Maintaining a healthy diet is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an article published by the World Health Organization (WHO), “what we eat and drink can affect our body’s ability to prevent, fight and recover from infections”.

Moreover, while no foods or supplements can prevent or cure COVID-related symptoms, making healthy food choices is important for supporting the immune system. WHO also states that good nutrition can “reduce the likelihood of developing other health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.”

As per the article, healthy food choices include:

1. Eating a variety of food, including: fruits, vegetables, a mix of wholegrains like wheat, maize and rice, and legumes like lentils and beans, with some foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).

2. Cutting back on salt: limit salt intake to one teaspoon per day, use salt sparingly in cooked food, reduce use of salty sauces and condiments (like soy sauce, stock or fish sauce), and check the labels on food and choose products with lower sodium content.

3. Consuming moderate amounts of fats and oils: Replace butter, ghee and lard with healthier fats like olive and sunflower oil, choose white meats (chicken, fish) over red meat, select low-fat or reduced-fat dairy products, avoid fried foods that are full of trans-fats.

4. Limiting sugar intake: Avoid sugary drinks (soft drinks, fruit juices, energy and sports drinks, etc), choose fresh fruits over sweet snacks (cookies, cakes, chocolate), and avoid giving sugary foods to children under 2 years of age.

5. Staying hydrated: Drink enough water throughout the day (2 liters minimum).

6. Avoiding alcohol consumption: Alcohol is not a part of a healthy diet. Frequent or excessive alcohol consumption increases your immediate risk of injury, as well as causing longer-term effects like liver damage, cancer, and heart disease.

7. Breastfeeding: Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Babies should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life. Women with COVID-19 can breastfeed if they wish to do so and should take infection prevention and control measures.