SINGAPORE — The Healthy Diet Pyramid, long used as a guide on how to eat healthily, has been replaced by a new visual guide, following feedback from the public.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has introduced a new guide, called My Healthy Plate, which shows the recommended proportion of vegetables, grains and meat on a plate, instead of defining a certain number of calories or servings per day from each food group.

A healthy meal, as the guide showed, has half the plate filled with vegetables and fruit, a quarter with whole grains and a quarter with meat and other proteins.

In addition, one is encouraged to use healthier oils, choose to drink water and be active.

The HPB said it will replace the existing Healthy Diet Pyramid tool across all its collaterals by the end of this year.

Based on a recent HPB study, Singaporeans prefer a simple, plate-based image that conveys clear messages about a healthy diet.

The Student Health Survey 2012 also showed 80 per cent of students aged 13 to 18 do not meet recommendations for both fruit and vegetables, while the National Nutrition Survey 2010 indicated that up to 85 per cent of Singaporean adults fall short of the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables, the HPB said.

“My Healthy Plate is a friendly and easy-to-understand visual tool to improve our diet quality while reminding us to choose water over sugar-sweetened drinks and to be active.

“This latest effort will form a significant contribution to inculcate healthy eating habits and make ‘Healthy Living Every Day’ simple for all,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Health Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in a statement. CHANNEL NEWSASIA