Why NHS dieting advice is out-of-date – and ‘low-fat spreads’ are still UFPs

So what should we be recommending instead? Quality, not quantity, suggests Miller: “Focussing on the composition and quality of the meal has emerged as a far more effective way of promoting overall health and reduction in disease.” Nutrient-dense foods also keep you feeling fuller for longer. 

Snack or graze regularly throughout the day

“Snacking regularly isn’t part of the official NHS guidelines, but it’s an example of old-fashioned, entrenched thinking that we need to shake off if we want to move forward,” says Spector. The advice to “graze not gorge” harks back to the 80s, when it was believed that it would stabilise blood sugar, thus reducing cravings and overeating. 

However, says Spector, our bodies are simply not designed for this constant grazing. It can, he suggests, “mean that we never give our gut microbes a well-earned rest, and it can also be more difficult to listen to our bodies’ hunger and satiety signals”.

Plus, as Miller points out, today’s food landscape leaves us tempted by highly processed sugary snacks, which actually lead to sharper (not lower) spikes in our blood sugar levels, followed inevitably by slumps and then more food cravings. 

When ZOE conducted a study on snacking, late-night grazing was linked to poor health. Otherwise, there were no associations between health and frequency of snacking. It was snack quality that counted. “People who ate low-quality snacks were more likely to have poorer health measures, such as higher blood sugar and fat levels,” says Spector. So here again, he suggests, recommendations should really refocus on “quality and timing rather than how much or how often you eat… A diverse, plant-rich diet keeps you fuller for longer, worrying about how often we eat becomes less relevant.” 

A third of your diet should come from starchy foods

NHS Eatwell advice states: “Starchy food should make up just over a third of what we eat…. Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.” 

So are carbs still king? Plenty of nutritionists would question this.  “That may well have been good advice a few decades ago, because even well into the 60s US and UK labour forces comprised mostly manual workers – we expended a lot of physical energy,” says nutritionist Petronella Ravenshear.  “We don’t need that kind of food these days when we’re sitting for 40 hours a week. Ever since we reduced dietary fat and increased grains, we’ve become fatter and fatter.” 

Ravenshear believes too many carbs are adding to the national obesity problem and that it’s time to rewrite the advice on this one. So what would she like to see instead?  “I’d recommend a diet based on vegetables, protein and healthy fats, like olive oil. Starchy foods and snacks encourage weight gain and all the pro-inflammatory ‘lifestyle diseases’ and should be kept to a minimum.”