Healthy eating: simple rules for everyday life

With a few straightforward rules, it becomes much easier.

Anyone who asks themselves every day what they are “allowed” to eat is making life unnecessarily difficult. A clearer approach is to use an easy-to-follow framework showing which foods should appear on the plate regularly – and which are better left as occasional items in the shopping basket.

Why healthy eating is not rocket science

The body does not need complicated diets; it needs a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Research institutions have turned these nutritional requirements into simple guidance, with the food pyramid principle being particularly well known.

Rather than counting calories, one basic rule is helpful: it is not only what we eat that matters, but also when we eat it and how much we have. This is exactly where everyday life often goes wrong – pre-portioned snacks, XXL restaurant servings and constant grazing can distort our sense of quantity.

“Anyone wanting to eat more healthily should first keep an eye on portion sizes and how often they eat particular food groups – not on the scales.”

Animal products: valuable, but easy to overdo

Foods of animal origin provide high-quality protein, readily absorbed iron, plenty of calcium and almost all vitamins, particularly those in the B, A and D groups. For many people, meeting all nutritional needs becomes more difficult without them – but consuming too much can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, gout or excess weight.

How often meat, fish, eggs and dairy make sense

• Meat: 1–3 times a week is generally sufficient. Choose lean options, such as poultry or lean beef.
• Processed meats: Best treated as an exception. They are highly processed and usually high in salt, saturated fat and additives.
• Fish: 1–2 portions each week. Include a variety of oily sea fish (for example salmon and herring) and lean fish.
• Eggs: For healthy people, several eggs a week are usually unproblematic – they provide plenty of protein and vitamins.
• Dairy products: These can be eaten daily, preferably in less processed forms – such as plain yoghurt, quark and cheese rather than sweetened desserts.

Highly processed animal-based foods, including tinned fish in a lot of oil, ready-made breaded schnitzels or heavily seasoned convenience foods, should feature only rarely in a genuinely balanced everyday diet.

Plant-based staples: cereals, potatoes and pulses

Anyone needing energy every day should not get their “base calories” from sweets or fast food. Instead, choose complex carbohydrates from cereals, potatoes and pulses. They keep you full for longer and have less impact on blood sugar.

Sensible portions of pasta, rice and bread

Pasta, rice and other cereal products can feature in almost every main meal, provided the quantity is appropriate. The following are guide amounts per person:

Pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and beans provide not only carbohydrates but also plant protein and fibre. They are excellent for cutting down on meat without sacrificing fullness or flavour.

Fruit and vegetables: more than simply “vitamins”

Vegetables and fresh fruit do more than add colour to the plate. They supply water, potassium, vitamins including A, C, E and K, as well as numerous antioxidant compounds that protect cells from damage.

How often fruit and vegetables should appear in daily life

A realistic target is at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Put more specifically:

• Vegetables: 2–3 times daily, totalling around 150–400 g, either raw or cooked.
• Fruit: around 2 portions a day, each roughly 100–150 g.

Importantly, not every type of fruit is automatically “light”. Some tropical varieties contain considerable amounts of sugar or fat. Avocado and coconut, for instance, provide notable quantities of calories from fat. They can fit well into a healthy eating plan when used in moderation, such as in a salad rather than as the main daily fat source.

Dried fruit, jams, sweetened fruit spreads, candied fruit and tinned fruit in syrup belong more in the confectionery category, both legally and in terms of calories. They contain concentrated sugar and should be regarded like sweets – enjoyed sparingly and deliberately, rather than used in place of fresh fruit.

“Fresh fruit and vegetables are more filling and place far less strain on calorie intake than their highly concentrated and sweetened alternatives.”

Fats: small amounts, major impact

Fat is not an enemy; it is essential. It carries the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and supplies essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce for itself. Quality is what matters.

Which fats should dominate everyday eating

Plant oils high in unsaturated fatty acids are especially recommended, including olive oil and rapeseed oil. A practical everyday guideline can be drawn from this:

• Around 2–4 tablespoons of plant oil a day, depending on how fatty the rest of the diet is, for example from cheese, processed meat or convenience foods.
• One small portion of nuts or seeds daily – a few grams are enough, such as a small handful for a snack or sprinkled over a salad.

