Basic Principles of Good Nutrition

Principles of healthy eating, how to transition to a balanced diet

Healthy eating is a way to take care of yourself, manage your budget, and find new interests in life. It’s a healthy alternative to crash diets, fasting, or uncontrolled consumption of whatever is on your plate.

Transitioning to healthy eating helps normalize body weight, become more energetic, and take responsibility for your life.

What is healthy eating?

Healthy eating is a diet that provides the body with all the necessary macro- and micronutrients. It supports growth, development, normal functioning of all organ systems, strengthens health, and prevents the development of acute and chronic diseases.

Healthy eating is a long-term commitment. It involves understanding:

what and when to eat;
in what quantity and proportion;
how often to choose unhealthy foods.

Transitioning to a healthy eating system means forgetting about food and figure intrigues like “how to lose 5 kg in 5 days” or “morning without water with lemon – fat reduction on the sides.”

Crash diets and various tricks aimed at buttoning up a dress, taking a breath, and overeating are not about health. Healthy eating is a long marathon, the goal of which is not the coveted size XS shirt, but a beautiful body, healthy skin, independence from mood swings caused by a chocolate bar, vitality, and a better quality of life.

When solving the problem of how to start eating right, it is important to understand that a healthy diet should meet the following criteria:

A sufficient amount of calories.
The correct ratio of nutrients.
Optimal meal frequency.
Eating without rush.

Balanced Nutrition – it’s about getting enough energy. To meet the body’s needs and prevent overeating, each person should know their requirements.

Daily calorie intake is calculated individually. The plan “eat no more and no less than 1200 calories per day – everything will be fine” doesn’t work. To accurately assess needs, you can use an online calculator and calculate the diet according to body weight, gender, age, and intensity of physical activity.

A properly composed diet is balanced nutrition. According to dietitians’ research, every day a person should get nutrients – proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (or P/F/C) in a certain ratio:

30% of calories – proteins.
30% – fats.
40% – carbohydrates.

Depending on metabolic peculiarities and dietary goals, the ratio of macronutrients can vary slightly. For individuals aiming for weight loss, the ratio of proteins/fats/carbohydrates (P/F/C) may look like 40%/20%/40%, while for fat loss and muscle definition, it might be 50%/20%/30%.

The composition of each nutrient group also matters. It’s possible to fit a daily ration (1700 calories) into 500 grams of eclairs, resulting in: 15 grams of protein, 154 grams of fat, 181 grams of carbohydrates, and zero health benefits.

Healthy eating involves proper meal frequency. Dietitians suggest that to guard against overeating, a person should consume food at least 5 times a day: three main meals and 2 snacks. Observing intervals maintains a certain level of satiety and does not overload the digestive system during times when it also needs rest. Frequent and fractionated eating, according to common belief, helps “boost” metabolism and can aid weight loss by reducing portion sizes and maintaining satiety levels, thus helping to avoid diet lapses. However, this doesn’t mean that a person on a balanced diet should constantly snack. Eating more frequently than every 2.5-3 hours can lead to overeating.

Conversely, the habit of fasting is detrimental. Artificially extending intervals between breakfast and lunch puts most people’s bodies into an energy-conserving mode and impedes weight loss efforts. Again, this cannot be considered a rule, as everything is individual – periodic fasting, in particular, suits certain individuals.

The foundation of healthy eating is the habit of mindful eating, thoroughly chewing each bite. Firstly, this breaks down and saturates the food with saliva, ensuring better digestion. Secondly, the satiety center, located in the brain, “understands” that a person is full about 20 minutes after the start of the meal. Eating at a faster pace increases the risk of overeating. Thirdly, starting to count calories and assess portion sizes, many are shocked by how much they used to eat. Leisurely eating without watching TV, reading a book, or checking the news on the phone allows one to enjoy the meal and evaluate its volume as sufficient for satiety.

Building a Healthy Diet
Adhering to the principles of proper nutrition will help remove harmful, high-calorie, complex-ingredient, preservative-laden foods from the menu.

The table below lists sources of nutrients that are ideal for preparing healthy meals.

Here’s the information classified into sources of protein, fats, and carbohydrates:

Protein Sources	Fat Sources	Carbohydrate Sources
Lean meat	Olive oil	Grains
Fish	Avocado	Fruits
Eggs	Nuts	Honey
Mushrooms	Fatty fish	Bread/Crisps
Legumes	Butter	Vegetables
Nuts
Dairy products

This table categorizes the given foods into their respective nutrient groups: protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

To avoid spoiling food with ill-considered combinations and to prevent the idea of healthy eating from being overshadowed by old habits, it is important to carefully read and remember the following 7 basic pieces of advice:

1. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat. Perhaps this is the most important recommendation. The habit of eating “for company,” using food as an antidepressant, or as a way to pass the time eventually leads to a loss of trust in one’s own sensations. As a result, a person begins to eat without feeling hungry, consumes food more often than necessary, and gains weight.
2. To avoid tempting your taste receptors and consuming “empty” useless calories, it is advisable to abstain from products intended for fast food. Anything that has undergone extensive processing, does not spoil with long storage, and consists of nearly half sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, and seasonings, has nothing to do with healthy eating. And yes, crunchy breakfast cereals are also fast food.
3. Drink enough clean water. The minimum amount of such liquid should be about 30 ml/kg per day. Tea, coffee, milk, and compote are not water, but food and drinks. The theory that every person should drink 2-3 liters of water is also mistaken, and should not be taken as a guide to action.
4. Bread and crackers. Good news – bread is allowed with proper nutrition. The amount of bread depends on the total carbohydrate content in the diet. The optimal amount is 30 g/day. This could be one slice of bread with butter in the morning and one piece at lunch. Whole grain or regular – it doesn’t matter. If restricting oneself from this product is difficult, bread can be replaced with crackers (for example, Dr.Korner without flavorings and sweeteners).
5. Sugar – yes, sugar substitutes – no. Glucose is necessary for the human body. About a quarter of all sugar required per day goes to nourish the brain. Switching to a low-carb diet can lead to weakness, impaired mental performance, and irritability. A healthy lifestyle does not prohibit adding a teaspoon of sugar or honey to tea. “It’s all about the quantity,” dietitians warn, recommending limited consumption of this product: 2 dates/dried apricots or half a marshmallow during tea time with the main meal. It is advisable to give up sugar substitutes: some of them stimulate insulin growth, and thus contribute to increased appetite and maintaining a craving for sweets. The recommended norm of sugar and sugar-containing products is 5-10% of the daily calorie intake.
6. Refined products containing a lot of carbohydrates are enemies of a healthy lifestyle. It is advisable to limit the consumption of such products as white rice, potatoes, vegetable and cream butter, sweet drinks, and wheat flour. They are quite caloric, but cannot maintain a feeling of fullness until the next meal. Moreover, they contain few coarse fibers, which support intestinal function.
7. No less than 500 g of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. This healthy food will provide the body with vitamins, fiber, and satisfy the need for “something crunchy,” protecting against harmful products. Sliced ​​cucumbers, carrots, pumpkins, apples, or pears are convenient for snacking at work. The greatest benefit to health will be from seasonal fruits or vegetables: they contain more vitamins and fewer nitrates.

When transitioning to healthy eating, it’s important to have a clear understanding that it’s a daily regimen. You can’t “be on a diet” from Monday to Friday and then reward yourself with cake and pizza on the weekends. By adhering to important and simple principles, everyone can transition to healthy eating:

1. Make a list of healthy foods considering your own tastes. For example, if barley porridge doesn’t stimulate your appetite, there’s no need to include it in your diet. Such a product will cause aversion and a desire to “reward” yourself for sticking to the diet.
2. Write down a list of healthy snacks to avoid the temptation of buying pastries or chocolate with tea. For example, one boiled egg, an orange, an apple, a handful of grapes, a glass of natural yogurt, or 6-8 almonds will prevent hunger between main meals.
3. Start your morning with a glass of water and have a meal within the first hour after waking up. Ideal foods include porridge with berries or dried fruits, a sandwich with lean meat, eggs, or an omelet.
4. Switch to dishes with simple ingredients. For example, grilled vegetables and a piece of boiled meat. Their advantages include quick preparation, absence of sauces containing salt and calories. Getting used to simple flavors will make “unhealthy” food less attractive and reduce the frequency of setbacks.
5. Quickly or gradually? Some people cannot limit themselves to just one slice of chocolate or a portion of potatoes per week and prefer to completely abstain from certain foods. Others find it easier to cope with the transition to healthy eating by having certain indulgences. This decision is made based on individual capabilities.
6. Should you count calories? Initially, it’s useful to understand how much food you’re consuming per day and learn to analyze the nutritional value of dishes. By tracking the calorie content of food and the dynamics of weight loss, conclusions can be drawn about the optimal nutritional value of the diet. However, dietitians recommend consuming food in portions of up to 200 g and focusing on the volume of the product. They explain that by using only healthy ingredients with low or moderate calorie content, one can “overeat” solely due to volume.

For example, a standard healthy lunch would look like this:

• a portion of soup up to 200 ml.
• 60 g of meat or fish.
• 120 g of side dish.
• sugar-free drink.

Crafting a sensible and healthy diet for weight loss is only possible on an individual basis. It’s better to use ready-made schemes “for 1500 kcal” after adapting them to personal needs.

Lapses? Haven’t heard of them
“Chicken breast and buckwheat again? Oh, no,” exclaim followers of proper nutrition, sadly evaluating their diet. “But wait, there’s still some oatmeal pancake left, let’s throw in a banana and grit our teeth to continue.” The reasons for lapses and ways to address them vary depending on when they occur.

