Nutritional Guidelines: a prescription to good nutrition

The Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) is a set of dietary guidelines based on the eating pattern, lifestyle, and health status of Filipinos.

The NGF contains all the nutrition messages to healthy living for all age groups from infants to adults, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly.

The first NGF released in 1990 was composed of five messages called “Dietary Guidelines for Filipinos.”

In 2000, a revised nutritional guidelines composed of ten messages was released and it was called the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos.

In 2012, the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the revision of the NGF, led by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) developed a new set of the NGF, based on the 2000 edition.

The 2012 NGF now includes the basis and justification for each of the ten nutritional and health message.

Below are the new messages of the 2012 NGF:
- Eat a variety of foods everyday to get the nutrients needed by the body.
- Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to six months and then give appropriate complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding for two years and beyond for optimum growth and development.
- Eat more vegetables and fruits to get the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber for regulation of body processes.
- Consume fish, lean meat, poultry, egg, dried beans or nuts daily for growth and repair of body tissues.
- Consume milk, milk products, and other calcium-rich food such as small fish and shellfish, everyday for healthy bones and teeth.
- Consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhea and other food-and water-borne diseases.
- Use iodized salt to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
- Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty, and sugar-rich foods to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
- Attain normal body weight through proper diet and moderate physical activity to maintain good health and help prevent obesity.
- Be physically active, make healthy food choices, manage stress, avoid alcoholic beverage, and do not smoke to help prevent lifestyle-related non-communicable disease.
The revisions were made based on the results of the 2008 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) conducted by FNRI-DOST.