Healthy diet

Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life course helps prevent malnutrition in all its forms, as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases and conditions. Increased production of processed food, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns. People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium. Many people also do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and dietary fibre, such as whole grains.

The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual needs (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle, degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs. But basic principles of what constitute a healthy diet remain the same.

A healthy diet is important sources of essential nutrients and helps protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.  

A healthy diet includes:

• fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g., lentils and beans), nuts, and whole grains,
• at least 400g of fruit and vegetables (i.e. 5 portions),
• limit foods high in fat, sugar and salt:
  • total fat not exceeding 30% of total energy intake, saturated fat should be less than 10% and trans-fat to be less than 1% of total energy intake,
  • reducing free sugars intake to less than 10% of total energy intake and a further reduction to less than 5% is suggested for additional health benefits, and
  • limiting salt to be less than 5g per day (equivalent to about 1 teaspoon).

The WHO supports Member States in developing and strengthening policy actions to promote healthy diets such as:

• trans-fat elimination policy
• salt reduction through reformulation of food product
• creating healthy food environment in schools, workplaces and communities