World Health Organization[edit]

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the following 5 recommendations with respect to both
populations and individuals:[3]

Eat roughly the same amount of calories that your body is using. A healthy weight is a
balance between energy consumed and energy that is 'burnt off'.

Limit intake of fats, and prefer less unhealthy unsaturated fats to saturated fats and trans
fats.

Increase consumption of plant foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole

grains and nuts.

Limit the intake of sugar. A 2003 report recommends less than 10% simple sugars.[4]

Limit salt / sodium consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized.

Other recommendations include:

Essential micronutrients such as vitamins and certain minerals.

Avoiding directly poisonous (e.g. heavy metals) and carcinogenic (e.g. benzene) substances.

Avoiding foods contaminated by human pathogens (e.g. E. coli, tapeworm eggs).

United States Department of Agriculture[edit]

The Dietary Guidelines for American by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
recommends three healthy patterns of diet, summarized in table below, for a 2000 kcal diet. [5][6] Food
group amounts per day, unless noted per week.
Food group/subgroup

Healthy US

Healthy Vegetarian pattern

Healthy Med-style p

(units)

patterns

atterns

Fruits (cup eq)

2.5

Vegetables (cup eq)

2.5

2.5

2.5

Dark green

1.5/wk

1.5/wk

1.5/wk

Red/orange

5.5/wk

5.5/wk

5.5/wk

Starchy

5/wk

5/wk

5/wk

Legumes

1.5/wk

3/wk

1.5/wk

Others

4/wk

4/wk

4/wk

Grains (oz eq)

6.5

Whole

3.5

Refined

Dairy (cup eq)

Protein Foods (oz eq)

5.5

3.5

6.5

12.5/wk

--

12.5/wk

Poultry

10.5/wk

--

10.5/wk

Seafood

8/wk

--

15/wk

Meat (red and

processed)

Eggs

3/wk

3/wk

3/wk

Nuts/seeds

4/wk

7/wk

4/wk

0.5/wk

8/wk

0.5/wk

Oils (grams)

27

27

27

Solid fats limit (grams)

18

21

17

30

36

29

Processed Soy
(including tofu)

Added sugars limit

(grams)