Healthy food: how to eat a balanced diet?

 Healthy food: how to eat a balanced diet?

Eating a balanced diet is the guarantee of staying healthy and maintaining an appropriate weight. And really, it's not that complicated! What foods to eat, which to avoid, how much to eat and how often... just follow a few rules to have a balanced diet. We tell you everything.

Apart from breast milk, no food brings together all the nutrients necessary for the functioning of the body: proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fibers. The more you vary and diversify your diet, the more you cover all your needs.

What is "balanced eating"?

First rule to follow, and not the least: eat at least one food from each family every day:

• A portion of starches;
• A portion of fruits and vegetables,
• Meat-fish-eggs;
• Dairy products ;

(Good) fats, in small amounts.

They each cover, while complementing each other, the daily nutritional intake that your body needs to be in good shape. Another essential element not to be forgotten on a daily basis: water!

Another important piece of advice: consume different foods from each family from one day to the next (for example for starchy foods: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.). Do not panic if you are struggling to obtain the balance over a meal or a day: what matters is to have it over the week.

How to eat healthy: respecting the food pyramid!

The body does not need all foods in the same quantities. Some families must be very present (base of the food pyramid), others less (tip). This gives for each day:

• Water ad libitum. Drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid, during and between meals, in the form of water and non-caloric beverages. Forget sugary or chemical drinks, you will never find as many benefits as in spring water (or tap water, adapted to our needs);
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• Starches at every meal. Cereals, cereal-based foods (rice, pasta, semolina, wheat, bread, etc.), pulses (lentils, beans, peas, etc.), potatoes, preferably wholemeal;
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• 5 fruits and vegetables. That is to say at least 400 g, at all meals, in all their forms (cooked, raw, mixed, etc.);
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• 1-2 times meat, fish or eggs. In a lower proportion than that of the accompaniment (starches and vegetables). For meat, prefer less fatty cuts. For fish, also consume fatty species;

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• 3 dairy products. At each meal, alternate milk, cheese, yoghurt in order to obtain a good compromise between fat and calcium;
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• A little fat. Vary the sources (oils, butter, margarine, etc.) and moderate your consumption;
• Rarely, sweet products. All are high in calories, either because they are high in sugar (sodas, candies, etc.), or because they combine sugar and fat (pastries, pastries, chocolate, etc.);

Alcohol in moderation. Limit your consumption to 3 glasses per day for a man, 2 for a woman. Alcohol is the only food the body can do without.

Balanced diet: eat 3 to 4 meals a day with a variety of dishes

The habits of the French die hard: light breakfast, quick lunch and more substantial dinner in the evening. But to constantly provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs, it is necessary to distribute food intake throughout the day.

Breakfast. Essential, it must be sufficient (25 to 30% of the daily intake) and complete: drink + cereal product + dairy + fruit + 1 little sugar (jam) and/or fat (butter);

Lunch and dinner. Ideally, they should consist of a starter (raw vegetables, preferably soup), a main course consisting of 100 to 150 g of meat, fish or eggs, vegetables (200 g) and starches (50 to 100 g cooked ), a dairy and a fruit. Eg. : grated carrots/steak green beans steamed potatoes/yogurt/compote;

Afternoon tea. Not mandatory, it helps to better distribute the energy intake of the day. According to appetite: fruit, cereals, dairy products...

Balance your menus for the week by adapting your intake to your needs

Because every human being is different, these ground rules should be adapted as needed. The proportions and quantities must be adjusted according to gender, age, condition (pregnancy, breastfeeding, etc.), degree of activity, etc.

It is also important to take into account his appetite: we do not all have the same! It is necessary to respect the signals of hunger and satiety of his body. Also respect your way of life: some are content with a sandwich at lunch while others only have lunch at a restaurant... It doesn't matter: you have to restore the overall balance over the day, then over the week.

Finally, tastes and habits matter a lot in the diet we choose. There is no point in forcing yourself to swallow broccoli when you hate it, when many other vegetables have the same nutritional benefits. Dietary balance also means knowing how to navigate within (and between) the different food families.

How to eat well to lose weight?

Eating well means maintaining an appropriate weight, which is beneficial for our general health. But when you are overweight, it is sometimes necessary to rebalance your diet to lose weight. Beyond certain essential rules to respect (balance your menus, avoid industrial food, snacking, eat in reasonable quantities...), there are fat-burning foods to distribute in adapted menus throughout the week. .

On the salty side, we forget ultra-processed foods (prepared meals, appetizers, fast food, etc.) which are too rich in salt, sugar and fat, and which contain trans fatty acids, additives, preservatives ...

On the sweet side, we forget pastries, cakes, pastries... Except from time to time, to have fun. We prefer fruit-based snacks (preferably organic!): fresh fruit, compotes, smoothies, dried fruits... and a square of dark chocolate.

Finally, a balanced diet must be combined with physical activity, whatever it is. It will prevent excessive weight gain and reduce the risk of certain diseases (type 2 diabetes, cholesterol, etc.).

How to eat balance when you are picky?

Sometimes we are too used to fatty, sweet, salty, industrial food... And new habits are very difficult to establish. There are a few tricks to circumvent these bad reflexes.

Instead of depriving yourself of what you love, and cutting it out of your diet, even if it means getting frustrated and cracking up afterwards, take it small and add some healthy foods to your favorite food instead. Do you have pizza? Add mushrooms and tomato sauce. Do you love burgers? Once in two, take the chicken one, and add raw vegetables. Can't finish your Saturday night meal without your chocolate cake? Add grapes, pieces of fruit around...

