SOURCE
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Nutrition and Consumer Protection
Eat a variety of foods
Consume a variety of foods, include in your diet as many foods and dishes as possible.
Eat regular meals / Eat breakfast
Consume 4-5 times a day, always at the same hours if possible.
Eat moderate amounts of food and sufficient energy to meet the body's requirements
Maintain your healthy body mass; when overweight or obesity has developed, seek professional advice and do your best to reduce your body mass by 5% and 15%, respectively. Consume plenty of vegetables, prepared with no or small amounts of fats, and eat a lot of fruits. Eat less and carefully control your portions. Increase your exercise and do it regularly, every day. To prevent obesity, give a good example to your children in observing the principles of healthy nutrition. Although susceptibility to obesity is an important factor but with appropriate nutrition and lifestyle a healthy or near healthy body weight can be achieved.
Consume adequate fluids
Drink 6-8 glasses of water or mineral water a day.
Eat complex carbohydrates and whole grains
Consume cereals several times a day. Plan your daily diet to include whole grain cereals in as many of your meals as possible. Use whole grain cereals also for preparing your dishes, and strive for diversity by preparing for instance corn porridge, oatmeal porridge, and oat bran scone and millet risotto from time to time. Try to preserve the nutritional value of foods/dishes prepared from cereals and in the course of preparation do not add any fat or salt or use them in very small quantities.
Eat more vegetables and fruits
Consume vegetables at least three times a day and also fruits at least three times a day. Eat dark green vegetables, citrus fruits, tomato and legumes often - these are rich in carotenoids, vitamin C and folates (folic acid). Vegetables and fruits should always be near at hand or in the pantry or in the fridge. Consume always fresh and intact fruits and vegetables, and do not use any mouldy or damaged products.
Drink enough milk and consume calcium-rich foods
Drink milk - half a litre - every day; choose fermented dairy products (curdled milk, kefir, and yoghurt) as often as possible. Eat reduced or low-fat cottage cheese more often. Consume reduced-fat cheese regularly.
Consume fish, poultry, eggs, lean meat, legumes and pulses
Consumelean meats prepared with small amount of fat regularly. Look for lean cold cuts. Eat sea fish regularly, at least once a week.
Moderate fat intake
Do not use salt, or spice your meals only with very small amounts of iodized salt. Avoid foods that are rich in salt. For seasoning use green and dry spice herbs which can partly compensate for the lack of salty taste.
Moderate sugar intake
Avoid the frequent consumption of foods or drinks rich in added sugar. Satisfy your desire for sweets by eating fruits. To quench your thirst, drink water or mineral water instead of sugared drinks.
Moderate alcohol consumption
Those who drink alcoholic beverages should do it in moderation. 'Moderately' means not more then 1 unit per day for women and not more than 2 units per day for men. It is wise to drink alcoholic beverages at the time of meals, because alcohol will be then absorbed more slowly.
Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight and exercise regularly
Adults should exercise or do sport activities for at least 30 minutes, and children for at least 60 minutes a day. It is never late for the middle-aged or the elderly either to change their lifestyles. Regular physical activity should be a life-long programme for each individual. If you decide to start leading a physically more active life, be careful to increase the intensity and duration of your exercise gradually. If you have performed physical exercise before, you may gradually increase the duration, intensity and frequency of your exercises. Exercise should not be exerting, instead, it should be a source of pleasure rendering you the feeling of wellness. Encourage your children to lead a physically active life. Choose exercise types that are agreeable for you, and give you joy. If you have health problems and want to do sports or physical exercise more intensively, please contact your practitioner. Men over 40 and women over 50 - even if they are free from complaints - should contact their medical practitioner before starting more intensive exercises.
Eat clean and safe foods
Buy your food from reliable sources only. Be careful with your shopping. Prevent any contact between the raw materials and the ready-cooked food. Most foods can be rendered safe by appropriate frying, baking, and cooking. Place in a cool place any perishable foods and dishes as soon as possible. Wash your hands often. Keep your kitchen clean. Always keep in mind these food safety requirements, even when eating out, taking food from home to the workplace.