So, What Exactly Is a Balanced Diet?

What Is a Balanced Diet?

Are you interested in a healthy lifestyle with more energy and physical performance? Or do you want to maintain your health and stay fit as you age? All of this depends largely on a balanced diet. Alongside regular physical activity, ensuring an adequate intake of nutrients is one of the most important things you can focus on. You should provide your body with exactly what it needs for optimal functioning and wellbeing through the food you eat.

But what exactly makes up a balanced diet? Nutritional science offers clear recommendations on how various food groups should be proportioned in your overall nutrient intake. Ideally, three-quarters of your food should come from plant-based sources, with the remaining quarter from animal products. Plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals. While animal products make up a smaller portion, they are still important, helping you meet your protein and fat requirements.

A balanced diet also means ensuring variety on your plate. It’s not enough to simply focus on fruits and vegetables—you need to mix things up and focus on different types of produce. Feel free to experiment and try new things. The more variety you introduce, the less likely you are to miss out on vital nutrients. Try planning meals around seasonal and local produce to keep your diet diverse.

What Is the Food Pyramid?

We can’t discuss balanced nutrition without mentioning the food pyramid. The German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE), based on recommendations from the German Nutrition Society (DGE), provides the food pyramid as a guide for selecting foods. The goal is to achieve a diet that is balanced, varied, and healthy, with sustainability also playing a role. The pyramid is divided into portions:

• Six portions of drinks form the pyramid's broad base. These should consist of six large glasses of water or unsweetened fruit and herbal teas.
• Next are five portions of fruit and vegetables, which help fill you up while providing few calories.
• In the middle are four portions of bread, grains, and side dishes to supply energy.
• Just below the top, you’ll find two portions of milk and dairy products, one portion of legumes, meat, fish, or eggs, two portions of oils and fats, and one portion of nuts and seeds.
• At the top sits a single portion of extras. A little treat such as sweets or snacks is fine in small amounts, helping to ensure a balanced diet that also makes you feel good.

Why Keeping a Food Diary Helps

A food diary is one of the most practical tools to help you achieve a balanced diet. It allows you to track several key aspects of your nutrition and eating habits. Here’s what you should note:

• What did I eat? If you’re cooking at home, list all the ingredients, including any spices.
• How much did I eat? Note portion sizes and calorie intake.
• When did I eat? Document the times of your meals. You might notice patterns like snacking too much in the evenings.
• How much do I drink? Record your liquid intake, including calories from drinks.
• Where and in what context do I eat? Are most of your meals at home or at work? This can help identify stressors that may negatively affect your eating habits.

Tips for Everyday Nutrition

There are many ways to optimise your diet and make it more balanced. Here are some valuable tips that are easy to implement into your daily routine. After all, eating healthily is also a mindset, and your behaviour plays a major role in how well you maintain your health:

• Avoid trans fats, which are often found in processed foods and fast food. Instead, focus on healthy fats such as those found in nuts, olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish.
• Try to source more of your energy from proteins rather than carbohydrates, which can help stabilise your blood sugar levels.
• Salt and sugar are poor flavour enhancers. Opt for herbs and spices to season your meals instead. They add valuable phytonutrients, which act as antioxidants.