Proper nutrition and hydration are
vital. People who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with stronger
immune systems and lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. So
you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the
vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants your body needs.
Drink enough water. Avoid sugar, fat and salt to significantly lower your risk
of overweight, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of
cancer.
Eat fresh and
unprocessed foods every day
Eat
fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g.
unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots
such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), and foods from animal sources (e.g.
meat, fish, eggs and milk).
Daily,
eat: 2 cups of fruit (4 servings), 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 servings), 180 g
of grains, and 160 g of meat and beans (red meat can be eaten 1−2 times per
week, and poultry 2−3 times per week).
For
snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high
in sugar, fat or salt.
Do
not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important
vitamins.
When
using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt
or sugar.
Drink enough
water every day
Water
is essential for life. It transports nutrients and compounds in blood,
regulates your body temperature, gets rid of waste, and lubricates and cushions
joints.
Drink
8–10 cups of water every day.
Water
is the best choice, but you can also consume other drinks, fruits and
vegetables that contain water, for example lemon juice (diluted in water and
unsweetened), tea and coffee. But be careful not to consume too much caffeine,
and avoid sweetened fruit juices, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, fizzy and
still drinks as they all contain sugar.
Eat moderate
amounts of fat and oil
Consume
unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, soy, canola,
sunflower and corn oils) rather than saturated fats (e.g. found in fatty meat,
butter, coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard).
Choose
white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fat, rather than
red meat.
Avoid
processed meats because they are high in fat and salt.
Where
possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
Avoid
industrially produced trans fats. These are often found in processed food, fast
food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and
spreads.
Eat less salt
and sugar
When
cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments
(e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).
Limit
your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use
iodized salt.
Avoid
foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.
Limit
your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar
(e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavoured milks and
yogurt drinks).
Choose
fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.
Avoid eating out
Eat at home to reduce your rate of
contact with other people and lower your chance of being exposed to COVID-19.
We recommend maintaining a distance of at least 1 metre between yourself and
anyone who is coughing or sneezing. That is not always possible in crowded
social settings like restaurants and cafes. Droplets from infected people may
land on surfaces and people’s hands (e.g. customers and staff), and with lots
of people coming and going, you cannot tell if hands are being washed regularly
enough, and surfaces are being cleaned and disinfected fast enough.28/12/2020
Source: World Health Organisation
