Official name

Finnish nutrition recommendations 2014 (Finnish: Terveyttä ruoasta. Suomalaiset ravitsemussuositukset 2014).

Publication year

Finland published the fourth version of its dietary guidelines in 2014. They are based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2012.

Process and stakeholders

The National Nutrition Council led the development of the Finnish recommendations. Other entities participating in the process were the Ministries of Health, Education and Agriculture, universities, nutrition institutes, consumer organizations, the food industry and non-governmental organizations.

The FBDGs were endorsed by the National Nutrition Council of Finland.

Intended audience

The Finnish nutrition recommendations are directed at the healthy general public and include recommendations for children under 6 months of age.

Food guide

Finland uses a food triangle and a food plate model as food guides. The triangle represents the components of a good diet according to their relative weight in the whole diet. The food plate model depicts the same thing for a single meal.

Messages

• Eat vegetables, fruits and berries frequently (a minimum of 500 g/day, excluding potatoes).
• Eat wholegrain cereals (bread, porridge, pasta, etc.) several times a day. Prefer fibre-rich and low-salt products. Avoid products made of refined flour with plenty of hard fat and sugar.
• Use soft vegetable oil based spreads on bread and vegetable oils in cooking and salads.
• Eat fish (of different kinds) two to three times a week.
• When eating meat, choose low-fat, low-salt products and limit the amount of red meat and meat products to < 500 g a week.
• Consume fat-free/low-fat milk products daily (5–6 dl/day) and two or three slices of low-fat cheese.
• Drink water when you are thirsty. Decrease consumption of soft drinks and sweet juices.
• Use low-salt products (salt intake should be < 5 g/day).
• Undertake moderate physical activity (brisk walking) for at least 150 minutes a week or hard physical activity (running) for 75 minutes a week.
• In addition eat regularly. Read and learn to understand product labels.