Table 1 WHO best buys and other recommended interventions for unhealthy diet

‘Best buys’: effective interventions with cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) ≤ $100 per DALY averted in LMICs

Reduce salt intake through the reformulation of food products to contain less salt and the setting of target levels for the amount of salt in foods and meals

Reduce salt intake through the establishment of a supportive environment in public institutions such as hospitals, schools, workplaces and nursing homes, to enable lower sodium options to be provided

Reduce salt intake through a behaviour change communication and mass media campaign

Reduce salt intake through the implementation of front-of-pack labelling

Effective interventions with CEA > $100 per DALY averted in LMICs

Eliminate industrial trans fats through the development of legislation to ban their use in the food chain

Reduce sugar consumption through effective taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages

Other recommended interventions from WHO guidance (CEA not available)

Promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, including promotion of breastfeeding

Implement subsidies to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables

Replace trans-fats and saturated fats with unsaturated fats, through reformulation, labelling, fiscal policies or agricultural policies

Limiting portion and package size to reduce energy intake and the risk of overweight/obesity

Implement nutrition education and counselling in different settings (for example, in preschools, schools, workplaces and hospitals) to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables

Implement nutrition labelling to reduce total energy intake (kcal), sugars, sodium and fats

Implement mass media campaign on healthy diets, including social marketing to reduce the intake of total fat, saturated fats, sugars and salt and promote the intake of fruits and vegetables