What does it mean to eat well?
It’s a deceptively simple question.
On the one hand, most folks probably have a basic idea of what constitutes a healthy diet. I'm looking at you parents everywhere, and your constant reminders to “eat your veggies!” or “put away the chips!”
That said, the latest fad diets and health studies contradict each other so often, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. (Case in point: coffee is the elixir of life! Scratch that, coffee equals death!)
As Nutrition Month gets underway at Global Citizen, it’s important to take a step back and remember what healthy eating is all about, particularly as it relates to the fight against global poverty.
Remember: 800 million of the world’s poorest people are grappling with chronic hunger and malnourishment, making it that much harder for them to lead healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.
Only by ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to the food and nutrients they need to thrive, can the world make progress in ending extreme poverty.
With that in mind, here’s the lowdown on some tried-and-true healthy eating criteria the international community shoots for when addressing food disparities worldwide.
1) In simplest terms, eating well means eating the right amount and kinds of food.
2) How much food is enough? It varies.
A person’s food intake is usually described in terms of how much energy they get out of the food they eat. The US measures that energy in calories. (Other countries use slightly different measures, Australia for instance uses energy/kilojoules)
Everyone needs a certain number of calories in order to function, but that number varies according to age, sex, and physical activity, among other things.
Generally speaking, a person needs around 2,100 kilocalories per day—minimum—to stay healthy. That’s the number the World Food Programme and others use when identifying chronic hunger.
(Quick science lesson for any American readers confused by the “kilo” bit: the thing everyone in the States calls a “calorie” is really a shorthand way of saying “kilocalorie,” aka 1000 calories. So a 500 “calorie” hamburger technically has 500,000 actual calories’ worth of energy.)
3) What kinds of food do we need? It all comes down to the stuff inside.
Food gives us energy, but it doesn’t stop there—it’s also a go-to source of micronutrients. These power-packed substances enable the body to pump out the hormones and enzymes it needs to develop and perform to its full potential.
(Science lesson two: The “micro” in micronutrients refers to the fact that our bodies require only small amounts of them to get by. That’s in contrast to macronutrients, the calorie-containing stuff in food, which everyone needs a lot more of.)
Micronutrients come in all shapes and sizes. Global public health advocates care the most about areiodine, Vitamin A, and iron. It’s easy to see why—just look at Vitamin A. It is it essential for great eyesight, and it boosts the immune system and skin health as well. That’s some pretty big upside for such a small nutrient, no?
Micronutrients play an especially big role in childhood development, so it’s especially crucial that children and pregnant women get their daily dose.
As you might expect, fruits and vegetables are especially chock-full of micronutrients, which is why it’s so crucial for people to balance all the protein and carbs they eat with some good old leafy greens. Eating a balanced diet is so important that the US totally revamped its well-known “food pyramid” back in 2011, changing the classic image from a pyramid to a plate, and giving fruits and veggies a more prominent spot on the diagram.
To recap: eating well means eating the right amount of the right kinds of foods. The key to fixing hunger and food crises around the world is to help every man, woman, and child strike that balance. You can make sure that world leaders prioritize food security by signing the petition in TAKE ACTION NOW. Your voice can make sure every person has access to the healthy food they need.
Stay tuned to Global Citizen all month long to learn more about how these healthy eating principles are guiding the world’s response to hunger.