Healthy tips

Nourish healthy

Eat a combination of foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Adults should eat at least five servings (400 g) of fruits and vegetables a day. You can improve your intake of fruits and vegetables by always including vegetables in your meal, eating fresh fruits and vegetables as a snack, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and eating them in season. Eating a healthy diet will reduce your risk of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Consume less salt and sugar

Filipinos consume twice as much sodium as recommended, risking high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Most people take in their sodium through salt. Reduce your salt intake to 5 grammes per day, which is about a teaspoon. It's easier to do this by limiting the amount of salt, soy sauce, fish sauce and other high-sodium condiments you use when preparing meals; removing salt, spices and seasonings from your dining table; avoiding salty snacks; and choosing low-sodium products.

On the other hand, consuming excessive amounts of sugar increases the risk of tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain. For both adults and children, intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake. This is equivalent to 50g or about 12 teaspoons for an adult. WHO recommends consuming less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits. You can reduce your sugar intake by limiting your consumption of sugary snacks, sweets and sugar-sweetened drinks.