Diet, Nutritional Advice, and Meal Planning

Introduction

A balanced diet throughout one’s life can prevent all sorts of malnutrition, as well as a variety of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and disorders.

However, eating habits have shifted as a result of increased urbanization, changing lifestyles, and changes in food production and systems. In addition to not eating enough fruits and vegetables or dietary fiber, individuals are increasingly consuming highly processed meals heavy in harmful fats, free sugars, salt, and sodium.

Individual factors (e.g., age, gender, lifestyle, and degree of physical activity), cultural background, locally accessible foods, and dietary habits all have an impact on the precise composition of a diverse, balanced, and nutritious diet.
Nonetheless, the core notions of what constitutes a healthy diet remain the same and can be summarized in four ways.

The three primary energy sources:

• Protein, lipids, and carbohydrates are well balanced in terms of overall energy intake and expenditure.
• Adequacy is the capacity to achieve vitamin and macronutrient requirements without going overboard, hence avoiding deficiencies.
• Diversity is the inclusion of a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods both within and between dietary groups; moderation is the ingestion of nutrients, substances, and foods that may be hazardous to one’s health.

Diets that adhere to these four fundamental principles enhance health at every stage of life.

Dietary food groupings

People should consume a nutritious, well-balanced diet that includes:

• Every day, eat five or more servings of various fruits and vegetables.
• Bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes are examples of starchy, high-fiber foods that should be a part of every meal.
• Have some dairy products or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks).
• Consume minimal quantities of unsaturated oils and spreads.
• Drink a sufficient amount of water, six to eight glasses, every day.
• Consume foods and beverages heavy in fat, salt, and sugar sparingly and in moderation.

To get a diverse range of nutrients, strive to eat foods from all five major dietary categories.

The majority of people in the UK consume too many calories, sugar, salt, and saturated fat, while also lacking in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and oily fish. Children under the age of two have distinct nutritional requirements; this guide does not apply to them.

Children should begin eating the same meals as the rest of the family in the amounts recommended by the age of two.

Should you take enough fruits and vegetables each day?

Fruits and vegetables should account for slightly more than one-third of your daily intake due to their high vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. It is recommended that you eat at least five servings of various fruits and vegetables per day. They may be canned, dried, frozen, fresh, or juiced.

Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

Eating five pieces isn’t as difficult as it might sound.

Part of it is:

• 80g of fruit and vegetables, either fresh, canned, or frozen
• 30g dried fruit, ideally consumed around mealtimes.
• 150 ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie; however, because these beverages are heavy in sugar and can destroy teeth, limit consumption to one serving per day.
• Each piece contains one apple, banana, pear, or other fruit of similar size.
• A slice of pineapple or melon, as well as three heaping teaspoons of vegetables, make up one piece.
• One simple way to get one serving is to include a spoonful of dried fruit, such as raisins, in your cereal in the morning.
• You may also add a side salad to your dinner and replace your midmorning biscuit with a banana.
• To reach your 5 A Day goal, eat veggies for dinner and fresh fruit with low-fat, plain yogurt for dessert.

Consuming starchy foods

Starchy carbohydrates should account for slightly more than one-third of your total diet. This suggests that these foods should form the basis of your meals.

Determine wholegrain or wholemeal starches like brown rice, wholewheat pasta, and high-fiber, wholewheat, or brown white bread when possible.

They often include more vitamins and minerals, as well as more fiber, than white ones.

Potato skins are high in vitamins and fiber. For example, eat the peel together with the jacket or cooked potatoes.

Dairy products and milk (including alternatives)

High-protein foods aren’t just limited to meat—they also include nutrient-dense dairy options that support strength and recovery.

Milk includes a natural balance of calcium, protein, and other nutrients. Yoghurt offers gut-friendly probiotics along with quality protein, while cheese delivers a concentrated source of protein and minerals for bone health. They also include calcium, which helps to keep your bones healthy. Whenever possible, choose goods with less fat and sugar.

