Check out the wisdom in Brazil’s food guide. Probably the best in the world. We all need to take small steps to be healthier now more than ever. Try and take the time to read and digest the simplicity and common sense that is listed in Brazil’s food guide. (translated from Portuguese)
1/ On whole foods: “Make natural or minimally processed foods the basis of your diet. Natural or minimally processed foods, in great variety, mainly of plant origin, are the basis for diets that are nutritious, delicious, appropriate, and supportive of socially and environmentally sustainable food systems.”
2/ On salt, sugar, and fat: “Use oils, fats, salt, and sugar in small amounts for seasoning and cooking foods and to create culinary preparations. As long as they are used in moderation in culinary preparations based on natural or minimally processed foods, oils, fats, salt, and sugar contribute toward diverse and delicious diets without rendering them nutritionally unbalanced.”
3/ On processed foods: “Because of their ingredients, ultra-processed foods — such as packaged snacks, soft drinks, and instant noodles — are nutritionally unbalanced. As a result of their formulation and presentation, they tend to be consumed in excess and displace natural or minimally processed foods. Their means of production, distribution, marketing, and consumption damage culture, social life, and the environment.
4/ On eating as a social experience: “Clean, quiet, and comfortable places encourage attention to the act of eating mindfully and slowly, enable meals to be fully appreciated, and decrease overeating… Humans are social beings. Eating together is ingrained in human history, as is the sharing and division of responsibility for finding, acquiring, preparing, and cooking food. Eating together, with everything that is involved with eating, is part of the evolution and adaptation of humanity and the development of culture and civilization. Eating together is a natural, simple yet profound way to create and develop relationships between people. Thus, eating is a natural part of social life.”