Healthy Diet

All types of malnutrition and several non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and medical disorders can be prevented by maintaining a healthy diet throughout one’s life. However, eating trends have shifted in response to the growth in processed food production, rapid urbanization, and changing lifestyles. Instead of eating enough fruits, vegetables, and other dietary fiber, including whole grains, many people consume excessive foods high in energy, fats, free sugars, and sodium.

Individual defines (e.g., age, gender, lifestyle, and level of physical activity), cultural background, readily available foods, and dietary practices will all influence the precise composition of a varied, balanced, and healthful diet. The guidelines for what makes a healthy diet, however, have not changed.

Introduction

Maintaining or enhancing general health can be helped by eating a healthy diet. The body needs liquids, macronutrients like protein, micronutrients like vitamins, enough fiber, and dietary energy, all of which are provided by a balanced diet.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and little to no ultra-processed foods or drinks with sugar can all be found in a balanced diet. Numerous plant-based and animal-based items can satisfy the requirements for a healthy diet; however, vegans require additional sources of vitamin B12. To inform people on what they should be eating to stay healthy, government and medical organizations offer a variety of nutrition guides. Unhealthy food preferences may be affected by advertising. People should be activated, encouraged, and informed to make appropriate dietary choices to counter this trend. In several nations, nutrition data labels are also required in order to allow consumers to select foods according to the health-related components.

Four fundamental guidelines for what makes a healthy diet have been developed by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. These two organizations define healthy diets as:

• Adequate because they support all of the various bodily activities by meeting, without going beyond, our body’s energy and food needs.
• Diverse because they contain a variety of nutrient-dense foods from both within and outside of dietary groups to make sure our bodies are getting the right amount of nutrients.
• Balanced because they promote healthy weight, growth, and activity, provide energy from the three main sources (protein, lipids, and carbohydrates) in a balanced manner, and help avoid disease.
• Moderate because they only contain small amounts of items that can be harmful to your health, such as those that are very sweet and salty.

For Adults

A healthy diet consists of the following:

• Whole grains (such as raw maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice), legumes (like beans and lentils), nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
• At least 400 g, or five pieces, of fruits and vegetables per day, removing starchy roots like cassava, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.
• A healthy individual eating 2000 calories a day should consume no more than fifty g (12 teaspoons) of free sugars, or less than 10% of total energy intake. For extra health benefits, less than 5% of total energy consumption should be made up of it. Sugars added to food and beverages by the producer, chef, or customer are all regarded as free sugars, as are all sugars found naturally in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates.
• Less than thirty percent of overall energy consumption is made up of fats. Unsaturated fats, which are found in nuts, avocados, seafood, and oils such as sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive, are healthier than saturated fats, which are typically present in butter, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee, cream, cheese, and fatty meats. All forms of trans fats are also better for you than unsaturated fats, including eat trans fats from meat and dairy products from animals like cows, sheep, goats, and camels, as well as industrially produced trans fats from baked and fried foods, prepackaged snacks and foods like frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads. Less than 10% of total energy intake should come from saturated fat, whereas less than 1% should come from trans fat. A healthy diet should not include trans fats, especially those derived from industrial manufacture.
• Consumption of fewer than five grams, or one teaspoon, of salt each day. Iodizing salt is required.

For Infants and Young Children

A child’s cognitive development improves and healthy growth is promoted by optimum nutrition during the first two years of life. Additionally, it lowers the chance of future NCDs and being overweight or obese.

Although the following elements are also significant, the suggestions for a nutritious diet for kids and babies are similar to those for adults:

• For six months of their lives, infants should only be breastfed.
• The child should be breastfed until they are at least two years old.
• Breast milk should be replaced with a variety of sufficient, secure, and nutrient-dense foods starting at six months of age. Incorporating sugar or salt into complementary foods is incorrect.

Simple ways to maintain a healthy diet

Vegetables and fruits

An appropriate daily intake of dietary fiber can be ensured and the risk of NCDs can be decreased by eating at least 400 g, or five servings, of fruit and vegetables each day.

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake can be done by:

• vegetables in dishes at all times;
• eating fresh fruit and raw veggies as snacks;
• Consuming in-season fresh fruits and vegetables; and
• Consuming a range of fruits and veggies.

Fats

Adults who consume less than 30% of their calories from fat can avoid harmful weight gain. Furthermore, the following lowers the chance of developing NCDs:

Changing unsaturated lipids, particularly polyunsaturated fats, with both trans and saturated fats, and reducing trans and saturated fats to less than 1% and 10% of total calorie intake, respectively.

