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01
GHE HEALTHY EATING
Nutrition, Food & Healthy Eating
What makes healthy eating possible — and why isn't it equally possible for everyone?
SELF
FAMILY & PEERS
COMMUNITY
COUNTRY
WORLD
WHY FOOD MATTERS
A foundation of health
Food is fundamental to health.
Healthy eating is about adequacy, balance, moderation and diversity. It is also about whether people have the knowledge, resources, opportunities and environments needed to make healthy choices possible.
Can I make informed choices?
Understanding food, nutrients, patterns, labels and evidence helps us think more clearly about what we eat.
Does everyone have a fair opportunity?
Healthy eating is shaped not only by individual choices, but also by family, community, economic, environmental and food-system conditions.
EAT WELL TODAY
Twelve ideas to help us think about food.
Healthy eating is not about perfection. It is about building knowledge, awareness and practical habits that support health.
A
02
Add Plants
T
03
Think Whole
W
04
Water First
E
05
Eat Protein
L
06
Limit Salt
L
07
Limit Sugar
T
08
Take Food Seriously
O
09
Opt for Healthy Fats
D
10
Discover Labels
A
11
Appreciate Food
Y
12
Your Health Beyond the Plate
Not a diet. Not perfection. A way to think.
PERSONAL HEALTH HINTS
Small ways to think about healthy eating.
Healthy eating develops through understanding, opportunity and everyday decisions — not through perfection or comparison.
Variety
Include a range of foods and food groups over time.
Balance
Think about the overall pattern of eating, rather than one food or one meal.
Fibre
Foods rich in fibre can contribute to digestive and overall health.
Food Processing
Learn what different levels and types of food processing mean.
Sugar
Notice sources of added and free sugars without turning food into a source of guilt.
Regular Opportunities
Consistent opportunities to eat can support learning, energy and wellbeing.
Energy & Concentration
Food supports the energy and concentration needed for everyday life and learning.
Food & Feelings
Food, emotions, routines and social experiences can influence one another.
Food Environment
Availability, affordability, marketing and access influence what choices are possible.
One Small Improvement
Focus on one realistic, positive improvement rather than expecting perfection.
Healthy eating is not about perfection, restriction,
body shape, appearance or comparison. It is about
health, nourishment, knowledge, opportunity and
sustainable choices.
THE EXPANDING CIRCLE
01
02
03
04
05
Healthy eating connects us from self to world.
SELF
Knowledge, choices, routines and health.
FAMILY & PEERS
Culture, relationships, shared meals and support.
COMMUNITY
Schools, neighbourhoods, services and food environments.
COUNTRY
Policies, economies, agriculture and public health.
WORLD
Global food systems, equity, climate and cooperation.
LEARNING PATHWAY
Explore → Learn → Think → Connect → Reflect → Act
Move from curiosity to understanding, evidence, reflection and responsible action.
Explore
Ask questions about food, nutrition and health.
Learn
Build nutrition and health literacy.
Think
Examine evidence, assumptions and context.
Connect
Link personal health with wider systems.
Reflect
Consider what the evidence means for you and others.
Act
Take responsible, realistic action.
LEARN
Nutrition literacy
Understanding healthy eating requires more than knowing which foods contain which nutrients.
Healthy Diet
What makes a dietary pattern adequate, balanced, moderate and diverse?
Nutrients
Explore the roles of carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water.
Food Patterns
Look beyond individual foods to the overall pattern of eating.
Food Processing
Understand processing and the evidence around different types of foods.
Food Security
Consider reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
Malnutrition
Explore undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity.
Food Safety
Learn why safe food handling, preparation and systems matter.
Food Environment
Explore how availability, affordability, marketing and policy shape choices.
CONNECT
Local
National
Global
Healthy eating is shaped by the conditions around us.
The opportunity to eat well is influenced by social, economic, environmental and political conditions.
Community
Schools, neighbourhoods, transportation, food outlets, recreation and community resources can shape food choices and opportunities.
Country
Income, food prices, social protection, agricultural policy, regulation and public health systems influence food security.
World
Global food systems, trade, climate change, conflict and international cooperation affect nutrition and food security.
Healthy choices matter — but healthy opportunities
matter too.
SDGs
SDG 2
SDG 3
SDG 4
SDG 5
SDG 10
SDG 12
SDG 13
Healthy eating connects to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Zero Hunger
End hunger and improve nutrition.
Good Health & Well-being
Support health and prevent disease.
Quality Education
Support learning and health literacy.
Gender Equality
Address inequities affecting nutrition and opportunity.
Reduced Inequalities
Promote fair access to health and nutrition.
Responsible Consumption
Consider sustainable food consumption.
Climate Action
Connect food systems, environment and climate.
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP & EVIDENCE
Who helps shape global nutrition knowledge and action?
Global nutrition depends on evidence, cooperation, policy and responsible leadership across institutions and communities.
01
WHO
Global public health guidance and nutrition evidence.
02
UNICEF
Child and adolescent nutrition and wellbeing.
03
FAO
Food, agriculture, nutrition and sustainable food systems.
04
WFP
Food security, humanitarian action and nutrition.
05
IFAD
Rural development, food systems and livelihoods.
06
World Bank
Development, poverty reduction and nutrition-related policy.
DATA LITERACY
Don't Just Accept the Number.
Nutrition statistics can be powerful — but numbers need context, definitions, sources and critical thinking.
Your data challenge
When you see a nutrition statistic, stop and investigate before accepting it as fact.
- What exactly is being measured?
- Who collected the data?
- Who was included — and who was not?
- When and where was the information collected?
- Is the number a count, percentage, rate or estimate?
- What comparison or denominator is being used?
- What does the number actually tell us?
A number is evidence only when we understand what
the number represents.
REFLECT
Think about what you have learned.
01
What is one idea about healthy eating that you understand differently now?
02
What influences food choices beyond the individual?
03
What nutrition number or claim would you like to investigate more carefully?
04
What could make healthy eating more possible for people around you?
ACT
Turn learning into responsible action.
Action can begin with ourselves and expand toward helping others and improving the environments around us.
For Myself
Choose one realistic, positive step that supports your health and wellbeing.
For Others
Think about one way you can support a healthier, fairer food environment for people around you.
GHE Fundamental Principle:
learn enough to act responsibly, and act in ways
that respect the health, dignity and circumstances
of others.
TEST YOUR THINKING
Healthy Eating Quiz
Check what you have learned and think critically about nutrition.
1. What is an important characteristic of a healthy dietary pattern?
2. What can influence a person's ability to eat healthily?
3. Why should we question a nutrition statistic?
4. Which statement best reflects the GHE approach to healthy eating?
Interactive scoring and recognition will be added in a future GHE release.
THE GHE APPROACH
Learn. Think. Act. Lead.
Curiosity
Evidence
Equity
Responsibility
Leadership