In short: a healthy diet is not a brand name; it is a handful of measurable targets that the WHO and EFSA agree on. Enough fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and fish; little free sugar, saturated and trans fat, salt and alcohol; adequate protein, fibre, water and micronutrients. Dietary patterns built that way (the Mediterranean pattern is the best studied) are consistently associated with lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. The rest, from superfoods to detoxes, is marketing. What you can track is what you eat and what your lab reports show over time.
At a glance
| Fruit and vegetables | At least 400 g a day (about five portions), not counting potatoes |
|---|---|
| Free sugars | Under 10% of energy, ideally under 5% (about 25 g); sugary drinks are the main source |
| Fat | Under 30% of energy; saturated under 10%, trans under 1%; prefer unsaturated (olive oil, nuts, fish) |
| Salt | Under 5 g a day (about a teaspoon, including what is in bread and processed food) |
| Fibre and protein | Fibre about 25 g a day (EFSA); protein about 0.83 g per kg of body weight |
| Water | About 2.0 l (women) and 2.5 l (men) a day from all sources, more in heat and exercise |
Patterns beat nutrients
People eat meals, not nutrients; the evidence is strongest for whole dietary patterns, not single foods.
The lab report is the scorecard
Lipids, HbA1c, glucose, ferritin and vitamin D show over months what the plate did.
Photograph, do not weigh
A photo of the plate is enough to see the pattern over weeks; counting every gram is not needed for most people.
What the numbers mean on a plate
Half the plate vegetables or fruit at most meals gets you to 400 g; a portion is roughly a fist. Whole grains (oats, brown rice, wholemeal bread) and legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) several times a week cover most of the fibre. Fish twice a week, nuts a handful a day, olive or rapeseed oil as the main fat. Meat, if eaten, in modest portions, with processed meat kept rare. Water as the default drink. That is the whole of the WHO and EFSA guidance, in food terms.
Patterns with evidence
The Mediterranean pattern (vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, olive oil, fish, modest dairy and wine, little red or processed meat) has the strongest evidence from trials and long cohorts for lower cardiovascular disease. The DASH pattern, designed for blood pressure, adds an emphasis on low salt and more potassium-rich foods. Traditional Japanese and Nordic patterns show similar results with different foods. What they share matters more than the cuisine: mostly plants, little processed food, moderate energy.
Sugar, salt and ultra-processed food
Free sugars, especially in drinks, are the clearest single target: they add energy without fullness and are linked to weight gain and dental decay. Salt raises blood pressure in most people, and three quarters of it comes from processed food, not the shaker. Ultra-processed foods (industrial formulations with additives, refined starches, sugars and fats) are associated with higher rates of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes in large cohorts; whether the harm comes from their composition, their effect on eating speed or what they replace is still being studied, but reducing them is consistent with every guideline.
Protein, fibre and the rest
Most adults in Europe eat enough protein; the EFSA reference is about 0.83 g per kilogram of body weight a day, somewhat more for older adults and athletes. Fibre is where most people fall short of 25 g; it feeds the gut microbiome and lowers cholesterol and blood sugar swings (Digestive health). Micronutrient needs are met by a varied diet for most people; supplements are for documented deficiencies (vitamin D in winter at northern latitudes, B12 for vegans, folic acid in pregnancy, iron when tests show it), ideally agreed with a doctor rather than guessed. See Vitamin D test and B12 and folate.
What you can track, and how
Weighing every gram is rarely useful and often discouraging. A photo of each meal gives the pattern over weeks: how many days hit the vegetables, how often drinks were sugary, how late the last meal was. Next to it, the numbers from lab reports (lipids, HbA1c, fasting glucose, ferritin, vitamin D) over years show what the pattern did. Anpheros Daily's food tracker works from a photo and keeps the meals on the same timeline as your lab results. It estimates; it does not prescribe, and it is not a weight-loss programme.
This page explains how the body works; it does not diagnose or recommend treatments. For symptoms that worry you, talk to your doctor.
Key terms
- Free sugars: sugars added to food and drink, plus those in honey, syrups and fruit juice; not the sugars inside whole fruit.
- Dietary reference values: EFSA's intake targets for energy and nutrients by age and sex.
- Ultra-processed food: industrial formulations made mostly from substances extracted from foods, with additives.
- Dietary pattern: the overall combination of foods eaten over time, the unit most studies use.
- Fibre: carbohydrate the gut cannot digest; feeds the microbiome and slows sugar absorption.
Related pages
- Digestive health: fibre and probiotics
- Lipid panel explained
- HbA1c test explained
- The gut–brain axis
- Food tracker in the app
Sources
- WHO: Healthy diet (fact sheet)
- WHO: Guideline, sugars intake for adults and children
- EFSA: Dietary reference values for nutrients, summary report
- EFSA: Dietary reference values for protein
- NIH, NHLBI: DASH eating plan
- NHS: The Eatwell Guide
Frequently asked questions
Is there one best diet?
No single one, but the patterns with the best evidence share the same features: mostly plants, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, little processed food and sugar, moderate energy. The Mediterranean pattern is the most studied example.
How much sugar is too much?
The WHO sets free sugars under 10% of energy, ideally under 5%, about 25 g a day for an adult. One can of a sugary drink is already above that.
Do I need supplements?
Most people with a varied diet do not. Exceptions are documented: vitamin D in winter in northern countries, B12 for people who eat no animal products, folic acid in pregnancy, iron when tests show deficiency. Ask your doctor rather than guess.
Is counting calories necessary?
Not for most people. Patterns, portions and the lab trend matter more. Calorie counting helps some people for specific goals and harms others; it is a tool, not a requirement.
What about intermittent fasting?
Trials show it works for weight about as well as ordinary calorie reduction for people who find it easier to follow. It is not suitable for everyone (pregnancy, some conditions, some medicines), so discuss it with your doctor first.
Which lab tests reflect my diet?
Lipids, HbA1c and fasting glucose, ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate are the common ones; blood pressure is the salt marker. Over years they show the pattern more honestly than any single week of eating.
Try it in Anpheros Daily
Note how you sleep, eat, feel and move in Anpheros Daily, next to your lab results, and see the patterns over weeks.
Anpheros builds a medical record that the patient controls and can share with any clinic, on an HL7 FHIR R4 platform, based in the EU. These guides help you understand and organise your health; they do not replace your doctor.
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