The Dutch diet should include less meat and more legumes such as kidney beans and lentils according to new recommendations from the Dutch dietary advice centre Voedingscentrum.

The new advice was drawn up following the publication of new recommendations by the national health council last year.

The previous recommended Dutch diet dates from 1981 and is based on the five main food groups, known as the ‘schijf van vijf’.

The five food types remain central to the new recommendations and people are advised to eat lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grain products. Meat consumption should be reduced and replaced by legumes, nuts, eggs or tofu. Water, coffee and tea remain the best sources of liquid, the recommendations state.

‘Processed products generally contain too much salt, sugar or saturated fats and are not included in the list,’ the website says. Sweets, snacks, biscuits, sauces, processed meats, fruit juices and sweet spreads for on bread ‘may be eaten but in limited quantities and not often’.

The centre’s website includes a new online tool so that people can draw up their dietary programme based on their likes and dislikes.