Get a balanced diet and eat a bit of everything
Healthy eating should be a way of life, and 78 per cent of Britons believe that they follow a healthy diet, but many are less clued up on nutrition than they think.
Only 2 per cent of adults know the correct Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) of fibre and over two million adults believe that this important nutrient is found in eggs, chocolate or beer.
The results from the new survey commissioned by Warburtons show that over half of UK adults believe they are getting enough fibre, when in fact 70 per cent of men and 90 per cent of women National Diet & Nutrition survey are not, with the average UK adult consuming just 13g per day out of the GDA of 18-24g.
Dr Hilary Jones, Warburtons balanced diet panellist and TV GP, says: “The Government EatWell Plate represents the balanced diet that we should be aiming to achieve on a daily basis, which includes a third of each meal being a starchy carbohydrate, such as bread, potatoes or pasta - which, when a wholegrain variety is chosen – can be a good source of fibre.
"It’s worrying to see so many people cutting out nutritious carbs from their diets. Rather than following the carb-cutting trend, people should consider the nutrients that this food group can provide.”
The research also shows that even those who are more clued up on their fibre facts can still get it wrong. Over 70 per cent of adults surveyed by Warburtons could correctly identify wholemeal bread, wholemeal rice and wholemeal pasta as good sources of fibre. However, many Brits also admitted to removing these necessary fibrous foods from their diets by cutting out or reducing their intake of bread, potatoes, pasta, and rice.
Warburtons research also found that almost all (99%) adults were unaware of the correct GDA of fibre for children – which is 15g for children between 5 and 10 years old.
Dr Hilary continues: “With repeated health messaging like ‘5-a-day’, people are becoming more aware of recommended amounts of particular foods such as fruit and veg. However, with lots of conflicting and confusing diet advice around, there is still a big gap in nutritional knowledge among adults when it comes to other areas of the diet, whether it is for themselves or their children - which means that families are missing out on important nutrients each day, such as fibre.”
Find the Warburtons Fibre Provider app on Facebook: www.facebook.com/warburtons
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