Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts, and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice).
At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (2), excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other starchy roots.
Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars (2, 7), which is like 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for an individual of healthy weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is a smaller amount than 5% of total energy intake for extra health benefits (7). Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, also as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit crush s and fruit juice concentrates.
Less than 30% of total energy intake is from fats.
For infants and young children
In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the danger of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
Advice on a healthy diet for infants and youngsters is analogous thereto for adults, but the subsequent elements also are important:
Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the primary 6 months of life.
Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years aged and beyond.
From 6 months aged, breast milk should be complemented with a spread of adequate, safe, and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars shouldn’t be added to complementary foods.
Practical advice on maintaining a healthy diet
Fruit and vegetables
Eating a minimum of 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the danger and helps to make sure an adequate daily intake of dietary fiber.
Fruit and vegetable intake are often improved by:
always including vegetables in meals;
eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks;
eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and
eating a spread of fruit and vegetables.
Reducing the quantity of total fat intake to but 30% of total energy intake helps to stop unhealthy weight gain within the adult population (1, 2, 3). Also, the danger of developing NCDs is lowered by:
reducing saturated fats to but 10% of total energy intake;
replacing both saturated fats and trans-fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – especially , with polyunsaturated fats.
steaming or boiling rather than frying when cooking;
replacing butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, like soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower oils;
eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat; and
limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans-fats.
Most people consume an excessive amount of sodium through salt (corresponding to consuming a mean of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high vital sign , which successively increases the danger of heart condition and stroke (8, 11).
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level of but 5 g per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths annually (12).
People are often unaware of the quantity of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats like bacon, ham and salami; cheese; and salty snacks) or from foods consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is additionally added to foods during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy and fish sauce) or at the purpose of consumption (e.g. table salt).
Salt intake are often reduced by:
limiting the quantity of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce, fish sauce and bouillon) when cooking and preparing foods;
not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table;
limiting the consumption of salty snacks; and
choosing products with lower sodium content.
Some food manufacturers are reformulating recipes to scale back the sodium content of their products, and other people should be encouraged to ascertain nutrition labels to see what proportion sodium is during a product before purchasing or consuming it.
Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on vital sign . Intake of potassium are often increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sugars
In both adults and youngsters , the intake of free sugars should be reduced to but 10% of total energy intake (2, 7). a discount to but 5% of total energy intake would offer additional health benefits (7).
Consuming free sugars increases the danger of cavity (tooth decay). Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which may cause overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence vital sign and serum lipids, and suggests that a discount in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (13).
Sugars intake are often reduced by:
limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, like sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all kinds of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non‐carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready‐to‐drink tea, ready‐to‐drink coffee and flavoured milk drinks); and
eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks rather than sugary snacks.
How to promote healthy diets
Diet evolves over time, being influenced by many social and economic factors that interact during a complex manner to shape individual dietary patterns. These factors include income, food prices (which will affect the supply and affordability of healthy foods), individual preferences and beliefs, cultural traditions, and geographical and environmental aspects (including climate change). Therefore, promoting a healthy food environment – including food systems that promote a diversified, balanced and healthy diet – requires the involvement of multiple sectors and stakeholders, including government, and therefore the public and personal sectors.
Increasing incentives for producers and retailers to grow, use and sell fresh fruit and vegetables;
reducing incentives for the food industry to continue or increase production of processed foods containing high levels of saturated fats, trans-fats, free sugars and salt/sodium;
encouraging reformulation of food products to scale back the contents of saturated fats, trans-fats, free sugars, and salt/sodium, with the goal of eliminating industrially-produced trans-fats;
implementing the WHO recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children;
establishing standards to foster healthy dietary practices through ensuring the supply of healthy, nutritious, safe and affordable foods in pre-schools, schools, other public institutions and therefore the workplace;
exploring regulatory and voluntary instruments (e.g. marketing regulations and nutrition labeling policies), and economic incentives or disincentives (e.g. taxation and subsidies) to market a healthy diet; and
encouraging transnational, national and native food services and catering outlets to enhance the nutritional quality of their foods – ensuring the supply and affordability of healthy choices – and review portion sizes and pricing.
Encouraging consumer demand for healthy foods and meals through:
promoting consumer awareness of a healthy diet;
developing school policies and programs that encourage children to adopt and maintain a healthy diet;
educating children, adolescents, and adults about nutrition and healthy dietary practices;
encouraging culinary skills, including in children through schools
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