Dietary recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Based on the results of the experimental studies, the PAS Committee of Human Nutrition Science has developed dietary recommendations during the COVOD-19 pandemic. In its official statement committee experts write about the need to maintain balanced diet adjusted to the current level of physical activity and advise to follow the rules of hygiene and safe food handling.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, care should be taken to achieve and maintain optimal nutritional status, including healthy body weight, by providing with the diet all the nutrients that the body needs in amounts appropriate to the age, sex, physiological condition and physical activity, in accordance with the dietary standards, if the individual needs of the body are not known.
The general principle of balanced nutrition is to consume a varied diet based on available foods. A key nutritional strategy for supporting the body and immune system functions should be a diet containing an adequate amount of water, a high proportion of plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, whole-grain cereal products, legumes, nuts, and seeds) and an adequate amount of foods of animal origin (fish, dairy products, eggs, and meat products).
Every day, one should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed food products that provide vitamins, nutrients, dietary fiber, protein, polyunsaturated n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and antioxidant components (e.g. polyphenols, carotenoids). To significantly reduce the risk of overweight, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, one should also avoid sugar, salt, and saturated fatty acids.
The full text of the Statement is available on the Committee’s website.
General dietary recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Dietary recommendations for children during the COVID-19 pandemic
