Mexican Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant and Lactating Women.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the adaptation process of the Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant and Lactating Women (HSDG-P&LW-2025) in Mexico. METHODS: The adaptation followed a three-stage process: I) establishment of an expert committee; II) review of the evidence on dietary recommendations for pregnant and lactating women; III) estimation of recommended portions, which included: i) definition of the reference population (Mexican women of reproductive age) based on the 2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT); ii) setting of dietary recommendations using national and international evidence; iii) selection of food groups, aligned with those used for the general population and considering the EAT-Lancet guidelines; iv) development of a food composition database, based on 24 h dietary recall data from ENSANUT 2012 and 2016, as well as the Mexican food composition database; v) identification of additional relevant considerations (e.g., recommendations for vegetables, whole grains, and cereals); and vi) prioritization and adaptation of ten key dietary recommendations for the target population. RESULTS: The corresponding energy and nutrient intakes, along with their recommended daily portions per food group, were developed for eight energy profiles of pregnant and lactating women (ranging from 1,650-2,300 kcal/d), considering nutritional status, physical activity, and gestational age or lactation stage. Ten dietary recommendations were prioritized and adapted to meet nutritional needs while considering environmental protection. CONCLUSIONS: The HSDG-P&LW-2025 provides recommendations to promote healthy and sustainable eating patterns among pregnant and lactating Mexican women, contributing to the prevention of malnutrition.