Improper transition. If healthy eating was preceded by a diet consisting of sweets and fast food, eating boiled meat and sticking to a schedule will be unappetizing. The correct solution in this case would be a gradual increase in meal frequency and the replacement of harmful products with healthy ones.

No dramatic result. Dietitians claim that the optimal weight loss rate is 0.5-1 kg per week. This rate of weight loss is comfortable and does not harm the body. Simply put: to break down and eliminate 1 kg of fat, an energy deficit of 7700 kcal needs to be created. With a normal metabolism, a person can only gain or expend up to 100 g of fat per day.

A faster pace of weight loss can only be achieved through muscle tissue breakdown or dehydration. There’s no need to get discouraged with healthy eating and drown your sorrows in a donut. When starting with excess weight, it’s more important to assess the reduction in body size: if it’s happening, the body is losing fat tissue.

A meager and unappetizing diet. When transitioning to a healthy diet, it’s important to select attractive menu options for 7-10 days. This will help in planning meals, making more thoughtful purchases, and avoiding buying harmful snacks.

After switching to proper nutrition, some people start blaming themselves for wanting to try forbidden foods. The desire to add new taste sensations indicates an imbalance in the diet. A limited list of dishes is a direct path to a lapse. A great way to protect against lapses is the practice of cheat meals. Cheat meals have their own rules:

• Optimal frequency – once every 10-14 days;
• Consume only quality food;
• Do not starve the next day;
• Do not rush to the treadmill immediately after eating chocolate.

There are different interpretations of the cheat meal rule. Some followers recommend consuming unhealthy foods without exceeding the usual daily calorie intake, while others view “overeating” positively, claiming that this practice boosts metabolism and helps break through weight plateaus. Their opinions converge on one point: it’s better to enjoy carbohydrates in the morning.

Transitioning to healthy eating is not a reason to give up favorite dishes. The main thing is that one portion should not lead to a gastronomic “binge”.

Here are examples of meals for each day of the week:

Table 2

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Monday	Oatmeal with berries	Grilled chicken salad	Baked salmon with quinoa	Greek yogurt with almonds
Tuesday	Scrambled eggs with spinach	Lentil soup with vegetables	Stir-fried tofu with vegetables	Apple slices with peanut butter
Wednesday	Greek yogurt with granola	Turkey sandwich	Vegetable stir-fry with brown rice	Carrot sticks with hummus
Thursday	Whole grain toast with avocado	Quinoa salad with chickpeas	Grilled shrimp with sweet potato	Cottage cheese with pineapple
Friday	Smoothie with spinach and banana	Vegetable wrap	Baked chicken with roasted vegetables	Mixed nuts and dried fruits
Saturday	Cottage cheese with berries	Grilled vegetables and tofu	Turkey meatballs with whole wheat pasta	Rice cakes with cottage cheese
Sunday	Pancakes with fresh fruit	Lentil stew with brown rice	Grilled steak with roasted potatoes	Yogurt parfait with fruit

Table 1

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
1	Oatmeal with fruits; Crispbread with salted cottage cheese	Meat soup on vegetable broth; Brown rice with boiled turkey fillet	Boiled fish, vegetable salad with dressing made of natural yogurt	Boiled egg, cucumber, Apple
2	Omelette with broccoli, Peach	Chicken broth with homemade noodles, slice of bread; Baked pork with vegetables	Boiled chicken, cucumber and tomato salad dressed with yogurt or buttermilk	Glass of kefir, 2 whole grain crispbreads with avocado
3	Pearl barley porridge; Cheese sandwich	Pumpkin puree soup; Baked Alaska pollock with boiled potatoes	Fish cutlets with vegetable ragout; Grapes, Cottage cheese
4	Cottage cheese casserole; Apple	Mushroom soup with noodles; Stewed cabbage with meat	Pink salmon steak with salad	Almonds, Banana
5	Buckwheat porridge with a piece of chicken; Crispbread with cheese	Broccoli and cauliflower casserole; Boiled beef	Cottage cheese casserole	Boiled egg, Cucumber, 2 crispbreads
6	Rice porridge with butter; Toast with jam	Fasting cabbage soup; Buckwheat with mushrooms	Turkey fillet with vegetable salad; Orange	Glass of kefir, Whole grain toast
7	Brown rice with boiled fish; Dried fruits	Fish soup with potatoes; Sauerkraut	Scrambled eggs with tomatoes; 2 apples, Plain cottage cheese

The table does not specify beverages for each meal, as dietitians advise choosing them based on personal preferences. Sugar in tea or coffee is allowed only during breakfast, in an amount of 1 teaspoon. Adding milk to these drinks is not recommended.

Healthy eating is a way to maintain beauty and well-being. Proper transition and sensible attitude towards certain dietary restrictions in the menu will help avoid setbacks and maintain health.