Official name

National Nutrition Guide for Greek Adults (Greek: Διατροφικοί Οδηγοί Για Ενήλικες)

Publication year

The Greek dietary guidelines were developed in 1999 and updated in 2014.

Process and stakeholders

The updated guidelines were developed by a non-profit organization and commissioned by the Ministry of Health. The Scientific Committee was constituted mainly by representatives from academia, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and Culture.

The team that coordinated the updating of the guidelines was comprised by members of the Prolepsis Institute and academia. 

Intended audience

The guidelines are aimed at the healthy adult population, in particular people aged 18 to 65 years. There are also version for: Infants, Children and Adolescents; Women, Pregnant and Breastfeeding; and people aged 65 and over.

Food guide

A food pyramid is used by Greece to illustrate the messages of its guidelines, which are in line with the traditional Mediterranean diet. The food pyramid is divided into food groups classified under three levels of consumption: daily consumption (wholegrain cereals and products, fruits, vegetables, olive oil and dairy products), weekly (fish, poultry, olives, pulses, nuts, potatoes, eggs and sweets) and monthly (red meat). Around the pyramid there are images of physical activity and the recommendation to drink wine in moderation.

The food guide has not been updated since 1999.

Messages

• Consume a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
• Consume a variety of cereals every day. Prefer whole grain products.
• Prefer low-fat dairy products.
• Limit red meat consumption. Choose lean cuts. Avoid processed meat.
• Consume fish and seafood frequently. Choose small fatty fish.
• Consume legumes frequently.
• Use olive oil as the main added fat.
• Limit salt and added sugar intake.
• Be physically active every day. Maintain a healthy body weight. 
• Drink plenty of water.