Fruits and vegetables in an S Market in Helsinki on 28 November 2024. The Finnish Food Authority last week updated the national dietary recommendations for the first time in 10 years, raising the recommended daily intake of vegetables from 500 grams to 500–800 grams. (Mikko Stig – Str / Lehtikuva)
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THE FINNISH FOOD AUTHORITY unveiled its new national nutritional guidelines on Wednesday, 27 November.
The guidelines encourage a shift away from animal-based toward plant-based foods, with the recommended daily intake of vegetables raised from 500 to 500–800 grams and the weekly limit on the intake of beef, lamb and pork lowered from 500 to 350 grams.
“Our common health challenge is to increase and diversify the consumption of whole grains, vegetables, berries and fruits, as well as reduce the intake of red meat and processed meat,” Maijaliisa Erkkola, a professor of nutrition at the University of Helsinki, summed up in a press release.
Erkkola served as the chairperson of the task force that drew up the new nutritional guidelines. The previous guidelines were published in 2014.
The Finnish Food Authority also pointed out that, for environmental reasons, the consumption of red meat should be well below 350 grams a week and recommended that in the long term the combined consumption of poultry and red meat be limited to 350 grams a week.
“Ultimately what each of us eats is a personal choice, but it is good to recognise that a more plant-heavy diet reduces not only health risks, but also the climate burden, eutrophication and the pressure for global disappearance of species,” reminded Juha-Matti Katajajuuri, a special researcher at Natural Re
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