Do you think that healthy foods have little taste, compared to fatty, salty and sweet foods that our taste buds love? It's wrong ! A balanced diet does not necessarily mean "bland". Think of spices, which are your best allies: not only are many of them beneficial for health (parsley is a source of iron, turmeric boosts the immune system...) but they spice up all dishes without making you fat . Paprika, cumin, cinnamon, coriander... Select a few recipes to cook at home and stop in the spice section of your supermarket. You will be amazed!

How to have a healthy and balanced diet: our advice

Balance your menus

Again, this is the basis of a healthy diet. For example, supplement a rich menu with a salad and fruit. "We can also choose to make a difference in the evening, by composing a simple meal: pan-fried vegetables, slice of ham, and yogurt", says Isabelle Darnis, dietician-nutritionist.

Eat varied and seasonal

Prefer local and French production to limit the quantity of food additives and pesticides necessary for the transport and storage of foodstuffs imported from distant countries.

Limit sources of trans fatty acids

Unfortunately, the French are more and more fond of junk food, which contains a large proportion of trans fatty acids. These increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. How to do ?

Reading the list of ingredients on the label reveals the presence of hydrogenated palm oil, rich in trans fatty acids and common in industrial biscuits;

Limit fried foods and breadcrumbs.

Choosing the right cooking method

Traditional oven, steam cooking, stewed in a casserole dish or in a pan, do not exceed 120°C when the recipe allows. With the microwave oven, acrylamide, a carcinogenic substance, cannot be formed because the temperatures reached do not exceed 100°C, the boiling point of water.
The container also counts: prefer utensils made of glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or non-scratched Teflon, because the wear of this material increases the risk of transmission of toxic perfluorinated compounds to the food.

Limit salt and therefore industrial food

"The more we use the food industry and catering dishes, the more we run the risk of being overdosed", explains dietician Isabelle Darnis. And excess salt increases the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Three key gestures?

• Not too much salt when cooking food;

• No saltcellar on the table;

• No salt in purees and soups for young children.

Respect a good intake of omega-3 and omega-6
Limit fats of animal origin, too rich in omega-6, and favor seasonings, oils of vegetable origin, rich in omega-3: rapeseed, flax, nuts. Avoid always using the same one. In order not to eat too much fat, pour the oil with 1 tbsp. c. for a child, 1 tbsp. to s. for an adult.

Do without sweeteners

They are useless nutritionally and for weight control. Beware of the words “sugar-free” or “no added sugar” which can hide the presence of sweeteners!

Promote the sugar of fresh fruits

If fruits are essential to a good balanced diet, most industrial sweet products are of little interest. They contain added sugars, raise blood sugar levels, and consuming excess fructose syrup appears to increase the amount of triglycerides in the blood.
Do not prohibit anything, but do not allow everything
No more Nutella in the cupboard? Never mind. For dietician Isabelle Darnis, "as a parent, you shouldn't force yourself to have them all the time. We prepare surprises, we create memories. You have to dare to say no to your child because, without namely, he is a prescriber of polluting products".

Use less polycarbonate (PC) type plastics

They can release endocrine disruptors: bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and alkylphenols, which then migrate to food. This phenomenon is accentuated by heating. Also, to reheat dishes, it is better to opt for glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers.
5 mistakes not to make if you want to eat a balanced diet
To lose a little weight or simply eat healthy, only one solution: eat a balanced diet. However, despite the best intentions in the world, many people still make mistakes. Jean-Marie Bourre, nutritionist, tells us five received ideas not to follow.

To skip a meal

Rule #1 is to never skip meals, especially breakfast. Not only do you risk starving before lunchtime, but your brain will not be sufficiently irrigated and will function less well.

For the same reasons, Jean-Marie Bourre calls into question the famous saying which would impose to "eat like a king in the morning, like a prince at noon and like a poor person in the evening". According to him, eating a fairly substantial meal in the evening is just as important as eating well in the morning. "During certain periods of the night, the brain works more than during the day", underlines the nutritionist. It is therefore necessary to eat correctly so as not to miss anything while sleeping.

Eat a simple salad at noon

More and more people are betting on a mixed salad to eliminate excess pounds. If it can stall in the moment, it's almost certain that you'll feel a little craving in the middle of the afternoon if you only put green salad and a few vegetables in it. To hold until the evening and avoid nibbling, it is necessary to add proteins (meat, egg or goat cheese) and a starchy food (potatoes, cereals, pasta…).

Eat low-fat products

Choosing products only because they are light is a mistake. "Certainly, they are low in fat and sugar, but they have a less satiating effect than 'natural' products", recalls the nutritionist. Hunger will therefore return more quickly and you risk eating twice as much as if you had eaten a food that is not light.

Delete a food category

Thinking that you can lose weight by eliminating gluten, meat or dairy products is a mistake. "Each category of food has different properties and virtues", explains Jean-Marie Bourre. Unless you have an allergy or intolerance, "removing an entire family from their diet can lead to deficiencies and an imbalance in the body."

count calories

Consuming few calories does not mean eating a balanced diet. The proof, a well-stocked salad can have as many as a handful of peanuts or a plate of fried chicken. However, these last two dishes are higher in fat and salt, and are therefore less good for health and for the line. It is therefore not enough to count the calories: checking the nutritional intake is just as (or even more) important.