People are confused about what foods they can eat and are not sure what a healthy balanced diet looks like, reveals a new survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

These findings coincide with the launch of the new eatwell plate, a practical tool that cuts through the array of conflicting messages around food and reminds us what a healthy diet is. It helps people make confident choices about what they eat by clearly showing the types and proportions of foods that strike a good balance.

Whether people are eating out or cooking food at home, the eatwell plate is a useful reminder of what types of foods we should try to eat more or less of for a balanced and healthy daily diet.

The eatwell plate shows we should try to eat lots of starchy foods, such as bread, pasta, potatoes and rice, as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Of the 2,094 people surveyed:

-73% recognised we should aim to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, but only 11% said we should eat a lot of starchy foods - showing that people don't always realise the benefit of eating bread, rice, potatoes and pasta

-97% recognised that fresh fruit and vegetables…