Healthy eating made easy - here's how

A healthy and balanced diet is the basis for your well-being and your body's ability to function properly. As everyone is different and every body has different needs, there is no universal rule for a balanced diet. However, there are a few good tips and tricks that will definitely have a positive effect on your health and well-being. Here are 10 helpful tips to help you put the theory of a healthy diet into practice!

There is no food that contains all the nutrients you need. For this reason, a healthy diet should first and foremost be varied so that the body can be optimally nourished. You should make sure to combine low-energy and nutrient-rich foods in order to create a healthy balance. In addition, you should mainly eat plant-based foods as, unlike animal-based foods, they are low in cholesterol, high in fibre and contain numerous minerals, vitamins and secondary plant substances. Fats, oils and sugary foods should be consumed particularly sparingly. However, this does not mean that they should be avoided completely, because it all depends on the dosage!

At best, a healthy diet should only consist of a minimal amount of industrially processed food. This means that when you go shopping, you should preferably put fresh food in your trolley and avoid industrially processed food. Wondering how to do this? Here are three little tips for you:

- Dried fruit instead of sweets
- Home-cooked dishes made from fresh ingredients instead of ready-made products
- Freshly squeezed juices instead of sugary supermarket juices

In general, if you prepare your own meals from fresh ingredients, you also have control over what goes into them. The less processed food you use, the healthier your meals tend to be. So head for the vegetable counter and away from the sweets shelf!

Wholemeal products and potatoes contain lots of vitamins, complex carbohydrates, fibre and minerals. When it comes to choosing wholemeal products, it is advisable to opt for spelt and rye in particular. Due to the healthy ingredients in potatoes and wholegrain products, you should eat them several times a day and combine them with ingredients that are as low in fat as possible. For those of you who are gluten intolerant, you should opt for cereals such as millet, maize or buckwheat wherever possible.

If you want to eat healthier, you should eat at least 3 portions of vegetables and 2 portions of fruit every day. It's no secret that fruit and vegetables are among the healthiest foods and everyone knows this. Nevertheless, it is important to remember to include fruit and vegetables in your diet both as a side dish and as a snack.

Tip: Try to eat a handful of fruit or vegetables with every meal. Eat your muesli in the morning with an apple for a change or prepare some raw vegetables as a snack for when you're out and about. Homemade juices or smoothies also offer a healthy change.

In principle, plant-based products should predominate in your diet and animal products should only be consumed in small quantities. However, they should not be completely absent from a balanced diet, as animal foods provide important minerals and high-quality proteins. These animal products positively complement a healthy plant-based diet:

- Low-fat milk and dairy products
- Fish
- Low-fat meats (poultry)

In contrast, these animal products should be eaten in moderation:

- Fatty sausage
- High-fat meats (pork)
- Bacon

If you want to eat a healthy diet, it is particularly important to use healthy fats such as vegetable oils. Vegetable fats provide unsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, which the body cannot produce itself. While these fats are very healthy for the body, trans fats, which are found in deep-fried products and ready meals, should be avoided. Caution should also be exercised with hidden fats found in confectionery and baked goods. However, avocados, nuts and fish are foods rich in fat that can have a positive effect on your diet.

It is well known that sugar and sugary foods and drinks should only be consumed in small quantities. This is because industrial sugar provides so-called empty calories and contains hardly any nutrients. High-sugar foods also lead to cravings and cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate greatly. However, if you can't do without sweeteners in your drinks or food, you should give stevia a try. Stevia is a healthier alternative to conventional sugar and is an ideal addition to a balanced diet.

Sufficient fluid intake is the be-all and end-all for a healthy and functional body. You should therefore drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres a day. If you do a lot of sport, you even need at least 3 litres. So make sure you drink enough water and other low-calorie or unsweetened drinks.

In addition to the factors already mentioned, the way in which food is prepared also plays an important role. Many healthy nutrients react sensitively to too much heat. For this very reason, you should cook these foods as briefly as possible at low temperatures in a small amount of fat or water. This type of preparation preserves the healthy nutrients and ensures that the natural flavour is retained.

What good is the healthiest diet if you don't take the time to eat in peace? It is important to maintain a healthy rhythm and pay attention to the natural feeling of fullness. If you often eat in between meals or in a hurry, you tend to eat more, as the feeling of fullness does not occur immediately, but only after a few minutes. Therefore, take your time with your meal and enjoy your food!

We hope that these tips and tricks have inspired you to optimise your eating habits and do something good for your body and mind. We wish you all the best!