Consuming A Healthy Food diet throughout your life is crucial for preventing malnutrition in all its forms and reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). However, with the rise in processed foods, rapid urbanization, and evolving lifestyles, dietary patterns have shifted. People are increasingly consuming foods high in energy, unhealthy fats, free sugars, and excessive salt/sodium, while neglecting essential nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
The ideal composition of a diversified, balanced, and healthy food diet will depend on individual needs (such as age, gender, activity level, and lifestyle), cultural background, locally accessible foods, and traditional dietary habits. Nevertheless, the fundamental principles of a healthy food diet remain consistent.
Healthy Eating Guidelines for Adults
A healthy food diet for adults should consist of:
- Fruits, vegetables, legumes (like lentils and beans), nuts, and whole grains (such as unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice).
- At least 400 grams (five servings) of fruits and vegetables daily, excluding starchy roots like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cassava.
- Limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake (equivalent to 50 grams or 12 teaspoons for a person consuming 2000 calories daily). Ideally, aim for less than 5% for greater health benefits. Free sugars include sugars added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers, as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices.
- Reducing total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake. Prioritize unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocados, nuts, and oils like sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive) over saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, and lard) and trans-fats. Minimize saturated fat intake to less than 10% and trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake. Industrially-produced trans-fats, commonly found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks should be avoided entirely.
- Consuming less than 5 grams of salt (about one teaspoon) per day. Use iodized salt.
A vibrant assortment of fruits and vegetables, essential components of a healthy diet.
Nutritional Needs of Infants and Young Children
During the first two years of life, optimal nutrition is vital for healthy growth and cognitive development. It also decreases the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
While healthy dietary guidelines for infants and children are similar to those for adults, here are some specific recommendations:
- Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.
- Breastfeeding should continue until two years of age and beyond.
- Starting at six months, breast milk should be supplemented with a variety of adequate, safe, and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to these complementary foods.
Appropriate complementary feeding alongside breastfeeding ensures optimal nutrition for infants and young children.
Practical Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Food Diet
Maximizing Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Consuming at least 400g (five servings) of fruits and vegetables daily lowers the risk of NCDs and ensures adequate dietary fiber intake. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake by:
- Including vegetables in every meal.
- Snacking on fresh fruit and raw vegetables.
- Choosing seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Reducing Unhealthy Fats
Limiting total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake prevents unhealthy weight gain in adults. The risk of NCDs is also reduced by:
- Reducing saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total energy intake.
- Minimizing trans-fat intake to less than 1% of total energy intake.
- Replacing saturated and trans-fats with unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats.
Reduce your intake of saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats by:
- Steaming or boiling instead of frying.
- Replacing butter, lard, and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats (soybean, canola, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils).
- Choosing reduced-fat dairy products and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat.
- Limiting consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks that contain industrially-produced trans-fats.
Prioritizing steaming and boiling over frying is a simple yet effective way to reduce unhealthy fat intake.
Controlling Salt, Sodium, and Potassium Intake
Most people consume too much sodium (through salt) and not enough potassium. High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Reducing salt intake to less than 5 grams per day could prevent millions of deaths each year.
Reduce your salt intake by:
- Limiting salt and high-sodium condiments (soy sauce, fish sauce, bouillon) when cooking.
- Avoiding salt or high-sodium sauces at the table.
- Limiting salty snacks.
- Choosing products with lower sodium content by checking nutrition labels.
Increase potassium intake by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, which helps to counter the negative effects of sodium on blood pressure.
Managing Sugar Consumption
Limit free sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy intake for both adults and children. Reducing it further to less than 5% provides additional health benefits. Consuming too many free sugars increases the risk of dental caries, unhealthy weight gain, and cardiovascular diseases.
Reduce sugar intake by:
- Limiting foods and drinks high in sugars, such as sugary snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages (sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks, etc.).
- Snacking on fresh fruit and raw vegetables instead of sugary snacks.
Substituting sugary drinks with water or unsweetened alternatives is a crucial step towards reducing sugar consumption.
Promoting Healthy Food Diets
Dietary habits are shaped by various social and economic factors, including income, food prices, individual preferences, cultural traditions, and environmental aspects. Promoting a healthy food environment necessitates involvement from multiple sectors and stakeholders, including governments and the public and private sectors.
Governments play a central role in creating a healthy food environment by:
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Creating coherent national policies and investment plans to promote a healthy food diet and protect public health.
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Increasing incentives for producing and selling fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Reducing incentives for the food industry to produce processed foods high in saturated fats, trans-fats, free sugars, and salt/sodium.
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Encouraging the reformulation of food products to reduce unhealthy ingredients.
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Implementing recommendations on marketing foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children.
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Establishing standards to promote healthy food practices in public institutions and workplaces.
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Exploring regulatory and voluntary instruments, and economic incentives or disincentives, to promote a healthy food diet.
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Encouraging consumer demand for healthy foods and meals through:
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Promoting consumer awareness of a healthy food diet.
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Developing school policies and programs that encourage healthy food habits.
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Educating children, adolescents, and adults about nutrition and healthy food practices.
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Encouraging culinary skills.
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Supporting point-of-sale information, including nutrition labeling.
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Promoting appropriate infant and young child feeding practices through:
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Implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
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Implementing policies to protect working mothers.
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Promoting and supporting breastfeeding.
World Health Organization (WHO) Initiatives
The WHO has several initiatives to promote a healthy food diet globally, including:
- The “WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.”
- Recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children.
- The “Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition.”
- Global voluntary targets for the prevention and control of NCDs.
- The Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.
- The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2).
- The REPLACE action package to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids.
By understanding what constitutes a healthy food diet and implementing these practical tips and recommendations, individuals, communities, and governments can work together to create a healthier future for all.
