Nutrition education is one of the most complex and complicated areas of health care. the most difficult task is to motivate and persuade the target audience to follow dietary patterns and change their lifestyles. Best practices are based on motivation and emotional appeal aimed to influence the mind and feelings of listeners and students. The increasing complexity of modern society develops a wide range of pressures and stressors that challenges dietary patterns. Best practices in nutrition education are aimed to teach a student the main principles and norms of a healthy diet and show the simplest way how to follow them. The best practice is to involve a student/trainee in the process of change: new dietary patterns and new identity, excellent health, and no illnesses. A trainee should tackle the challenge of attempting to differentiate health styles and wellness. The teacher should discuss the possible outcomes and potential problems of unhealthy behavior patterns and their impact on a person. Whatever program is established, it is important to create and communicate a healthy lifestyle approach that meets the needs of both the trainee and his family.
The difficult task is to develop nutrition programs for poor countries. Thus, the main difficulty is to persuade people that a healthy diet is not expensive and can be successfully introduced by any family. It takes time but it brings healthy lifestyles and the absence of illnesses. A controversy that has surfaced repeatedly is whether health promotion programs reflect health care cost-containment strategies. It is crucial for nutrition educators to motivate and involve the poor in a healthy diet. In very poor countries, it is important to change negative stereotypes concerning dietary patterns and health. Because health promotion programs are relatively new for these countries, their administrative locations are not consistent across poor states. This lack of consistency brings with it a clear difference in philosophical goals. The main strategies should involve healthy cooking and a simple diet including milk products and grain, meat, fruits, and vegetables. The conclusions seem to be that nutrition education programs should be integrated into poor societies and their culture.
Mass media (TV, radio, and press) can be effective tools to promote nutrition education and diet in poor countries. It is possible to promote healthy lifestyles and a balanced diet through TV shows and press releases. Many people in less developed countries are unaware of how much, what, or where they eat. Much of the food they eat can be considered forgotten food, this is particularly so with snacks, food is eaten whilst watching TV or food tasted during cooking. Helping poor states increase their awareness of current eating habits is an essential first step in the management process.
Only when they begin to recognize the eating practices which are contributing to their excess energy intake can they move towards considering where and how to make appropriate changes. Food diaries are a very useful self-monitoring tool, encourage patients to be actively involved in treatment, and may give an indication of motivation. Special attention should be given to costs spend on healthcare and problems caused by current dietary patterns and ineffective dietary balance. It is possible to use a slogan like: health is cheaper than illness: eating and healthy diet is the best approach to save money”. Involving partners and families in the attempts to make healthier choices is important in increasing compliance to dietary changes and as a cost-effective means of extending health messages. Rather than the goal is to eat less fatty food, which is very general, it would be preferable for the patients to set specific goals such as to eat less fatty foods by changing from butter to a low-fat spread and to use fat-free salad dressings rather than mayonnaise in salads and sandwiches.