Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the weekly cost of the Eatwell Guide diet; and whether that cost is affordable (1) for recipients of Universal Credit, (2) for apprentices, and (3) for those on minimum wage, including the minimum wage rates for those under 25.

The Eatwell Guide is a tool to demonstrate the different types of foods and drinks, and the proportions in which they should be consumed, that can contribute towards a healthy, balanced diet. There are a number of ways to eat a diet in line with the Eatwell Guide.

A 2016 study looking at the cost of achieving a diet in line with the Eatwell Guide concluded that although achieving this would require large changes to the current average diet, these changes would not lead to significant changes in the price of the diet. A copy of the paper Eatwell Guide: modelling the dietary and cost implications of incorporating new sugar and fibre guidelines is attached.

Public Health England has not assessed the affordability of the Eatwell Guide for particular population groups including recipients of Universal Credit, apprentices and those on minimum wage.