Table 1

Examples of messages of dietary advice for healthcare professionals. Brazil, 2020

Question of the instrument for assessment of individuals’ food consumption	Individuals’ answer	Dimension of the recommendation	Dietary advice messages for the health professionals
Yesterday, did you eat beans?	Yes	Value the existing eating practice	Value the healthy eating practice as it strengths the practice, encourages its continuity and can provide important information about healthy diets. You may use the justification to value the existing eating practice: beans are rich in fibre, protein and a range of vitamins and minerals, such as iron. The combination of rice and beans, appreciated and consumed by a large part of the Brazilian population, is very accessible and has a lot of good nutrients. This combination is associated with a lower occurrence of obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
	No	General recommendation	Stimulate the consumption of beans, mainly in lunch and dinner.
		Suggestion on variations and ways of preparing foods	Stimulate the eventual consumption of the varieties of beans (such as black, carioca, white, cowpeas, black-eyed peas and others) or the replacement by other legumes such as lentils or chickpeas. This message may also be delivered to people who do not like beans.
		Understanding and overcoming obstacles	In order to shorten the cooking time and to facilitate the digestion of beans, recommend the person to let them soak in water for 6–12 hours before cooking.
Yesterday, did you drink sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, artificial juices, industrialised coconut water)?	Yes	General recommendation	Recommend people to avoid the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks and artificial juices, that are also known as ultra-processed beverages.
		Suggestion on healthy alternatives	Encourage the consumption throughout the day of pure water, that is proper for human consumption, or ‘enriched’ with slices of lime, mint leaves or pineapple peel.
		Understanding and overcoming obstacles	A gradual reduction is probably more feasible and efficient than a total removal for those people who excessively drink sugar-sweetened beverages. Propose the replacement by pure or ‘seasoned’ water.
	No	Value the existing eating practice	Value the healthy eating practice as it strengths the practice, encourages its continuity and can provide important information around healthy diets. You may use the justification to value the existing eating practice: the sharp flavour and the ready-to-eat design may promote the excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Alert that it is not recommended to drink sugar-sweetened beverages, because they are added with a high amount of sugar as well as flavour enhancers, colours and several other cosmetic additives. The consumption of these beverages may interpose the intake of water, that is the most proper and safe way to hydrate. Their consumption increases the risk of obesity and other chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
Additional messages
Explain that great part of the information about food available on internet and television is not of good quality. It aims to increase the sales of products, not to inform or even educate people.
If it is adequate to the person’s reality, remind that organic and agroecological-based natural or minimally processed foods are specially more palatable and protect the environment and health. These foods are cheaper when they are directly bought with farmers or in small markets.