Food-based dietary guidelines

Food-based dietary guidelines - Georgia

Official name

Healthy eating – the main key to health (Georgian: jansaRi kveba – janmrTelobis mTavari gasaRebi).

Publication year

The Georgian dietary guidelines were published in 2005.

Process and stakeholders

The guidelines were developed by the National Center for Disease and Public Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization and involved national experts from relevant fields: health, food and nutrition and education.

Intended audience

The guidelines are directed at the general population and include recommendations for several population groups, such as babies, pregnant and lactating women and the elderly.

Messages

  • Eat a balanced diet based primarily on plant foods and not foods from animal origin.
  • Maintain your body weight at recommended levels (for adults BMI 18.5–25, waist circumference in women less than 80 cm, in men no more than 94 cm). Undertake regular physical activity (a protective effect on health is seen with at least 30 minutes of continuous walking).
  • Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (minimum 400 g daily), preferably fresh and of local origin. Don’t drink tea while eating plant meals rich in iron (e.g. vegetables, legumes), because tea limits the availability of non-haem iron.
  • Control your fat intake, decrease the consumption of fatty foods (e.g. fatty cheese, chocolates, chips, etc.) and Prefer plant oils over animal fats.
  • Eat and drink low-fat milk and milk products with low salt content.
  • Eat breads, cereals, rice and pasta (preferably wholegrain) several times a day.
  • Replace fatty meat and meat products with legumes, fish and chicken and low-fat meat.
  • If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your daily amount of alcohol to 20 g (e.g. 200–250 ml of wine).
  • Limit your salt intake; don’t put additional salt on your meals. Total daily intake should not exceed 5 g (1 teaspoon), including hidden salt. Use only iodized salt.
  • Choose foods with low sugar content, and limit consumption of sweets. Sweet drinks can be replaced by sufficient amounts of unsweetened liquids, e.g. boiled water.
  • Prepare your meals according to hygiene recommendations, and keep food under safe conditions.
  • Babies should be exclusively breastfed up to the 6th month and then breastfeeding plus complementary feeding up to 2 years of age.