Select low-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, low-fat, low-sugar yogurt, and semi-skimmed, 1% fat, or skimmed milk. This food group also includes dairy alternatives like soya drinks.

When purchasing alternatives, pick unsweetened, calcium-fortified varieties. All of these foods are high in protein, which the body requires for growth and repair.

Dairy products also contain a mixture of vitamins and minerals. Meat contains plenty of protein, vitamins, and minerals, such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. It’s also a major source of vitamin B12.

Utilize lean meats and skinless poultry whenever possible to minimize fat. Always cook beef completely. Consume as little red and processed meat as possible, including sausages, ham, and bacon.

Eggs and fish are likewise high in protein and include a variety of nutrients. Oily fish are particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Target to eat at least two servings of fish every week, one of which should be oily. You can get your fish fresh, frozen, or canned, but keep in mind that canned and smoked fish are generally heavy in salt.

Pulses, such as beans, peas, and lentils, are consequently low in fat while high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Nuts are abundant in fiber, and unsalted nuts make an excellent snack. However, they still contain substantial levels of fat, so consume them in moderation.

Oils and Spreads

A certain amount of fat in the diet is necessary; most individuals in the UK consume too much saturated fat.

• Unsaturated oils and spreads should be responsible for the majority of your fat intake.
• Switching to unsaturated fats can help reduce cholesterol.
• Keep in mind that all fats contain a lot of energy and should be consumed in moderation.

Consume less saturated fat, sugar, and salt

Too much saturated fat raises the level of cholesterol in the blood, increasing your chance of getting heart disease.

Consuming sugary meals and drinks regularly raises your chances of being obese and developing tooth damage.

Eating too much salt may elevate your blood pressure, increasing your chances of developing heart disease or experiencing a stroke.

WHO guidance on healthy diets

Carbohydrates

The body’s principal source of energy is carbohydrates. The amount of carbohydrate in the diet varies, and while low and extremely low carbohydrate diets are utilized to treat certain illnesses, most people should consume a range of unrefined carbs, which comprise roughly 45-75% of total daily energy.

Carbohydrates in the diet have to be predominantly obtained from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. Whole grains include unprocessed maize, millet, oatmeal, wheat, and brown rice. Pulses include dried peas, beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal, but frozen and canned options are also OK, as long as they do not contain added sugars or sodium. While fruit juice can be drunk, most types, particularly those with no added sugars, contain large levels of free sugars that should be consumed in moderation.

Everyone over the age of ten should strive for at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables each day,

With fewer for children under ten: at least 250 or 350 grams for kids between the ages of two and five, or six and nine.
Everyone over the age of ten should strive for a daily consumption of at least 25 grams of naturally occurring dietary fiber contained in foods, with smaller levels for children under ten: at least 15 or 21 grams for children aged 2 to 5, and 6 to 9 years old, respectively.

Sugars

A healthy individual who consumes roughly 2000 calories a day should consume no more than 50 g (approximately 12 level teaspoons) of free sugars, or less than 10% of their daily energy intake. There may be more health advantages if daily calorie consumption is further restricted to 5% or less.

Free sugar intake should be kept to a minimum throughout life. Free sugars include natural sugars found in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates, as well as monosaccharides and disaccharides (such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose) that are added to food and beverages by the producer, cook, or customer.

Avoiding the use of non-sugar sweeteners is the best way to reduce intake of free sugars and maintain low levels of intake. Aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, stevia derivatives, acesulfame K, and others are examples of common non-sugar sweeteners.

Fats

For the body’s cells to operate properly, fat is a necessary nutrient. Two fatty acids, linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid, are exclusively found in food. As a result, fat should make up at least 15% of an adult’s daily energy intake and up to 30% of all daily calories, as explained below.

For adults, preventing harmful weight gain may be achieved by keeping the total fat in the diet at 30% or less of the total energy intake each day. Higher total fat intakes may also be allowed for children because they have special energy needs for healthy growth and development during childhood and adolescence.

