How to Eat Healthy Every Day: 7 Essential Nutrition Rules

The plates are full, the nutrient account is empty

Our range of healthy foods is more diverse and abundant than ever before. All the more alarming, then, that the number of people who feel drained, unwell, or even fall ill continues to rise. How does that fit together? Isn’t this a contradiction? Unfortunately not. “Even those who try to eat as healthily as everyday life allows can still be poorly nourished,” says nutrient expert Uwe Gröber, head of the Academy for Micronutrient Medicine in Essen. And he is not alone in this opinion. Studies confirm: despite the wide availability of food, the intake of vitamins C, D, E, iron, and folic acid is often insufficient across large parts of the population, according to the National Nutrition Survey II. The Nutrition Report 2023 also revealed that while 91 percent of people consider healthy eating very important, 29 percent still do not consume fruit and vegetables daily. The desire is there, but implementing it in everyday life seems to be difficult. Despite fully stocked supermarket shelves, maintaining a well-balanced micronutrient status is far from guaranteed—even in industrialized nations.

Are we eating wrong?

One main problem with our diet, according to expert Gröber, is the significant increase in processed products and fast food. Almost two-thirds of the average energy intake comes from highly processed foods. Like white bread and pasta, baked goods, snacks, sweetened beverages and spreads, sausage, breaded foods, sauces, and other convenience foods. Without many people being aware of it, we overfeed our bodies with highly processed foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients, but outwardly appear particularly healthy due to labels or a "fresh" appearance.

Even hidden sweeteners are a problem. An example: the increasingly used corn syrup (fructose syrup) cannot be metabolized by our body biochemically, so it converts the excess into liver fat. Although we eat, the body does not get what it actually needs.

Fruit, vegetables, and Co. - are they still healthy today?

Even our healthy foods have changed. Who still remembers the taste of tomatoes, salads, or cherries from grandma's garden - compared to sometimes bland specimens from the supermarket? Our vegetables and fruits are becoming more watery and larger, at the expense of micronutrients, because in high-performance varieties, the nutrient density and the proportion of secondary plant substances are significantly lower.

The researcher Detlef Ulrich, a chemist at the Julius Kühn Institute, has been intensively studying the changes in agriculture. Many secondary plant substances, which are very valuable to us, have been bred out in favor of the sweet taste. For example, cucumbers actually have a rather bitter taste. The cucurbitacins that were present in earlier times are completely absent in our modern cucumbers. In his research, Ulrich compared 70 different vegetable and fruit varieties. He found up to eight times fewer terpenes, which are secondary plant substances, in commercially available strawberries compared to old wild varieties. Terpenes are said to reduce inflammation in studies. A decline is also documented for the healthy apple phenols.

What can one do to eat healthily in everyday life?

Are we helpless now? No, but it requires smarter decisions - in the supermarket and at home. Reach for old vegetable varieties again, which can be found more frequently in organic stores or selected supermarkets. Rarities such as black radish, jostaberries, Bamberger Hörnchen or leaf cabbage not only score in flavor, but also with inner values. They grow slower than varieties designed for high yields. This way, they can produce more nutrients and secondary plant substances.

Furthermore, prefer regional foods, which are usually fresher and richer in vitamins. Studies show: The greater the botanical diversity in our diet, the greater the health benefits, as micronutrients complement each other in their effects. For an optimal supply of micronutrients and secondary plant substances, it is therefore especially important to reach the recommended 500 grams of vegetables and 250 grams of fruit per day and to fill your plate with a colorful mix of them. In times of stress and the average offerings of our supermarkets, this may not always be easy. In such cases, a dietary supplement can help to fill nutrient gaps and provide the body with important micronutrients.

How do I eat healthily? Our LaVita nutrition rules make healthy eating easier than ever:

1. The whole color palette

Choose regional, preferably older varieties and eat as colorful as possible. The colors of vegetables, salads, and fruits represent different nutrients and valuable secondary plant substances. The more varied and colorful you eat, the more your cells and your nutrient balance will benefit.  

2. Short Distances

Unprocessed foods from the region provide more vitamins and secondary plant substances than sprayed greenhouse products from afar - and they are better for the environment. Especially with animal products, quality and origin are important. The better the animals are fed and kept, the more healthy nutrients are found in meat, eggs, and dairy products.

3. Mainly plant-based

Focus your diet on high-quality, plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, and local whole grains that provide us with many fibers and nutrients per calorie. Research results show that a good supply of micronutrients is a crucial factor in prevention.¹

4. Daily micronutrients as a foundation

Many nutrition experts such as Prof. Walter Willett from Harvard University recommend, in addition to our dietary habits, a daily micronutrient supplement. Especially when our diet is not always optimal or there is an increased need due to stress or medication, supporting our nutrition with supplements can be beneficial.

5. Give the intestines a break

A healthy gut influences how well we absorb nutrients, it is part of our immune system, and an important hormone producer. With a predominantly plant-based, fiber-rich diet, you keep the microbiome and your gut healthy. To regenerate, our gut needs breaks. It is recommended to have at least three-hour breaks between meals, but also intermittent fasting or fasting in general supports the regeneration of the digestive tract.

6. Whole Foods

The more natural our food is, the more valuable and nutrient-rich it is for us. It is better to eat whole berries instead of strawberry puree in fruit yogurt or smoothies, a piece of meat instead of a slice of bologna, and fresh olive oil instead of hardened industrial fats.

7. Drink before you get thirsty

The human body consists of 80 percent water. Nothing is more important for us and our cells. Drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day is a good guideline. Moderate amounts of coffee or caffeinated tea can also be included in your fluid intake.