Consuming less fat, particularly saturated fat and trans fat from industrial sources, can be done by:

• cooking without frying by boiling or steaming;
• Avoiding baked and fried foods, as well as pre-packaged snacks and foods (like doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, and wafers) that contain industrially produced trans fats; eating fatty meats and reduced-fat dairy products, or removing visible fat from meat; and substituting oils high in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower, and sunflower oils, for butter, lard, and ghee.

Potassium, sodium, and salt

Every day, the average person consumes less than 3.5 g of potassium, too much sodium, and 9–12 g of salt. Blood pressure rises and the risk of heart disease and stroke increases with a diet heavy in salt and low in potassium.

1.7 million fatalities could be avoided annually if salt consumption were reduced to the recommended amount of less than 5 g per day.

People frequently don’t realize how much salt they eat. In many countries, processed meals (such as prepared foods, processed meats like bacon, ham, and salami, cheese, and salty snacks) or routinely consumed high-consumption goods (like bread) provide the bulk of salt. Furthermore, salt can be added to food while it is being prepared (e.g., bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce, and fish sauce) or while it is being consumed (e.g., table salt).

Use of salt can be decreased by:

Avoid having salt and high-sodium sauces on the table, use less salt and high-sodium ingredients (such as fish sauce, soy sauce, and bouillon) when cooking and preparing meals, stay away from salty snacks, and choose products with lower sodium content.

Before buying or consuming a product, consumers should be asked to read nutrition labels to determine the salt amount. To reduce the sodium content of their products, some food manufacturers are rewriting their recipes.

Potassium reduces the adverse effects that too much salt has on blood pressure. Consuming fresh fruit and vegetables can improve potassium intake.

Sugars

Free sugar should not account for more than 10% of an adult’s or child’s total energy consumption. Lowering the overall energy consumption to less than 5% would provide further health benefits.

Cavities in the teeth, or gum disease, are more likely to occur when free sugars are consumed. When people consume too many calories from food and drinks that contain free sugars, they may become overweight or obese. Additionally, recent data indicate that free sugars affect blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, and that consuming fewer free sugars lowers the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Sugar consumption can be decreased by:

• Reducing consumption of food and drink high in sugar, such as sweet snacks, candies, and sugar-containing beverages (i.e., such as carbonated or non-carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoring water, energy and sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea, ready-to-drink coffee, and flavor-infused milk drinks); and substituting fresh fruit and raw vegetables for sugary snacks.

How to encourage a healthy diet

Individual dietary patterns are shaped by a complex combination of social and economic factors that affect diet throughout time. These include personal tastes and beliefs, cultural customs, regional and environmental factors (such as climate change), income, and food costs (which will impact the accessibility and affordability of healthful meals). Therefore, the government, as well as the public and commercial sectors, must be involved in order to promote a healthy food environment, which includes food systems that support a varied, balanced, and healthful diet.

In order to encourage people to develop and maintain healthy eating habits, governments play an important part in creating a healthy food environment. The following are some effective steps that governments can take to establish a healthy food environment:

Establishing consistency in national investment plans and policies, such as those about trade, food, and agriculture, to safeguard public health and encourage a nutritious diet by:

• Increasing the opportunities for fresh produce production, consumption, and marketing for farmers and traders;
• Reducing the pressure on the food business to manufacture more processed foods that are rich in sodium, trans fats, saturated fats, and free sugars;
• promoting food product reformulation to lower salt/sodium levels and remove factory-produced trans fats, free sugars, and saturated fats;
• Carrying out the WHO’s guidelines for marketing nonalcoholic drinks and meals to children;
• Setting guidelines to promote wholesome eating habits by guaranteeing that safe, wholesome, and reasonably priced foods are available in preschools, schools, other public institutions, and workplaces;
• investigating financial benefits or barriers (such as taxation and subsidies), as well as voluntary and regulatory tools (such as marketing rules and nutrition labeling policies) to encourage a healthy diet; and
• Encouraging local, national, and international food services and catering businesses to improve the nutritional value of their offerings, guaranteeing the accessibility and affordability of healthful options, and reevaluating portion sizes and costs.

