You have probably already noticed the phrase "healthy eating" in some of our articles or on other websites. But do you know what a "healthy" diet should look like? In today's article, we'll look at what such a diet should include and give you advice on how to put it into practice.
What is a "healthy" diet?
A "healthy" diet provides the body with all the essential nutrients, micronutrients, and other health‑promoting bioactive substances. This diet must also fit into the context of our overall lifestyle, suit us, be fun, and not restrict us too much. This is important to make it easier to stick to for the long term. So, how do you get started?
"Healthy" doesn't have to mean "perfect"
Nowadays, we know many dietary guidelines (various forms of vegetarianism, low‑carb, keto‑diet, intermittent fasting, etc.) that, if they suit us, can meet the criteria of a "healthy" diet when followed correctly.
And what about a rational diet? A great and practical tool is the 80/20 rule, which will make room in our diet for pizza, cake and chocolate, while still basing the majority of our diet on nutritionally valuable foods.
So a "healthy" way of eating may mean something different to everyone — we are different people in different life situations and circumstances who have different goals. However, differences can also be found in the same person over time. For example, a diet on holiday or on a business trip is likely to differ from a normal eating plan. Yet, all of these cases may fall within the concept of a 'healthy' diet.
7 tips to put "healthy eating" into practice
1. Make sure your diet is balanced overall
A balanced diet is one of the pillars of healthy eating. How else can we best ensure optimal intake of all the necessary substances and nutrients? We can use a healthy plate when planning a balanced diet.
2. Eat regularly
In addition to the diet's composition, it is important to choose a meal frequency that suits us best. For some people, this may be three meals a day, while others may prefer 5‑6 smaller portions. Let's try to stick to the set regime (as far as possible) and not rely on going without food during the day — evening hunger often drives us to the fridge.
3. Meal prep
There are many advantages to preparing meals at home — we can prepare food exactly to our liking, we can keep track of the quantity and quality of the ingredients used and our wallet can relax. If we plan everything well, we can save ourselves a lot of time when cooking.
4. Think about how you eat
It's not just what, how much and how often we eat each day that's important. We need to pay attention to how we eat. Because if we shovel food into our mouths in three minutes and then get distracted by responding to two emails in between, our brains might not even notice that we've eaten anything at all. Learn about the concept of mindful eating.
5. Fruits and vegetables belong everywhere
The health benefits of fruits and vegetables probably don't need to be debated for long. In short, they are a source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other bioactive compounds not found anywhere else in our diet. In addition, some types can also be a great help with your drinking regime (see below).
We should eat at least 200g of fruit and 400g of vegetables a day. So, if we add them to every meal, we certainly won't go wrong.
6. Don't forget to drink
Drinking is another variable that can elevate our diet as well as undermine it. Therefore, try to consume fluids only in the form of pure water, unsweetened teas or mineral water — of course, we can include some lemonade or juice as well, but these energy‑containing drinks should be a supplement rather than the basis of our drinking regime.
7. Set boundaries and learn to indulge
As we said above, a 'healthy' eating style can mean something different to everyone and may not always be perfect. At the same time, an important part of it is a certain freedom in eating and the ability to indulge without regret. On holiday, this can mean, for example, trying to choose nutritionally rich foods and balanced meals for the main meals of the day, which can then be safely interspersed with ice cream, dessert or even a glass of an alcholic beverage.
The amount of food eaten, the frequency with which it is eaten, and how it fits into the current situation and the overall context of our lifestyle will play a key role in this regard.
Bottom line
The term 'healthy eating' cannot be defined precisely — it may mean something different to everyone. Of course, the current situation and the context in which the diet fits into the overall context of our lifestyle also play a role. The most important criteria are that the diet suits us, that it provides our bodies with all the necessary substances and that we are able to stick to it in the long term.
To make it easier to put into practice, let's try to focus especially on the balance of meals within the day, eat consciously and regularly, and try to prepare our diet exclusively at home. Let's not be afraid of vegetables and fruit, let's not forget about drinking, and let's learn to manipulate our diet as needed — let's set some boundarie and learn to indulge.
