Many of you may be thinking: Oh dear, here come those run-of-the-mill dietary recommendations again. No sugar, little salt, only vegetables and under no circumstances white flour products... Boring! Even the food pyramid probably won't knock your socks off at this point. That's why I've put together five simple tips to help you eat a balanced diet:
Short version:
- All foods are allowed. The more varied the food selection, the better.
- Cook for yourself as often as possible.
- Fill plates in a colorful and varied way.
- Eat lots of plant-based, natural foods with animal products as a supplement.
- Eat mindfully and consciously allow pleasure.
Long version:
- 1. all foods are allowed in a balanced diet. Yes, you read that right. ALL. If you allow yourself all foods and give up this "healthy-unhealthy" division, the "bad" foods also lose their appeal. Of course, this way of thinking cannot be abandoned overnight, but always remember: your diet should be varied and balanced, and constantly banning one food or even an entire food group increases the appeal factor enormously. For a while, we can live well with a ban and the associated sacrifice. But there will come a point when your cravings scream out loud: Give me the chocolate! In this case, it's not uncommon for half or even a whole bar to end up in your tummy instead of just one piece of chocolate. So before you start your next "morning diet", think about how you can optimize your diet - without banning one food or an entire food group. You can also allow yourself "unhealthy" foods, but the important thing is to enjoy them to the full. This way, you will realize that small amounts are enough and you may be satisfied after just one rib of chocolate.
2 Try to cook fresh food yourself as often as you can. Consciously try different recipes again and again to give yourself even more variety. And one thing is for sure: cooking can be quick! There are great cookbooks with simple recipes that can be prepared in 15 to 20 minutes. You are also sure to find them on the internet. Pre-planning and pre-cooking could also help you to diversify your weekly meal plan and prevent "I'm starving soon" shopping at the nearest bakery or food stall around the corner. Plan a few days in advance and consciously write it down. This will also help you plan your shopping better and save you time and money.
3. a colorful plate is not only visually inviting to eat, but also offers a more varied taste experience and pleases the palate on all levels. Delicious dishes can be conjured up from vegetables and pulses, which are perfectly complemented by a portion of (wholegrain) cereals as a side dish. Herbs and spices can elevate any dish to the next level of taste, and fruit as a dessert rounds off the meal not only in terms of taste but also in terms of nutritional intake. You can pay attention to the plate model when planning your meal. The Swiss Society for Nutrition has developed a plate model that illustrates in a simple way how a balanced meal should be structured. You can view and print out the model at www.sge-ssn.ch.
4. this colorful, plant-based food selection should or can be sensibly supplemented by animal foods. Go for natural dairy products, eggs, unprocessed meat or fish from regional production. However, small quantities are sufficient here. It doesn't have to be the Wiener schnitzel that is already over the top. A small piece of meat or fish, combined with a crisp salad and a handful of filling side dishes, is completely sufficient and provides your body with an optimal supply of important nutrients.
5 For a balanced diet, it is not only important WHAT you eat, but at least as important HOW you eat. It doesn't matter whether you're leafing through the newspaper, watching TV, doing the dishes or doing the crossword puzzle: Eating is often just a side issue. Even if we think we are capable of multitasking, the reality is different: Although our brain can quickly jump back and forth between two activities, it cannot concentrate on two things at the same time. One activity always fades into the background while we focus on the other. So if you only eat "on the side", you can't concentrate on taste, chewing thoroughly or enjoying your food. We all know the consequences of this: we eat in front of us, even go back for seconds, then a chocolate for dessert and suddenly we realize that our stomach is full. Maybe even too full. We may have eaten a huge portion, but we don't feel pleasantly full or satisfied. The reason for this is that satiety is a highly complex process that is not only triggered by the stomach being full. Taste, nutritional content of the food, chewing, enjoyment and much more are also involved.Conclusion
Before you want to completely change your diet overnight, I can recommend that you do it gradually: Do it step by step. Start by taking just one tip and try to implement it over the next few days. For example, if you want to eat more vegetables, try to include at least one portion in your meals tomorrow. Are you already doing well after a few days? Great, then continue with two portions of vegetables a day. Remember: You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. (Martin Luther King)
Author: Birgit Kogler BSc, dietician: https://www.ernaehrungsberatung-kogler.at/ Info: Would you like professional advice on sports nutrition to help you adapt your diet to your training? You can find a sports dietician near you at www.diaetologen.at/suche.
Sources:
Cardi V, Leppanen J, Treasure J. (2015). The effects of negative and positive mood induction on eating behavior: A meta-analysis of laboratory studies in the healthy population and eating and weight disorders. In: Neurscience and Behavioral Reviews. (57:299), 299-309. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.011
Colditz G A, Seres D, Kunins L. Healthy diet in adults. Online in the WWW at: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search Last accessed on: 10.4.2022
Fiechtl C. (2022). Food Feelings. How emotions determine what we eat. Published by Kremayr & Scheriau GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna.
Hahn, A, Ströhle, A., Wolters, M., Behrendt, I. & Heinen, D. (2016). Nutrition. Physiological principles, prevention, therapy (3rd ed.). Stuttgart: Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft.
Höfler, E. & Sprengart, P. (2012). Practical dietetics. Fundamentals, goals and implementation of nutrition therapy ; with 205 tables (Textbook, 1st ed.). Stuttgart: WVG Wiss. Verl.-Ges.
Linardon J, Tylka TL, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M. (2021). Intuitive eating and its psychological correlates: A meta-analysis. In: International Journal of eating disorders. 1-26. DOI: 10.1002/eat.23509
The EAT-Lancet commission. (2019). Healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Food. Planet. Health. Summary Report of the EAT-Lancet Commission. Lancet 2019;393. Online in WWW at: https://eatforum.org/content/uploads/2019/01/EAT-Lancet_Commission_Summary_Report.pdf Last accessed on: 30.4.2022
