Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of updating the EatWell guide to reflect the importance of healthy drinks choices.

Government recommendations for healthier drinks are already depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide includes an image of a glass of water and recommends that people should aim to drink six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day, and promotes water, lower fat milks, and sugar-free drinks as healthier drink choices. It also mentions limiting fruit juice and/or smoothies to a total of 150 millilitres a day. The Eatwell Guide is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide

The Eatwell Guide principles are communicated through the NHS.UK website and the Government’s social marketing campaigns, Better Health, including Healthier Families and Start for Life.