The dietary fat’s quality matters. Fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive oils are good sources of unsaturated fat, which is better than saturated fat, which is found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard. Trans fats of all kinds, including industrially produced trans fats, which are found in baked and fried foods, as well as pre-packaged snacks and foods like frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads, and ruminant trans fat, which is found in meat and dairy products from ruminant animals like cows, sheep, goats, and camels, are also preferred.

Saturated fat should make up no more than 10% of total caloric consumption, and trans fat of any kind should make up no more than 1%. There may be more health advantages to consuming less saturated and trans fat. Plant-based polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats can be used in place of trans and saturated fats. Carbohydrates from meals including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes that naturally contain dietary fiber can also take the place of saturated fat. Specifically, trans fats that are generated industrially should be avoided as they are not a part of a balanced diet.

The following strategies can help reduce fat intake, particularly saturated and trans fat:

• cooking by steaming or boiling rather than frying; substituting oils rich in polyunsaturated fat, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower, and sunflower oils for butter, lard, and ghee; consuming lean meats and reduced-fat dairy products; and avoiding baked and fried foods, as well as pre-packaged snacks and foods (such as doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans fat.

Protein

Many of the body’s structural components, including muscle, as well as functional molecules like hormones and enzymes, are made of proteins. Adults can often meet their demands with a protein consumption of 10–15% of their daily energy intake (around 50–75 grams for a person of healthy body weight ingesting about 2000 calories per day).

During adolescence and for athletes, bodybuilders, and those actively gaining and/or retaining large quantities of muscle mass, protein intake may exceed 15% of total daily caloric intake. However, eating too much protein can strain the body’s metabolism, especially the kidneys.

A combination of plant and animal sources can provide protein. Additionally, protein quality and digestibility should be taken into account, especially during childhood and adolescence. In certain situations, it might be better to go toward more plant-based protein sources in order to lower the risk of adult noncommunicable illnesses linked to nutrition. In other situations, eating animal-derived foods remains crucial for promoting nutrient intake, especially for young children and expectant or nursing mothers.

Potassium, sodium, and salt

Although potassium and sodium are necessary minerals, excessive consumption of sodium (salt) is linked to elevated blood pressure, which can result in cardiovascular disease. Many regions of the world have high salt intakes, yet individuals sometimes don’t realize how much salt they’re consuming. The detrimental effects of increased salt intake on blood pressure might be lessened by potassium.

The majority of salt in many nations comes from processed foods, such as prepared meals, processed meats like bacon, ham, and salami, cheese, and salty snacks, or from items that are regularly consumed in significant quantities, such as bread. Additionally, salt can be added to food at the time of consumption (e.g., table salt) or while cooking (e.g., bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce, and fish sauce).

Adults should consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day (2 grams of sodium per day). The maximum sodium intake for children is lower and must be calculated using calorie consumption.

Limiting salt and high-sodium condiments (such as fish sauce, soy sauce, and bouillon) when cooking and preparing food, avoiding salt or high-sodium sauces on the table, consuming fewer salty snacks, and selecting lower-sodium products are all ways to cut back on salt intake.

Adults may benefit from consuming at least 90 mmol (3510 mg) of potassium per day. Potassium consumption in children is lower and must be evaluated using energy intake. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables can boost potassium intake.

Lower-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS) are alternatives to ordinary table salt in which potassium is usually used in place of some of the sodium. By lowering sodium intake and raising potassium intake, these products can help prevent cardiovascular disease in people who are not at risk of hyperkalaemia, or elevated potassium levels in the blood. This is especially true in populations where discretionary salt is a significant source of sodium intake.

WHO suggests this practice in situations where health services are able to identify and treat possible renal disease cases quickly.

