NHS Healthy Eating plate and starches? Many questions.

nekoface

Hi.

I had a look at the healthy eating information on t he NHS website today and I'm confused. A significant portion of their 'eatwell plate' is starchy food, but the conventional wisdom of the moment seems to be to minimise starches altogether? Many people in my age group (25-30) seem to not be eating anything in that food group at all. I have been considering fruits, like apples and bananas, to belong to the 'starchy food' group as well.

For reference: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx

I recognise the eatwell plate as how we would normally eat food without a diet - a portion of potatoes or rice or couscous or whatever, and a smaller portion of like chicken or fish or whatever, and veg on the rest of the plate.

Is the NHS plate right? Or should starchy foods be taboo/occasional? Is it appropriate to consider fruit as a starchy food group? Are carrots, parsnips and squash part of the vegetables group or starches? What about kohlrabi? So many questions.

Taylor0212

Personally, I try to limit my intake of "starchy" foods. I always look for complex carbs such as fruits and veggies and whole wheat because they have fiber and keep you full longer. I tend to stay away from white bread and rice.

Firefox7275

I work in/ qualified to degree level in lifestyle healthcare and have worked in the NHS (hospital and community). The healthy eating guidelines are imperfect, they are aimed at our sedentary, overweight population who eat almost no oily fish, only about two servings of fruits or veggies a day, a high percentage of fatty/ sugary/ refined/ processed junk. They are supposed to be easy to understand, achievable and hit the minimums of all the nutrients you require for basic health, they are not intended to be optimum nutrition so many are minimums or maximums. IME most people don't consider ALL the guidelines together, they forget the maximum 10% of daily calories as crap, the oily fish, the eat the right amount to be a healthy weight or eat a wide variety of different foods, at least 18g of fibre.

Fruits are not complex nor starches they contain simple sugars, different type of carbohydrate. Most root vegetables and squashes are not classed as starches except white potatoes - these are all packed with micronutrients and antioxidants. If you understand how the guidelines work together you can adjust them and remain within the spirit, I have had many clients who prefer to be grain/ cereal free for example.

The biggest problems I see with restrictive diets is an epic failure to replace the missing nutrients or combining eliminating whole food groups with personal tastes. If you want to go grain free eat more pulses for the fibre, carbs and minerals, if you want to go reduced carb, replace grains and pulses with more nuts, seeds and green vegetables for the fibre and minerals - don't underestimate how much of these you need. Most people I see in real life and many diaries I read on here fail to do this, their diets are not as healthy or balanced as they would like to think.

nekoface

Thanks Firefox.