Post from guest blogger, Jenny Arthur BA (Hons) MSc RNutr, Nutrition and Marketing Consultant.
I like to keep an eye on what is happening in the Nordic countries as they are a good barometer of potential future activity in the UK.
The Nordic countries review their dietary guidelines every eight years, through the Nordic Co-operation, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aland. This is one of the world's most extensive regional collaborations and not an easy task I imagine!
They have recently changed their nutrition guidelines to place greater emphasis on the quality of the whole diet and current eating habits. Over the last few years there has been a low carbohydrate boom and a move towards more natural foods, like butter. However, butter consumption has gone up by nearly one quarter which was not an intended consequence! Overall in the new guidelines fat levels have been increased slightly and carbohydrates decreased slightly.
Looking at the whole diet
I like the Nordic approach, looking at the whole diet is a very sensible approach. People are confused by which foods are in which food groups, take the potato! Research has shown large numbers of people are not familiar with the 'Eat Well Plate', the Government's primary healthy eating tool for consumers, which is broken down by food group. Consumers are also confused about how much they should be eating; there is little 'at a glance' information that is easily digestible.
I recently attended the Nutrition and Health Live conference in London and there was a very lively and interesting debate about the various food models used worldwide, their shortcomings and what additional information would be useful. There are many different versions worldwide trying to portray the same message, but have they been effective?
Making it simple
Using examples of foods that constitute a healthy balanced diet are a lot more meaningful to consumers than foods categorised by food group. For example, the Mediterranean style approach, with lots of fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, oily fish, and more plant based foods and healthier fats like olive oil.
One of my mantras is making small changes which will have a big impact on health and well being. By replacing foods people usually eat with healthier alternatives this may help them to sustain eating a healthier diet. Supermarket research has shown that on average we only buy 150 different foods; therefore there is a need to swap these basic foods for healthier options.
There is talk of more information on how many calories we should be eating at each meal, which would be a great step forward for consumers and industry alike.
Visit Jenny Arthur's website for information on nutrition and market trends, nutrition and health strategy, product and recipe development, and consumer communications.