Minerals (micronutrients) and vitamins

There are roughly thirty essential vitamins and minerals known as micronutrients. Of these, thirteen are vitamins (such as A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K) and sixteen are minerals (including iron, iodine, zinc, and calcium) that the body needs in trace levels for healthy growth. Serious health problems, such as anemia, scurvy, cognitive impairment, and neural tube deformities, can result from deficiencies in these nutrients.

More than half of children under five and more than two-thirds of women of reproductive age who are not pregnant are low in at least one important micronutrient, usually iron, zinc, vitamin A, or folate. Micronutrient deficiencies are extremely common around the world.

To guarantee sufficient intake of essential vitamins and minerals, promote a diet rich in a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and lean animal-source foods.
Encourage frequent consumption of foods high in micronutrients, such as lean meats or beans to boost iron intake, dark-green leafy vegetables to boost vitamin A levels, or iodized salt to prevent iodine shortage.

In nations with high rates of micronutrient deficiencies (20% or more), incorporate large-scale food fortification into national public health initiatives by adding essential micronutrients (e.g., iron, folic acid, vitamin A, iodine, and zinc) to commonly consumed staples and condiments, such as flour, rice, oil, salt, or sugar.

Foods

A healthy diet is made possible by a wide range of foods, such as a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, and lean protein sources. Diverse diets that include a wide range of foods from both within and between food groups are linked to a lower risk of diet-related noncommunicable diseases and a higher chance of fulfilling vitamin and mineral requirements. Many individuals may benefit from switching to more plant-based protein sources, especially if they are avoiding red meat. Limit foods that are heavy in sodium, free sugars, and bad fats.

Furthermore, diets that include a lot of highly processed foods—which are frequently high in sugar, sodium, or harmful fats—are linked to poor health results.

For infants and young children

A child’s cognitive development is improved, and healthy growth is encouraged by optimum nutrition during the first two years of life. Additionally, it lowers the chance of acquiring NCDs later in life and becoming overweight or obese.

While the recommendations for a healthy diet for newborns and children are similar to those for adults, the following factors are also crucial:

• The first six months of an infant’s life should be spent breastfeeding.
• The child should be breastfed until they are at least two years old.
• A variety of adequate, safe, and nutrient-dense foods should be added to breast milk beginning at six months of age. Complementary foods shouldn’t be paired with sugar or salt.
• A varied diet that includes fruits and vegetables, as well as animal-derived foods such as meat, fish, and eggs, is recommended for infants and young children aged 6 to 23 months.
• Limiting the intake of starchy basic foods is advised.
• It is best to avoid foods and drinks that are high in trans fats, sugar, and salt.

How to encourage a healthy diet?

Individual dietary patterns are shaped by a complex interplay of social and economic factors that impact diet throughout time. Income, food pricing (which will impact the availability and affordability of healthful foods), personal tastes and beliefs, cultural customs, and regional and environmental considerations (including climate change) are some of these factors. Therefore, the government, as well as the public and commercial sectors, must be involved to create a healthy food environment that encourages a varied, balanced, and healthy diet.

Governments are essential in creating a healthy food environment to motivate people to adopt and maintain healthy eating habits. Policymakers are advised to take the following evidence-based, economical, and other steps to establish a healthy food environment:

• To encourage a balanced diet and safeguard public health, national policies and investment plans, including those about health, food and agriculture, education, the economy, and trade, should be more coherent.
• Lowering incentives for the food industry to produce processed foods with high levels of saturated fat, trans fat, free sugars, and salt/sodium; lowering incentives for producers and retailers to grow, use, and sell fresh fruit and vegetables (for example, through subsidies); and promoting food product reformulation to lower the amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, free sugars, and salt/sodium, to eradicate industrially produced trans fat.
• Putting in place the required measures to shield kids from the negative effects of food marketing
• Establishing guidelines to promote healthy eating habits by guaranteeing the availability of safe, affordable, nutritious, and healthful foods in childcare facilities, schools, and other public places, and motivating international, national, and local food services and catering businesses to enhance the nutritional value of their offerings by guaranteeing the availability and affordability of healthful options; and examining portion sizes and costs

