Healthy Nutrition

What does healthy eating mean?

Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods, in suitable amounts, that give the body the energy (calories) and nutrients it needs to function normally. A balanced diet allows the body to grow and develop harmoniously in childhood and to stay healthy in adulthood, helping to prevent disease and maintain a good quality of life into old age.

The amount and type of food people eat differ from person to person, depending on age, build, level of physical activity and lifestyle. For example, athletes or people with certain medical conditions may have different nutritional needs. Even so, for most people the principles of a balanced diet are similar.

In general, a healthy diet is made up mainly of plant foods: plenty of vegetables and fruit, legumes such as beans and peas, whole grains and other starchy foods such as pasta or rice.

In addition, moderate amounts of lean meat, poultry or fish may be eaten, as well as low-fat dairy products or vegetarian alternatives.

A balanced diet also includes small amounts of vegetable oils (such as olive or rapeseed oil), nuts and seeds. Salt should be limited.

To avoid weight gain, high-calorie foods – such as confectionery, cakes and sweet snacks – should be eaten rarely and in small amounts. Ultra-processed products high in animal fats and sugars, such as fast food and sugary drinks, should be avoided as much as possible. To help prevent cancer, it is recommended to avoid alcohol.

Besides variety, the amount you eat also matters. Checking your body weight or waist measurement regularly can help keep your calorie intake at the right level.

The importance of variety in plant foods

Eating a variety of plant foods is an essential part of a healthy diet. Plant foods include:

• vegetables and fruit
• legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
• cereals and cereal products (rice, pasta, bread)

Eating a variety means including, over a period of time (for example a week or a month), as many different kinds of food as possible from each category.

With vegetables, for example, you can eat leafy greens (cabbage, spinach), root vegetables (carrots), soft-fleshed vegetables (courgettes, aubergines) or salad vegetables (tomatoes). A simple way to make sure you get variety is to eat vegetables of different colours.

What does eating plant foods “in abundance” mean?

There is no exact scientific definition of “in abundance”, but research shows that the benefits of eating vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds generally increase with the amount eaten.

In other words, the more plant foods we eat, the greater the health benefits. However, cereals – especially refined ones – should be eaten in moderation, as they can contribute to an excessive calorie intake.

Whole grains and dietary fibre

Whole grains are cereals that keep the outer layer of the grain. This category includes wheat, rice, barley, oats and the products made from them.

When cereals are refined, the outer layer is removed to make products such as white flour, white bread or white rice. This changes the texture and taste of the cereals, but reduces their nutrient and dietary fibre content.

Dietary fibre is the part of plant foods that is not fully digested in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine, where it is fermented by beneficial bacteria. This process helps keep the gut healthy.

Important sources of fibre are vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains.

Oils, nuts and seeds

Although it is recommended to limit high-calorie foods, some of them can be part of a healthy diet.

Certain types of fat are essential for the body. Vegetable oils such as:

• olive oil (rich in monounsaturated fats)
• sunflower and corn oil (rich in polyunsaturated fats)

can be used in small amounts for cooking or in salads. It is recommended to limit fried food.

Nuts (almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts) and seeds (for example pumpkin seeds) are rich in healthy fats and can be part of a balanced diet when eaten in moderate amounts.

Red meat and processed meat

“Red meat” means beef, pork, lamb or goat. Although it provides valuable nutrients, eating large amounts is associated with an increased risk of bowel cancer.

It is recommended to limit red meat to about 500 g of cooked meat a week.

Processed meat includes products preserved by smoking, salting or adding preservatives, such as ham, bacon, salami or sausages. Eating these products is associated with an increased risk of bowel cancer and should be avoided as much as possible.

Sugary drinks

Sugary drinks are drinks that contain large amounts of sugar, either natural (fruit juices) or added (soft drinks).

They usually contain about 10 g of sugar per 100 ml. So a 330 ml can may contain about 33 g of sugar – roughly 6 teaspoons.

Water is the best choice for hydration. Unsweetened tea and coffee can be drunk, but it is recommended to limit coffee to no more than four cups a day.

Eating less salt

For most people, most of the salt they eat comes from industrially processed foods.

Foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, instant soups or some snacks can contain significant amounts of salt.

It is recommended to limit salt to no more than 5–6 g a day, to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and stomach cancer.

Table 1 – Salt content of some commonly eaten foods

• Values are grams of salt per 100 g or 100 ml of product.

• Values were calculated from the sodium content (sodium × 2.5).

Data source: official food composition databases of France, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands (FoodEXplorer, CIQUAL, McCance & Widdowson, NEVO).

Diet and cancer prevention

Studies show that the risk of cancer may be about 11% lower in people who eat mainly plant foods.

The most important nutritional message for cancer prevention is to keep a healthy body weight. This can be achieved by:

• eating more fibre-rich plant foods
• limiting red meat
• avoiding processed meat
• eating less salt
• avoiding alcohol

Adopting a healthy lifestyle – a balanced diet, physical activity and a normal body weight – brings the greatest health benefits.

Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer

The information on this page is general and does not replace medical advice. Before fasting, please read the contraindications.