A healthy lifestyle is associated with many factors. While there have been repeated discussions about this very topic in recent years, there is a basic consensus that healthy eating contributes a large part to this. And although the importance of a healthy diet is on everyone's lips, it is often difficult to implement it.
Especially with breakfast, you can do a lot right if you want to start the day healthily. That is why we have prepared the 10 most important tips for a healthy diet and for your healthy breakfast in today's blog post .
1. Ensure a balanced diet
Healthy and balanced nutrition is the be-all and end-all in several ways because the right diet ensures increased vitality, keeps us alive and prevents many diseases. In addition to regular exercise, diet is largely responsible for our well-being. That's why you should definitely pay attention to a certain balance when choosing your dishes. Above all, the right ratio of macronutrients is important here.
Macronutrients as an important part of a healthy diet
Macronutrients are substances that provide the body with energy. Therefore, when we speak of macronutrients, we usually mean carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They are considered the basic building blocks of life. In the digestive tract, mixed foods are broken down and provide the body with optimal vital energy. From the digestive tract, the substances reach the cells, where they are finally consumed.
The distribution of macronutrients is the most important part of a balanced diet. For example, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends 55% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 15% proteins. With an average basal metabolic rate of 2,000 calories, this corresponds to 264g of carbohydrates, 66g of fat, and 72g of protein.
2. Breakfast is one of the most important meals for a healthy diet
For us at Verival, breakfast is of course the most important meal of the day. But not only we hold this opinion, but also many experts: they support this thesis. For example, many studies assume that people who eat breakfast live healthier lives and are less likely to be overweight. Breakfast is particularly important for children, according to the DGE. Especially for school, you should be well-rested and strengthened.
Healthy breakfast with the right fillers
Seeds and nuts with their unsaturated fatty acids are a real addition to any breakfast. This is another reason why you should not do without them. Chia seeds , flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds, cashews – all these foods have one thing in common: they are incredible satiators! That's why nuts and seeds are so suitable for people who want to lose weight. Because: If you are full, you will automatically lose weight! For your healthy breakfast, we would recommend our delicious strawberry chia organic porridge , which you can then round off perfectly with nuts as a topping.
Healthy diet with hot breakfast
Breakfast comes in many different variations, and these also change from person to person. But you should take a little something to heart, because a hot breakfast is a real game changer.
Your body needs less energy if you already provide it with breakfast at "operating temperature," so it does not have to warm it up first and therefore needs less energy. Porridge is a great way to start the day. Fiber , minerals, and healthy satiety make oatmeal a blast. If you want to buy our organic porridge, you can do so easily in our online shop.
3. Integrate whole grains into your diet
Whole grains have experienced a real boom in recent years. Whole grain means that the bran (husk) and the seedling of the cereals are preserved. Health benefits are thus guaranteed, because in contrast to refined grain, whole grains contain a large amount of fiber and minerals.
That's why you should make sure to incorporate whole grains into your diet as much as possible. Whole-grain bread, whole-grain cereal, and porridge for breakfast – whole-grain pasta and whole-grain rice for other dishes of the day. Quinoa and bulgur are also whole grains and are perfect for a wide variety of meals.
The Local Superfood: Oats
Oats should not be missed when talking about healthy whole grain cereals, because oats are considered the local superfood! The flakes are rich in biotin, vitamin K, iron, zinc, and manganese. In addition, many complex carbohydrates are contained, keeping you full for a long time and maintaining stable blood sugar levels. This will help you prevent food cravings. The cultivation of oats is usually also regional, which makes the CO2 balance of the grain look extremely good. That's why oatmeal is the local superfood!
Basic recipe: oatmeal
Ingredients
- 250 ml milk or a plant-based alternative for vegans (oat milk, almond milk, soy milk,...)
- 50 g oatmeal (grams of oatmeal)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tsp agave syrup optional
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon of your choice
Preparation
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Boil the oatmeal with the pinch of salt and the sweetener of your choice in the milk or plant drink (preferably with constant stirring). Cooking the cereal flakes only with hot water is also a possible variant.
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Let the porridge steep for 3 minutes.
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Empty the porridge into a bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.
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Enjoy!
Nutritional values
4. Plenty of fruits and vegetables emphasize a healthy diet
Of course, fruits and vegetables should not be missing in any healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables should be on the menu every day – this applies to children and adults alike. Experts recommend around 400 grams of vegetables and 250 grams of fruit daily.
