Changes to the US dietary guidelines and the reintroduction of a food pyramid have been mired in controversary, with some critics saying they're adding to the confusion about what constitutes a healthy diet. Healthy Food Guide dietitian Min Saw and managing editor Jenny de Montalk unpack the updates and discuss what they could mean for Australians and Kiwis. Plus they share their top tips on packing the perfect healthy lunch for every life stage.

References for this episode:

AIHW. Diet. Available at aihw.gov.au. Accessed March 2026.

Better Health Channel. Cereals and wholegrain foods. Available at betterhealth.vic.gov.au. Accessed March 2026.

Eat for Health. Australian guide to healthy eating. Available at eatforhealth.gov.au. Accessed March 2026.

Fornari Laurindo L et al. 2025. Evaluating the effects of seed oils on lipid profile, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and glycemic control of diabetic and dyslipidemic patients: a systematic review of clinical studies. Front Nutr. 12:1502815.

Healthy Food Guide. Back-to-school special: how to pack a healthy lunchbox. Available at healthyfood.com. Accessed March 2026.

Hertzler SR et al. 2020. Plant proteins: assessing their nutritional quality and effects on health and physical function. Nutrients. 12(12):3704.

Maki KC et al. 2021. Saturated fats and cardiovascular health: current evidence and controversies. J Clin Lipidol. 15(6):765-772.

Petersen KS et al. 2024. Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat. Br J Nutr. 132(8):1039-1050.

Real Food. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Available at realfood.gov. Accessed March 2026.

Rett BS et al. 2011. Increasing dietary linoleic acid does not increase tissue arachidonic acid content in adults consuming Western-type diets: a systematic review. Nutr Metab (Lond). 8:36.

USAFacts. Are Americans meeting federal dietary guidelines? Available at usafacts.org. Accessed March 2026.

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Acute inflammation is a necessary reaction to injury or infection in your body. But chronic inflammation has been associated with multiple health conditions from mental illness to diabetes and heart disease. And many of the factors driving chronic inflammation are modifiable. Healthy Food Guide dietitian Jess Burvill and nutritionist and mum of three Kathleen Alleaume take a look at what inflammation is, what it really means for your health and which foods can help ease it.

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Your brain health is essential to your overall well-being. Deaths from dementia are second only to heart disease as Australia’s biggest killer, and around 43 per cent of people aged 16-85 years have experienced a mental disorder, at some point.

The good news is, what we eat and how we live can reduce our risk of developing dementia, and a healthy diet and regular exercise can help with managing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Healthy Food Guide dietitian Jess Burvill and nutritionist and mum of three Kathleen Alleaume reveal which foods are best for our brain and what we can do to keep our noggins in top shape as we age.

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