WHO Diet Recommendations

WHO Diet Recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) offers evidence-based dietary guidelines aimed at preventing malnutrition and lowering the risk of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. These guidelines are intended for adults and children over 2 years of age, with tailored advice for infants and young children.

Core Recommendations for a Healthy Diet

• Eat a Variety of Foods: Include fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g., lentils and beans), nuts, and whole grains (e.g., unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice).
• Fruits & Vegetables: Consume at least 400 grams (≈5 portions) daily, excluding starchy roots like potatoes and cassava.
• Balance Energy Intake and Expenditure: Align calorie intake with energy needs to maintain a healthy body weight.
• Carbohydrates: Should provide 40–70% of total energy, mainly from legumes and wholegrain cereals, preferably minimally processed.
• Fats:
  • Total fat <30% of total energy intake.
  • Favor unsaturated fats (fish, avocado, nuts, vegetable oils).
  • Limit saturated fat to <10% and trans-fats to <1% of energy intake.
  • Avoid industrially-produced trans-fats entirely.
• Sugars:
  • Free sugars <10% of total energy intake (ideally <5%).
  • Includes added sugars and those in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and concentrates.
• Salt:
  • Limit intake to <5 grams/day (≈1 teaspoon).
  • Use iodized salt for adequate iodine.
• Protein: Ensure adequate intake through diverse sources like legumes, nuts, fish, eggs, dairy, and lean meats.

Additional Guidance

• Fluids: Drink plenty of water. Tea and coffee are acceptable with little or no sugar. Limit dairy to 1–2 servings/day and juice to one small glass/day. Avoid sugary drinks.
• Special Populations: Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, continuing breastfeeding with complementary foods up to 2 years or more.
• Food Environment: WHO recommends supportive policies like nutrition labeling, restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods to children, and healthy public food procurement standards.

Summary Table of Key WHO Recommendations

• Fruits & Vegetables: ≥400 g/day (≈5 portions)
• Total Fat: <30% of total energy intake
• Saturated Fat: <10% of total energy intake