Caveman diet followers attack ‘Eatwell Plate’

By Laurence Gibbons

- Last updated on GMT

Followers of the 'Caveman Diet' have attacked the government's Eatwell Plate
Followers of the 'Caveman Diet' have attacked the government's Eatwell Plate

Related tags Nutrition

The government’s ‘Eatwell Plate’ has come under criticism for containing more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance of sugar in just one meal, by Paleo Britain.

Using the government’s own suggested foods Paleo Britain made up six plates – which it has highlighted on its Facebook page.

Chloe Archard, co-founder of Paleo diet promotion website Paleo Britain, claimed many of the foods on the ‘Eatwell Plate’ contained additives and artificial ingredients.

‘Chronic illness’

“This is how the government is telling us to eat,”​ said Archard. “Our National Health Service is crippled by people suffering from chronic illness, many of them dietary related such as obesity and type-2 diabetes.

“Many children in the UK are already overweight or obese and face a lifetime of health problems. We have to do something to change the terrible dietary advice being given out by official organisations in the UK.”

Paleo Britain was now challenging some of the government advice about what foods people should eat and was offering a diet plan which could “set you on a course to health and physical wellbeing”, ​she added.

The organisation’s name comes from the fact that the foods it recommends are similar to the ones our Palaeolithic ancestors ate.

Its eating plan is also often referred to as the ‘Caveman Diet’ containing foods it claims we as humans were genetically and biologically meant to eat.

Its website is not recommending a high-protein, low-carb diet such as Atkins; instead it recommends replacing the carbohydrate calories with fats.

“Don’t be afraid of fat, because fat does not make us fat,” ​claimed Archard.

Leading diet

The Paleo Diet was the leading diet on Google last year and is gathering strong support across Britain, she added.

Paleo Britain wants people to sign up for a 30-day Paleo challenge to help them lose weight and feel better.

Titled ‘30 Days to Change Your Life’, the plan gives advice on how to lose weight without counting calories while eating delicious, real food.

It also advises on how to shape up for Christmas, gain energy, sleep better, break sugar addiction, change relationships with food, improve general health by removing what it claims are problematic foods such as grains and learn lots of simple and quick Paleo recipes.

Earlier this year, sports clothing firm Reebok launched an uncured bacon product​ as part of its engagement strategy for the CrossFit Games because it identified the athletes and fans as followers of the Paleo diet.

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4 comments

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eatwell plate is fine

Posted by yo mamma,

i follow the eatwell plate and im fine. although i do have an iron deficiency.

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Atkins is not high protein

Posted by Phil Thompson,

The Atkins diet would be correctly described as low carbohydrate, moderate protein, high fat.

That large yellow segment of potato and wheat products on the EatBadly plate contains no nutrition you can't get elsewhere.

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Good!

Posted by Andy Entressengle,

Whilst I agree with what the Government are trying to achieve i.e. healthy lifestyles and the massive NHS blackhole, their approach is very misleading. The whole "5 a day" campaign has is misleading the consumer in a number of ways. It is almost impossible to overfeed on vegetables, but fruit (given its arguably better taste due to sugar content) can be over-consumed, large surge in fruit smoothies over the years...? Remember, Fruit = Fructose = Sugar. Downing 12 innocent smoothies is definitely NOT the way to a healthier lifestyle.
The government needs to do much to promote healthier lifestyles (and in my opinion needs to do its research first!)

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