On Monday (18/05/15), after more than 15 years, Australia’s new food pyramid was released. The big changes included an increased dominance of vegetables, which now feature at the bottom of the pyramid, encouraging the population to increase their intake. The new pyramid also sees a reduction in the reliance on carbohydrate based foods. Traditionally the pyramid has been heavily filled with breads, cereals and processed carbohydrates. The new pyramid decreases the proportion of these foods. The other pleasing improvement in the food pyramid is the elimination of sugar containing ‘junk foods’ from the diagram altogether. Previously these foods were included as ‘extras.’
While no one food pyramid will be perfect for every individual it is definitely a well overdue improvement. With the majority of Australian’s not meeting their daily vegetable intake goals any encouragement from a national resource to increase their component in the diet is a definite plus!
