A healthy diet throughout life promotes healthy pregnancy outcomes, supports normal growth, development and ageing, helps to maintain a healthy body weight, and reduces the risk of chronic disease leading to overall health and well-being. The basic principles of what constitute a healthy diet remain the same. Healthy food starts with a healthy diet in pregnancy, continues with breast milk for baby and is important for children and teenagers and adults and with the aged.

People who regularly eat more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars or salt/sodium and those who do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and foods with whole grains are more likely to develop chronic diseases like diabetes, heart diseases and cancer.