The new ‘Healthy Heart’ visual food guide: Our fresh take on an old favourite

Published: 6 November 2013

Remember the old food pyramid?  In its time it was fairly iconic as a basis for understanding healthy eating.  Many of us learned about it in school, came across it at doctors’ surgeries, or just saw it in articles on healthy eating.

The old food pyramid served a long and useful life, but was withdrawn in 2005 as it was time for an update. 

Good things take time, and the replacement to the old food pyramid has now arrived.  It’s been designed with you, the person using it, as the main focus.  We based its design on what you told us you wanted from something like this – something simple, positive, and supportive.  Our testing found it achieved that.

This time around, the visual food guide is focused on heart healthy eating.  That means if you want to look after your heart, using it as a basis for your eating will get you heading in the right direction.  We know you often don’t want to be ‘perfect’ eaters, but ‘good enough’, so the simple tips that accompany it can help get you taking steps in that direction.

These simple tips are ideas to give a go like ‘adding one piece of fruit to breakfast or lunch’, ‘choosing nuts for a snack instead of potato chips’ or ‘swapping a can of fizzy to bubbly water’.

So what are you waiting for? 

Healthy Heart visual food guide