Boosting nutritious meals and snacks by:

• raising consumer knowledge about eating a balanced diet
• creating school policies and programs that support and facilitate children’s adoption and maintenance of a healthy diet; implementing nudging interventions that purposefully modify the context and choice architecture in which consumers make dietary decisions, including the positioning, pricing, and presentation of options; teaching kids, teens, and adults about nutrition and good eating habits
• supporting point-of-sale information, including through nutrition labeling that guarantees accurate, standardized, and understandable information on nutrient contents in foods (in accordance with the Codex Alimentarius Commission guidelines); fostering culinary skills, including in children through schools
• putting in place interpretive front-of-pack labeling to help consumers comprehend, offering nutritional counseling and nutrition education at primary healthcare facilities
• encouraging proper feeding practices for infants and young children by putting into effect the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and any ensuing World Health Assembly resolutions that are pertinent
• Putting policies and procedures in place to support working mothers’ protection
• Guaranteeing that pregnant women and young children have access to high-quality counseling regarding infant and young child feeding during the first two years of life.
• Advocating, defending, and encouraging breastfeeding in the community and health services, particularly through the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative.

Developing the evidence: rules, criteria, and resources

WHO transforms nutrition knowledge into useful, evidence-based recommendations to fulfill these responsibilities. Over the past ten years, the WHO has released over fifteen guidelines, which include suggestions for lowering harmful fats, sugars, and salt, removing trans fats from industrial sources, enhancing supplemental feeding, and promoting breastfeeding, among other things.

Supporting action

transforming evidence into impact. Through a variety of programs, WHO assists nations in putting these policies into practice. Over 50% of the world’s population has already been protected thanks to the REPLACE action package, which provides a path for the eradication of industrial trans fats.

WHO’s reaction

WHO’s efforts to enhance nutrition and diets are based on directives from its Member States via United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions. The WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health, which called for concerted effort from governments, the business sector, civil society, and others to promote healthy diets and physical activity, was the catalyst for the movement.

WHO’s work has been molded over time around three main themes by further resolutions, such as the Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition and its worldwide targets:

Target-oriented behavior

safeguarding consumers against dangerous food ingredients and business practices; and multisectoral action across systems.
Together, these resolutions mandate that the WHO assist all nations in guaranteeing that everyone, everywhere, has access to affordable, safe, and healthful foods for the duration of their lives.

Developing the evidence: rules, criteria, and resources

WHO transforms nutrition knowledge into useful, evidence-based recommendations to fulfill these responsibilities. Over the past ten years, WHO has released over fifteen guidelines, which include suggestions for lowering harmful fats, sugars, and salt; removing trans fats from industrial sources; enhancing supplemental feeding; and promoting breastfeeding, among other things.

Supporting action: transforming evidence into impact, through a variety of programs

WHO assists nations in putting these policies into practice. Over 50% of the world’s population has already been protected thanks to the REPLACE action package, which provides a path for the eradication of industrial trans fats. To assist nations in creating national plans and bolstering primary healthcare services, WHO also co-leads significant international initiatives, such as the Framework to Accelerate Anaemia Reduction, the Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity, and the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting.

Tracking development: information for responsibility

WHO works with FAO, UNICEF, and academic partners to improve food policy implementation and worldwide dietary pattern monitoring. WHO assesses food consumption at the population level using standardized measurements and low-burden techniques, allowing for more regular and comparable data collection. Additionally, WHO tracks over 3,100 food and nutrition policies globally through the Global Database for Food and Nutrition Actions (GIFNA), which aids in tracking progress and identifying policy gaps.

The portion size

The amount of food or beverage that individuals usually consume is called a serving. The serving size is listed on the nutrition labels of packaged foods. You can find out how many calories or grams of fat are in that serving of food by reading the label.

