Consuming a healthy diet throughout life is crucial for preventing malnutrition and a range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). As lifestyles evolve, dietary patterns shift, with increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in fats, sugars, and salt, and insufficient intake of fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber. While the specifics of a balanced and healthy diet vary based on individual factors, cultural context, and locally available foods, the fundamental principles remain consistent. This article explores healthy eating habits across different countries, considering factors like access to nutritious food, affordability, and dietary influences on health.
Defining a Healthy Diet
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy diet for adults includes:
- Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains: Aim for at least 400g (five portions) of fruits and vegetables daily to reduce the risk of NCDs and ensure adequate fiber intake.
- Limited free sugars: Less than 10% of total energy intake, with further reduction to less than 5% for additional health benefits. Free sugars include those added to foods or drinks, as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices.
- Limited fats: Less than 30% of total energy intake, with reduced saturated fats (less than 10%) and trans-fats (less than 1%). Replace saturated and trans-fats with unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats. Industrially-produced trans-fats should be avoided.
- Limited salt: Less than 5g (about one teaspoon) per day, iodized.
For infants and young children, optimal nutrition in the first two years fosters healthy growth and cognitive development, reducing the risk of obesity and NCDs later in life. Breastfeeding is recommended exclusively for the first six months and continued until two years of age, complemented with adequate, safe, and nutrient-dense foods from six months onwards. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.
Global Food Security and Affordability
The Food Prices for Nutrition DataHub provides global statistics on the cost and affordability of healthy diets. Access to healthy diets is improving worldwide, but regional disparities persist. In 2024, the average cost of a healthy diet reached $4.46 per person per day (PPP). Approximately 2.6 billion people globally could not afford a healthy diet in 2024, a decrease of 48.8 million from 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa and low-income countries have faced worsening affordability since 2022, with diet costs remaining near record highs due to marginal easing of food inflation.
A "healthy diet" is defined as providing 2,330 kilocalories per day, drawn from six food groups: fruits, vegetables, starchy staples, oils, legumes, and animal-sourced foods. The Caribbean faces the highest cost at $5.48 per person per day, followed by Latin America ($4.87) and Northern Africa ($4.76).
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Asia has the highest number of people affected, with 1.35 billion people unable to afford a healthy diet-about 28% of the region’s population. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet at 72%. By comparison, Northern America has 16.7 million people affected, representing 4.3% of its population.
Healthy food tends to be more expensive than calorie-rich but nutrition-poor unhealthy food. In fact, a UK-based study by the Food Foundation found that healthy food options are more than twice as expensive as unhealthier alternatives on a per-calorie basis. In each region, the affordability of a healthy diet depends not only on global food prices, but also on local factors like import dependence and agricultural self-sufficiency for staple foods.
Country Rankings and Dietary Habits
Oxfam, an anti-poverty nonprofit, developed a ranking scheme to measure the best and worst places to eat around the world, considering access to fresh produce, nutritious proteins, and clean water, as well as the affordability of these options compared to less healthful ones.
Best Countries for a Nutritious Diet (According to Oxfam):
- Netherlands
- France, Switzerland
- Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium
- Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, Australia
Western Europe dominates the top positions, with Australia also ranking highly. The Netherlands is recognized for its balanced, nutritious diet.
Worst Countries for a Nutritious Diet (According to Oxfam):
- Yemen
- Madagascar
- Ethiopia, Angola
These countries struggle with high malnutrition rates and the relatively high cost of food.
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United States: The U.S. ranked 120th out of 125 countries in terms of how diet influences health, linked to poverty and limited access to affordable fresh vegetables.
Global Food Security Index (GFSI):
The 11th edition of the GFSI highlights a deteriorating global food environment, vulnerable to shocks. While significant gains were made from 2012 to 2015, structural issues have slowed growth, and the trend has reversed in recent years. In 2022, the GFSI was dragged down by falls in affordability, and food quality and safety, as well as continued weakness in availability, and sustainability and adaptation. Affordability was particularly affected by sharp rises in food costs, declining trade freedom, and decreased funding for food safety nets.
