When choosing foods, it is important to choose products with a reasonable amount of energy as well as a sufficient quantity of protective nutrients and fiber as often as possible. A diet doesn’t need to be super healthy. Occasional treats and delights are also included in a various and healthy diet.
You learn to make better food choices when you put in a little effort. At first, it may feel difficult to check the nutritional content of the products but you will learn to make better choices quickly.
- Think about what you want from the product.
- Check the nutritional content on the label.
The ingredients list tells you what the product contains. The first on the list is the ingredient that is most present in the product.
On the nutritional content of the product you can see how much carbohydrates, fats and protein are present in the product. In addition, it is easy to compare salt and fiber content between similar products.
Which one would you choose?
- As a breakfast: a bowl of cereal muesli or basic muesli? (11 or 2 sugar cubes)
- As a snack: chocolate muesli bar or a whole grain bar? (9 or 2 sugar cubes)
- When feeling thirsty: 0.5 l bottle of lemonade or water? (21 or 0 sugar cubes)
- When feeling tired: 0.33 l energy drink or 30 min nap? (15 or 0 sugar cubes)
- When wanting something sweet: a Danish pastry or a basic bun? (fat 36 g or 11 g)
- As a snack: meat-rice pastry or rye bread with cheese and vegetables? (fat 17 g or 8 g)
- On the bread: a slice of metwurst or chicken fillet? (fat 5 g or 1 g)
Food choices
What do I eat for breakfast? Should I buy an energy drink or a bun for a snack? You make food choices every day. Smart food choices are a concrete act to make you feel better. It’s okay to feast sometimes, as long as the eating is balanced in everyday life.
These five choices in everyday life are crucial:
- Eat enough vegetables, fruits and berries. At least 500–800 grams a day, or about 5–9 handfuls of vegetables should be eaten daily. Vegetables belong to every meal!
- Choose whole grain foods (pasta, rice and bread) . Porridge and muesli are better alternatives to cereals. Choose bread that’s high in fibre (over 6% fiber) and whole grain.
- Prefer protein sources that are low-fat. Prefer legumes such as beans, peas and lentils. Dairy products and meat should be selected as low-fat as possible. Fish should be fatty as it contains good fats.
- Pay attention to the quality of the fat. Increase the intake of foods that contain polyunsaturated fats (e.g. fish, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and vegetable oil spread).
- Reduce the sugar (e.g. sodas, juices, energy drinks, sweet yogurts, candy and pastry). Choose these foods in moderation. You will find tips for healthy and tasty snacks.
Nutrition and health claims
Almost all foods are accompanied by attractive slogans for advertising based on health claims, which inform the consumer of more information about the product.
Food manufacturers can choose to highlight facts about product such as additive-free, dairy-free or gluten-free. Before a food product can be claimed to be particularly beneficial to human nutrition or health, it must have been thoroughly studied.
For example, it can be said of milk that its calcium is necessary for bones and teeth. Beta-glucan fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol. Therefore, it can be said that eating oat bread that contain enough beta-glucan helps to lower cholesterol.
Allegations should be viewed critically. In fact, high-protein flavored quark may contain a lot of sugar, and low-sugar muesli may contain relatively much fat.
Eating at work
Lunch and coffee breaks are important moments in work communities. It is nice to talk with colleagues during those breaks.
In work life, a suitable time or place for lunch may not always be found. In places where people work in challenging conditions and there is not always an opportunity to eat. So that’s why it is good to learn how to pack a balanced lunch and snacks with you.
Dehydration causes fatigue, so drinking regularly is important. A good rule is to drink at least two glasses of liquids at each meal. If you are about to forget to drink, you can download a free app to remind you to drink every two hours.