Healthmaxios🍽️ Build a balanced plate
A simple visual guide: fill about half your plate with vegetables and fruit, a quarter with whole grains, and a quarter with protein. Add a small amount of healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts or seeds.
- Aim for at least 400 g (about 5 portions) of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Choose whole grains — oats, brown rice, wholemeal bread — more often than refined ones.
- Vary your protein: beans, lentils, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu and nuts.
- Eat a rainbow: different colours bring different nutrients.
🔄 Smart swaps that actually stick
You don't need to overhaul your kitchen. Pick one swap per week and let it become normal.
Instead of…
- Sugary drinks
- Crisps as a daily snack
- White bread every day
- Salty processed meals
Try…
- Water, sparkling water or unsweetened tea
- A handful of unsalted nuts or fruit
- Wholegrain or seeded bread
- Home-cooked meals with herbs and spices
🧂 Salt, sugar and fat
- Salt: keep to less than 5 g a day (about a teaspoon). Most of it hides in bread, sauces and processed foods, not the salt shaker.
- Free sugars: keep below 10% of daily energy — and less is even better. Free sugars include table sugar, honey and sugar in drinks.
- Fats: favour unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, fish) over saturated fats, and avoid industrially produced trans fats.
Compare products per 100 g. Ingredients are listed from largest to smallest amount, so check what comes first.
💧 Hydration
There's no magic number. Drink regularly through the day, more in hot weather or when active. Pale-yellow urine is a handy sign you're doing fine. Water is the best choice; tea, coffee and milk also count.
❓ Common questions
Do I need to cut out carbs to be healthy?
No. Whole-grain carbohydrates, fruit, beans and vegetables provide energy, fibre and nutrients. It's the quality that matters most.
Is eating late at night always bad?
What and how much you eat across the day matters more than the clock. That said, a large heavy meal right before bed can disturb sleep for some people.
Are supplements necessary?
Most people who eat a varied diet don't need them, but some groups do (for example, folic acid in pregnancy or vitamin B12 for vegans). Ask a professional before starting any.