A balanced diet contributes to good health. It shall include a variety of foods providing appropriate calorie and nutrients. Members of the public are advised to follow the principles of the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid and include the five basic food groups (i.e. grains; fruit; vegetables, meat along with fish, eggs and legumes; milk and milk products) and be active in decreasing fat, salt and sugar intake.

 

Imbalanced or poor diet may lead to obesity or specific nutrient deficiency. These in turn may increase the risk of a variety of health problems, such as heart diseases, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and some cancers.

 

 

The Health Behaviour Survey 2018/19 revealed that 95.6% of community-dwelling persons aged 15 years or above consumed less than 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, with 94.1% for females and 97.2% for males. The survey also revealed that 9.9% of people aged 15 or above ate processed meat and associated products (such as canned meat, ham and sausages) on average at least once a day, with 6.8% for females and 13.3% for males.

 

 

Adequate amounts of fruit and vegetable intake is an essential component of healthy eating. WHO recommends a daily intake of at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables (about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables) for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart diseases, hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and certain cancers.

 

There is sufficient evidence in humans that consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer. Members of the public are urged to avoid processed meat and associated products.

 

 

To learn more about healthy diet and the Food Pyramid, please visit the "Change for Health" website. Recommendations on daily energy consumption and information on composition & nutrients in commonly consumed food could be found at Nutrient Information Inquiry of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.