Colorful is healthy: The golden rule of nutrition

So many carbohydrates, so much fat, and so much protein should be included. The perfect healthy diet is a science in itself and of course not the same for everyone. Nevertheless, one often stresses oneself and puts oneself under pressure to eat as healthily as possible. After all, one wants to feel good, be full of energy, maintain or lose weight, and stay healthy - and nutrition plays a key role in this.

With so many rules that exist nowadays, there are just as many opinions about them. We have one rule for you to focus on, which already makes a difference.

The golden rule of nutrition

Yes, there is one rule that sums up healthy eating: Eat at least 25 different plant-based foods per week. Sounds unspectacular? However, this rule is all the more brilliant and it combines many scientific insights in one sentence:

1. Diversity

Eating at least 25 different plant-based foods means eating as varied as possible. So, not having a red apple for breakfast every day and a red bell pepper in the evening, but also including pears, figs, eggplants, chicory, kale, leeks, beans, Brazil nuts, and fennel on your plate. Why is this so important?

Each food has a different composition of macro- and micronutrients. Only those who eat a varied diet and thus have many different sources can ensure a good supply of all vitamins and trace elements.

Furthermore, it is beneficial for our intestines and our intestinal inhabitants. Our intestines are considered a central organ and hub, the centre of our health. If it is doing well, we are doing well. Therefore, it is important to keep our gut inhabitants happy. Billions of bacteria live in our gut. A large part of them helps us strengthen our intestinal wall, produce hormones, and fight off pathogens - if we provide them with enough food and allow them to become strong. So, it should be rich in fiber - and varied. By eating a greater variety of different plant-based foods, we activate as many different good bacterial strains in the gut as possible, which can then multiply. The more diverse our diet, the greater the diversity of our good gut inhabitants. They can then perform various tasks, which in turn brings health benefits to us: a stronger immune system, good digestion, better mood, a more balanced hormone balance,...

2. Plant-based foods

Plant-based foods are better. Unlike animal products, they contain fibre and secondary plant compounds, and they are particularly rich in micronutrients while being low in calories. As already mentioned, fibre is particularly important for our intestines, while micronutrients are involved in almost all processes in our body: in the utilisation of macronutrients, metabolism, hormone balance, energy supply, bone metabolism, etc. That is why a good supply of micronutrients, as provided by a varied, plant-based diet, is so important.

Another advantage of plant-based foods are their secondary plant compounds. As their name suggests, these compounds are found exclusively in plants. There, they serve as colouring, fragrance and flavouring agents. Their task is to protect plants from predators and attract insects for pollination, for example. Secondary plant compounds give plants and our food their beautiful colours: lycopene for the red of tomatoes, carotenoids for the orange of carrots, chlorophyll for the green of spinach and chard. However, they have more to offer than just flavouring and colouring our plants. Scientists have recognised their health benefits for us humans. Among other things, they have antioxidant¹, immunomodulatory², anti-inflammatory, blood pressure-lowering and antithrombotic³ effects, as published by the German Nutrition Society on its website⁴.

Plant-based foods are the healthiest foods you can eat.

3. "Per week"

This information illustrates: Balance is the key. You don't have to eat particularly healthy and a lot of plant-based foods every day, but in the long term. Can't manage it at the beginning of the week? No problem, you still have many more days to eat a little more fruits and vegetables.

4. No prohibitions

The special thing about this golden rule? Unlike all the other recommendations, trends, and diets, it contains no prohibitions. Eating healthily does not mean eating low in calories or avoiding certain food groups. Rather, it is important to focus on whole plant-based foods. Those who eat enough of these will automatically consume less processed, other foods. Since fruits and vegetables are usually much lower in calories, there is no need to worry about weight gain. So, do not put too much pressure on yourself and instead focus on consuming more plant-based foods.

This is how plant diversity succeeds

If you take this rule to heart, you are already doing a lot right. But how do you manage to eat so many plant-based foods and how do I start?

A good starting point: Become aware of how many plant-based foods you already eat in a week. Take a piece of paper on Monday morning and document all the fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, legumes that you eat each day. It is important to note here: Count only whole, minimally processed foods. Vegetarian dumplings may contain some spinach, but they are still highly processed. Pasta with fresh spinach has a completely different benefit for our bodies.

At the end of the week, you will then have an overview of how much vegetables and the like you already eat. Do you already have 20-25 different foods? That's a good start, but even with 25 foods, there is certainly still room for improvement.

This way you can gradually increase the amount

• You hardly eat any plant-based foods? First, increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Experts now recommend consuming 5-7 portions a day, but any additional portion is better than not eating any or only a minimal amount of vegetables. Start with varieties that you enjoy.

• Over time, you can try out new varieties. Instead of always just peaches, try nectarines, instead of apples try pears, or instead of iceberg lettuce try romaine lettuce.

• Eat different foods of one colour. Try out the variety in your supermarket and opt for differently colored fruits and vegetables. Instead of always choosing red tomatoes, you can also try beetroot for a change.

• Also browse through your local markets. These offer a wide range of seasonal foods, which automatically leads to a more varied diet and eating more different varieties.

• Try shopping at a different supermarket sometime. Each market contains a different assortment or variety, and one does not always reach for the same fruits and vegetables out of habit, but can be inspired by other varieties.

• Bring color to the plate. Create one colorful meal per day and cover the entire color palette.

• Shop without packaging. This is not only good for the environment, but it also gives you more flexibility. Instead of the often common large packages, you can shop much more diversely. For example, a kilo of vegetables doesn't have to consist only of a pack of orange carrots, but you can also choose purple or yellow carrots and a sweet potato. Or you can choose three different types of apples instead of a pack of your favorite apples.

• A new recipe every week. Cooking a new dish every week will automatically lead you to use a wider variety of ingredients.

If you implement these tips and continuously try out new things, you will gradually increase the variety and quantity of your plant-based foods and benefit greatly from them.