There is also a serving size for fresh foods like beef or broccoli. Fresh foods might not have labels, of course, but you can usually obtain the serving size information online. For instance, one cup of broccoli is a serving size. You can decide to serve more than one cup of food.

Your ideal portion size will depend on how many calories and nutrients you require. Based on your weight and level of activity, you may determine how many calories your body requires. To determine your baseline calorie intake, you can also begin by recording your food intake and measuring quantities.

You can adjust your plate to meet your unique calorie requirements by keeping portion size in mind. Here are some instances of how portion control can help you create a nutritious plate at each meal.

Dinner’s spice, variety

An illustration of a restaurant-style steak and starch lunch can be found on the left. The plate is laden with food, and many people believe they are receiving value for their money. However, such a meal only contains two food groups and has 1,500 calories.

A picture of a more varied steak meal may be found on the right. The potato and meat quantities are more akin to one dish each. The potato and meat quantities are more akin to one dish each. Just one-fourth of the plate is occupied by the steak. The brown rice is the same. The remainder of the plate is made up of vegetables. The entire meal still has about 700 calories, even with the addition of fruit, salad, and skim milk.

A crunch-filled lunch

A standard restaurant burrito with side sauces is seen on the left. There are almost 1,000 calories in that lunch. It lacks fruit and vegetables. It also contains a lot of fat.
A typical-sized burrito with grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, and a whole-wheat tortilla is depicted in the image on the right. The servings of vegetables are increased by substituting slices of avocado and fresh salsa for the substantial amount of guacamole and sour cream. All of the stuff is available for less than 750 calories. It has fewer than 500 calories if the rice is taken out.

Make breakfast more cheerful

White bread, sausage, and eggs are common items on diner menus. It’s a one-note dish, though. The standard diner meal, shown on the left, is high in protein but low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It adds up, too. There are about 700 calories in the dish on the left.

There are just roughly 400 calories in the breakfast shown on the right. Additionally, it’s a fantastic example of the plate approach. Fruit makes up half of the dish, protein makes up one-fourth, and whole grains make up the remaining fourth.

Planning a plate

Everything boils down to the dish. You have the chance to provide your body with a variety of nutrients at every meal. And one step to maintaining a disease-free life is consuming a nutritious range of foods in the appropriate quantity for you throughout time.

Various organizations have developed models for how people could choose to fill their plates to help during mealtimes. According to a general template, half of the plate should consist of fruits and vegetables in the US, while the other half should consist of grains and protein.

How many calories you consume, your age, and physical attributes like height, weight, and sex will all affect how your plate looks. It also relies on your level of activity and whether you are taking care of any medical conditions. For instance, a model plate for diabetics would emphasize veggies and recommend water rather than milk.

Conclusion

Proper meal planning and a balanced diet are the cornerstones of good health. Your body’s energy levels, immunity, digestion, and general well-being are all supported when you plan your meals and choose wholesome foods in the appropriate amounts. Making consistent, thoughtful food choices that suit your lifestyle and health objectives is what constitutes healthy eating, not rigorous limitations.

Time savings, stress reduction, avoiding unhealthy food choices, and meeting daily nutritional needs are all made possible by efficient meal planning.  By including a variety of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables, you can create a long-lasting eating pattern that promotes long-term health.

Recall that continuous, minor adjustments can produce long-lasting effects. For optimal results, prioritize a well-balanced diet, drink enough water, and adjust your meal plan based on your age, activity level, and health conditions.

FAQS

References

• World Health Organization: WHO. (2026, January 26). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
• Website, N. (2025, October 6). Eating a balanced diet. nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/eating-a-balanced-diet/
• Healthy meals start with planning. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/healthy-meals/art-20546806
• 10 most popular diet & nutrition questions answered by a registered dietitian. (n.d.). Hy-Vee Recipes and Ideas. https://www.hy-vee.com/recipes-ideas/advice-how-tos/wellness/nutrition/answers-to-diet-questions