The top performers in 2022 are primarily high-income European countries, led by Finland, Ireland, and Norway, which score strongly on all four pillars of the GFSI. Japan and Canada also rank in the top ten. The difference between the top and bottom performers has widened since 2019, reflecting inequity in the global food system.
Innovation is essential to building resilience. Nations with access to agricultural inputs and financial products, government investment in R&D and technology, and strong supply chain infrastructure tend to have higher global food security scores.
Healthy Eating Practices Around the World
Different countries and regions offer unique approaches to healthy eating, often rooted in local ingredients and culinary traditions. Here are some examples:
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- Mediterranean Diet (Spain, Greece): Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, nuts, pulses, olive oil, and moderate consumption of red wine. The Mediterranean diet, originating in Crete, is associated with high life expectancy and lower risk of heart disease.
- Japanese Diet: Rich in seafood and fresh vegetables, contributing to Japan's high average life expectancy. Staples include fish (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) and fermented soy products like miso (containing probiotics).
- Mexican Diet: Traditional Mexican food is rich in beans, fruits, and vegetables like avocados, corn, tomatoes, and chili peppers, providing essential micronutrients.
- Korean Diet: Features kimchi (fermented vegetable dish with probiotics) and gochujang (fermented red chili paste). Many dishes are steamed, stir-fried, or served as soups and stews rich in vegetables.
- Thai Diet: Characterized by intense flavors and an abundance of vegetables, with spices like turmeric, coriander, ginger, lemongrass, and chili peppers. Turmeric contains curcumin, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Indian Diet: Packed with herbs and spices like cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, and coriander, known for their anti-inflammatory effects. Many dishes are vegetarian and rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- French Diet: Focuses on food quality, local ingredients, and mindful eating. The Provence region emphasizes olive oil, seafood, tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
- Russian Diet: Emphasizes baking and boiling instead of frying, and growing own produce. Vegetables are a big staple in any meal, usually taking up at least half of the plate (or bowl). Soup is also a big part of Russia’s food culture and that often includes a fermented element such as miso.
- Scandinavian Diet: Have a knack for eating only local and seasonal produce, so they often eat food that can be easily grown in colder climates - which translates to a cheaper and more environmentally friendly kind of agriculture. Aside from greens (which are sometimes pickled), Swedes eat a lot of fatty fish, whole grains and root vegetables.
- Ethiopian Diet: “Wat” is what’s up. Wat is a type of stew or curry that’s usually made up of lentils, chickpeas, onions, potatoes and kale. The best part is the injera (flatbread) that acts as a sort of vehicle for the stew to get from the dish to your mouth.
- Brazillian Diet: Prepare your mouth for watering, because Brazillian dishes are made with delicious local ingredients like yams, papaya, black beans, nuts and acai berries. But the really impressive part of Brazillian food culture is the list of guidelines their government came out with in 2014. It’s an outline to encourage their people to make their own food and not get enticed by marketing schemes for unhealthy junk food.
- Lebanese Diet: Often considered the home of the world’s favorite healthy dip option - hummus.
Promoting Healthy Diets Globally
Diet evolves over time, influenced by social and economic factors, individual preferences, cultural traditions, and environmental aspects. Governments play a central role in creating a healthy food environment by:
- Creating coherence in national policies and investment plans to promote healthy diets and protect public health.
- Increasing incentives for producers and retailers to grow, use, and sell fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Reducing incentives for the food industry to produce processed foods high in saturated fats, trans-fats, free sugars, and salt/sodium.
- Encouraging reformulation of food products to reduce harmful contents.
- Implementing WHO recommendations on marketing foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children.
- Establishing standards to foster healthy dietary practices in public institutions and workplaces.
- Exploring regulatory and voluntary instruments, and economic incentives or disincentives.
- Providing nutrition and dietary counseling at primary health-care facilities.
- Promoting appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, including breastfeeding.