The updated version has a change that may startle many: healthy fats and oils now appear in the lowest food level of the pyramid. That’s right, it is as important to have these in your diet as it is to have fruits and vegetables.
Healthy fats and oils are those derived from plants. However they must not be hydrogenated vegetable oils, as those are high in trans fat. Cold pressed vegetable oils are the best quality, and of those, flaxseed oil – containing Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9, is particularly beneficial. For maximum nutritional benefit vegetable oils should not be heated. So if you are taking an oil such as flaxseed for the Omegas, pour a little over a salad, into a smoothie, or use it when making a pesto or tapenade.

Another change is white rice and products made using white flour are as undesirable as sugar and salt in your diet. Wholegrain bread and pasta will not only give you extra nutrients, the fibre will help give you that nice, full feeling. Brown rice takes longer to cook – which is rather a nuisance – but has much more to offer than white.

Harvard: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain, which makes exercise a key partner to a healthy diet.