As well as fat, nuts and seeds offer protein, fibre and many beneficial plant compounds. Used in moderation, they noticeably increase the nutrient density of the diet.

Drinks: why water remains the clear number one

The advice on drinks is remarkably simple: for most people, water is entirely sufficient. It keeps the body hydrated without adding calories or sugar. Mineral content can vary according to individual needs, for example after heavy sweating or with certain medical conditions.

As a broad guide, drink around 0.75 to 1 litre of water a day in addition to the fluid taken in through food – substantially more in hot weather or when exercising. Sweetened drinks, soft drinks and juices can rapidly add a significant number of calories and encourage cravings. Anyone not wishing to cut them out completely should treat them more like sweets.

Processed foods: how clean is the label?

Avoiding processed foods altogether is unrealistic for most households. Work, family commitments and lack of time mean that convenience foods and snacks have a place in daily life. That does not automatically make them unhealthy – the choice is decisive.

What to look for while shopping

Items that should appear in the shopping basket as rarely as possible include:

• Heavily salted or pickled products, such as very salty tinned goods, cured sausage and crisps.
• Foods packed in large amounts of oil or a heavy marinade.
• Fruit in syrup, sweetened tinned fruit and heavily sweetened cereal bars.
• Very complex ready meals with lengthy ingredient lists and many additives.

A sensible practical approach is a “clean” compromise: select products containing only a few clearly recognisable ingredients and, ideally, substantially less sugar and fewer additives than typical standard options. If the label makes it impossible to understand what you are eating, it is worth being sceptical.

“The shorter the ingredient list and the lower the sugar and salt content, the better a convenience food fits into a healthy long-term lifestyle.”

Food hygiene: safety starts before cooking

Healthy eating also means choosing food that is free from harmful germs, medicine residues and contaminants. Origin, inspections and correct storage all play a central part.

Where to shop – and where it is better not to

Something that surprises many people is that conventional supermarkets and large chains often perform better on food safety than improvised “direct sources” without clear oversight. This is due to strict legal requirements and regular checks of production, transport and storage.

Fraud involving fruit and vegetables occurs repeatedly – for example, products sold as “particularly natural” that have not actually been handled or labelled correctly. Meat and eggs also carry risks: animals may be ill or may have received substantial amounts of medication during rearing. Hygienic slaughter, an unbroken cold chain and proper storage then become equally important for safety.

From the farm or field, through transport and right up to the chilled display, the temperature must be right, the cold chain must remain intact and goods must be protected from contamination. Those buying privately should check for continuous refrigeration, clean displays and traceable origins.

Everyday practice: what healthy days really look like

A healthy day of eating does not have to be perfect. What matters is the overall pattern across several weeks. Here is an example of a practical day:

• Breakfast: Porridge oats with plain yoghurt, some fruit and a small handful of nuts, with water or unsweetened tea.
• Lunch: Wholewheat pasta (approx. 80 g uncooked) with a vegetable sauce, a little olive oil and a small portion of cheese or pulses.
• Snack: A piece of fruit or vegetable sticks with hummus.
• Evening meal: A mixed vegetable salad with a portion of fish or pulses, some bread and 1–2 tablespoons of oil in the dressing.

Sweets or a slice of cake can certainly have a place in this pattern – as long as they do not dominate every meal and are instead a conscious addition.

Further insight: learning portion awareness and label reading

Many people lose their sense of portion sizes in everyday life. One simple starting point is to weigh meals for a few days and note what a realistic serving looks like on your own plate. This builds a mental picture that will later help without using scales.

When reading labels, it is worth checking the nutrition table per 100 g. Very high sugar or salt levels and long lists of additives point more towards an indulgence food than a staple. Anyone who gradually switches to “cleaner” alternatives will slowly adjust their taste to less sweetness and less salt – without radical restrictions.