the good nutrients contained in fruit, they also contain a lot of fructose - a type of sugar. The new Healthy Eating Pyramid highlights this by specifying the different amounts of fruit vs vegetables on the largest tier of the pyramid. While definitely a great part of everyones diet, it's good to see Nutrition Australia being more specific.

3. Minimising Added Sugar in Your Diet

Finally! We all know this - but it's so good to communicate this to the Australian Public! Added sugar should be limited from our diets as much as possible - as it contains no nutritional benefits what so ever. 4. Specifying 'Healthy' Fats rather than just 'Fats' We've spoken on this topic before here, but there are many different types of fats - some are healthy and okay to eat, some we should avoid. By specifying healthy fats, it is so clear that we need to be conscientious with our fat intake and make the right decisions.

5. We're provided with more detailed information than before

Instead of just the general "eat more", "eat less" sections that were in the old pyramid, this healthy eating pyramid shows us the different food groups and where they belong in our diet. This is great, as it gives a more holistic view of the diet at the same time as properly educating us. If you want to learn more about the change and what Nutrition Australia is now recommending, have a look at their website. While this is a great step forward in educating the general public about healthy eating choices, but we are strong advocators of a balanced diet and lifestyle. This pyramid is great in that it doesn't seem to have taken in any fad diets, but rather looked at what the genuine nutritional value of foods are. The balanced lifestyle is conscientious and purposeful about the foods that we should be eating, whilst not being controlled by it. Rather it is a way to empower us to live healthier, fuller lives!

What are your thoughts? Are you on board or do you feel like it still needs some more adjustments? We'd love to hear from you!