Dietas saludables como ejes de los sistemas alimentarios y de la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional

The notion of food security has undergone multiple revisions over time. Currently, an intersectoral approach is promoted that interprets it from a food systems perspective. This article proposes diet quality as a strategic objective for the Venezuelan food system, based on two pillars: the principles of a healthy diet as a guide for public policy—incorporating the "cost of a healthy diet" component—and the study of national data collected by the Global Diet Quality Project between 2023 and 2024. The results, obtained through the project's validated questionnaires, reveal that although the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) reached 63%, the protection and risk metrics (Protect/Risk) regarding non-communicable diseases (NCDs) show results that warrant careful analysis and reflection. NCD-Protect reflected a consumption of only 2.5 food groups necessary to obtain protective benefits, while the NCD-Risk score of 2.6 evidenced that the population habitually consumes more than two groups of at-risk foods. These findings confirm a dual cause for alarm: nutritional deficiencies due to insufficient access to micronutrients and a growing risk of NCDs due to low-quality diets. Given this warning signal, actors within the Venezuelan food system must recognize diet quality as the central axis of their management. In addition, to monitor compliance with the right to food in Venezuela, it is essential to have indicators of the quality and cost of a healthy diet in the country. It is recommended to transcend general health objectives to orient planning and monitoring toward concrete nutritional goals that guarantee the promotion of healthy diets for the entire population.