A healthy diet is a combination of different foods that provides the body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. It can help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. A healthy diet includes:
- Fruits and vegetables: The World Health Organization recommends eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Whole grains: These include unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice.
- Legumes: These include lentils and beans.
- Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and nuts: These are good sources of protein.
- Dairy or dairy alternatives: These include soya drinks.
- Unsaturated oils and spreads: These should be eaten in small amounts.
- Fluids: Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluids a day.
A healthy diet also limits: added sugars, saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, sodium, and portion sizes.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day, which is about a teaspoon of salt. Ideally, adults should have no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