Low energy density, important nutrients
Vegetables have a particularly low energy density (few calories per gram of food), which is why they are perfect for losing weight. In addition, despite their low energy density, vegetables are filled with important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and proteins.
Vegetables can be incorporated into your diet at any time of the day. A morning smoothie with fruits and vegetables is perfect for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, vegetables can be perfectly incorporated into a wide variety of recipes as a side dish or main course.
5. The right fats are the key to a healthy diet
For many people, talking about different "fats" is often negative because "fats" are considered unhealthy. However, this is wrong in most cases because the body needs fats. They are among the basic nutrients and are indispensable for health and a healthy diet.
The healthy fats can be found in oils from rapeseed, olives, linseed, or algae. You can also find healthy, unsaturated fatty acids in nuts and seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids should make up a large proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Are saturated fats really that bad for a healthy diet?
To put it simply, unsaturated fatty acids are classified as “good” fats. Saturated fatty acids are the “bad” fats. They occur, for example, in finished products, animal products, and butter, and should be avoided as far as possible. Consuming too much saturated fat greatly increases the risk of heart disease.
Unsaturated fatty acids are usually the healthy fats. To achieve a healthy diet, you should include as many unsaturated fatty acids with a high omega-3 content in your diet as possible. Oils and nuts can quickly lead to the goal.
6. Rely on foods without added sugar
The devil often hides in detail. This is also the case with sugar. For many people, the alarm bells probably ring when they only think of sugar. But it's not that simple, because sugar is not the same as sugar.
When it comes to healthy eating, you should avoid added sugar. Sugar is generally already present in many foods. Many foods are then extra sweetened with fructose. This causes your insulin levels to shoot up quickly and, in overconsumption, makes a form of diabetes inevitable.
Basically, however, it can be said that sugar is the purest form of carbohydrates. 100 grams of sugar contains 100 grams of carbohydrates. Glucose is our body's most important source of energy. Therefore, people should not completely do without sugar in their diet, which would also be almost impossible. The dose makes the poison!
7. Proteins – an integral part of your healthy diet
In addition to carbohydrates and fats, proteins are among the three most important nutrients for our bodies. Protein is not only one of the most important energy suppliers but also a vital building block for the body. Our muscles consist largely of protein, and we need protein for bones, hair, skin, and our organs.
Each protein consists of individual amino acids. These are divided into essential and non-essential acids. In total, there are 9 indispensable amino acids, which are very important for our body. By digesting food, the protein is broken down into the individual amino acids, and the body builds its own protein from them.
Plant-based proteins keep you full for longer
The question of whether plant or animal proteins are better is not so easy to answer. The mixture would be very desirable, because this is how you achieve the highest biological values. However, according to some studies, vegetable proteins are easier to digest and keep you full for longer. That's because plant proteins are less similar to our body's proteins than animal ones!
8. Drinking is an important part of a healthy diet
The body can manage without real food for several weeks, but without water or liquid, it goes downhill after just a few days. That should be more than enough reason not to forget to drink.
In a healthy, balanced diet, you should also drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. This keeps the body sufficiently hydrated.
With enough liquid for a healthy diet
Consuming enough water in combination with the right nutrients is an extremely important part of a healthy diet. Those who do not drink enough quickly get a headache and too little water in the body also leads to constipation. Fiber, which is essential for a functioning diet, must be bound with liquid in order to be optimally excreted.
9. Avoid distractions when eating
A British study at the University of Bristol has shown that people who do other things besides eating, such as watching TV or surfing the internet, consume more calories. The more distractions we have when eating, the less satisfaction we feel from our hunger pangs.
That's why it's important to focus on the essentials when eating. Eating slowly and, above all, chewing well helps you to feel fuller. Without distractions, you'll be able to tell when you're “full” faster. With distractions, this feeling is often absent because your body is already preoccupied with other information.
10. Supplement your healthy diet with exercise and movement
However, a healthy diet does not only include eating right and drinking enough. These are two basic building blocks for a healthier life. The third and final component is movement. Sport and exercise are often underestimated. But the body needs a minimum of movement to function properly.
Exercise keeps you physically and mentally fit
Exercise boosts your circulation and helps improve your mental health. Through exercise, the body and especially the brain are better supplied with blood, your breathing muscles get stronger, you build muscle, and your heart is also trained under stress.
Mental health is particularly important to many people. Exercise can help improve your quality of life. Due to increased blood circulation in the brain, endorphins and serotonin are released more easily. Those who move are happier! And your body thanks you too.