The demand for wholesome meals and snacks among consumers is rising due to:

• increasing consumer knowledge of the importance of having a balanced diet;
• Creating programs and policies for schools that motivate kids to eat healthily and stick to it;
• teaching adults, adolescents, and children about proper eating and nutrition;
• promoting culinary abilities in kids, especially through schools;
• Supporting information at the point of sale, such as through nutrition labeling that guarantees precise, consistent, and understandable information on food’s nutrient contents, with the inclusion of labeling on the product’s front to raise consumer awareness; and
• Provide nutritional guidance and nutrition at basic healthcare facilities.

Promoting proper eating behaviors for infants and young children by:

• Encouraging, protecting, and assisting breastfeeding in the community and health services, including through the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative; implementing procedures and policies aimed at protecting working mothers; carrying out the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and any following World Health Assembly resolutions that are significant.

Why is maintaining a healthy diet important?

You get your energy and the calories and nutrients your body needs from food. Your health may deteriorate if your diet is lacking in calories or one or more nutrients.

If you eat too many calories, you may put on weight. The following risks are markedly elevated in obese people:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Obstructive sleep Apnea
• Heart diseases
• A liver disorder
• Kidney disease

The quality of your diet also affects your life expectancy, mental well-being, and risk of disease.

Ultra-processed food diets may be associated with higher mortality rates, according to research.

Additionally, research has shown that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, is associated with a decreased risk of disease and longer lifespans since it mostly consists of complete, nutrient-dense foods.

Highly processed food-based diets may also raise the likelihood of depressive symptoms, especially in those who exercise less.

You’re probably not getting enough of these nutrients if your diet consists mostly of highly processed foods and drinks and little in the way of real foods like veggies, nuts, and seafood. Your general health may suffer as a result of this.

Does eating a healthy diet require you to follow a specific schedule?

You don’t need to follow any particular diet to feel your best, even if some individuals must—or choose—to avoid certain foods or stick to diets for health-related reasons.

Simply put, “healthy eating” refers to providing your body with primarily nutrient-dense foods.

Depending on a person’s area, socioeconomic status, culture, and personal preferences, certain information might differ.

How a healthy diet can help you reach desired goals

Setting priorities for food is the first step in maintaining a healthier diet. This doesn’t mean you have to prepare complicated meals or spend hours meal planning, but it does need some planning and work.

Regular grocery shopping will help guarantee that your cupboard and refrigerator are stocked with nutritious options. It’s a lot simpler to choose nutritious meals and snacks when your kitchen is well-stocked.

When shopping for groceries, stock up on:

• Fruits and vegetables, both fresh and frozen
• sources of protein, such as fish, poultry, eggs, and tofu; sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains and canned beans;
• fat sources like avocados, olive oil, and full-fat yogurt; starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and butternut squash
• Nuts, seeds, nut butter, hummus, olives, and dried fruit are healthy, easy-to-make snacks.

Developing a healthy connection with food

Building a healthy relationship with food requires the right skills.

The best way to begin healing your relationship with food is to work with a healthcare team, including a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders and a licensed dietitian.

Fad dieting, food restrictions, and self-prescribed ideas like “getting back on track” won’t help and might even be detrimental. Although it could take some time, improving your connection with food is important for both your physical and emotional well-being.

More advice on eating healthy

Here are some additional pointers to help you begin eating healthy:

• Cook at home. You may change your diet by cooking at home. Try preparing just one or two meals a week at first if you’re used to ordering takeaway or dining out.
• Understand that there will be mistakes in your diet. The important thing is progress, not perfection. Wherever you go, meet yourself. Cooking a single, handmade, vegetable-rich dinner a week is a big step up from dining out every night.
• “Cheat days” are not appropriate. The presence of “cheat days” or “cheat meals” in your present diet indicates that it is out of balance. There’s no need to cheat if you realize that every food may be included in a nutritious diet.
• Drink water carefully. Drinking water is the best method to stay hydrated, which is part of eating a nutritious diet. If you aren’t used to drinking water, get a reusable container and add some fruit slices or lemon juice to make it taste better.
• Respect your dislikes. Avoid eating a particular food if you’ve tried it multiple times and don’t enjoy it. There are many nutritious options available in its place. Just because something appears to be healthy doesn’t mean you have to consume it.

FAQs

Reference

• World Health Organization: WHO. (2020, April 29). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
• Wikipedia contributors. (2025f, March 25). Healthy diet. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet
• Rd, J. K. M. (2024, November 28). The definitive guide to healthy eating in real life. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-eat-healthy-guide#takeaway