A healthy diet is important as it prevents the development of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity can put anyone at risk (including and not limited to, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and their newborns, elderly people, migrants, people with disabilities and people with chronic diseases). Increased availability of processed foods and rapid urbanization have led to people now consuming more foods high in calories, specific type of fats, refined and added sugars and salt/sodium with lower nutritional content. A diet high in calories does not mean high in nutritional content so it is important for you to have a balanced diet with the right types of nutrients.
Use the Healthy Eating Plate as a guide for creating healthy, balanced meals: Link