Many factors affect our dietary behaviour: individual needs and desires, our day-to-day condition, the social environment, the food currently on offer, advertising etc. The following ... more

Many factors affect our dietary behaviour: individual needs and desires, our day-to-day condition, the social environment, the food currently on offer, advertising etc. The following recommendations ensure a balanced and varied diet that provides an adequate intake of energy, nutrients and protective substances and thus a healthy approach to nutrition. The figures quoted are intended for the "average person", i.e. for adults who engage in normal physical activities and thus have an average energy and nutrient requirement. The figures would vary for other groups (such as children and adolescents, top athletes, pregnant women etc.). The quantities and portions given are likewise average values; they cannot be adhered to precisely every day.

Fats and oils:
Use 2 teaspoonfuls (10 g) of high-quality vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower oil, thistle oil, corn oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil) per day, unheated, e.g. for salad dressings.
Use not more than 2 teaspoonfuls (10 g) of cooking fat or oil per day (e.g. peanut oil, olive oil) for the preparation of meals.
Do not eat more than 2 teaspoonfuls (10 g) of spreading butter or margarine per day on bread.
Do not eat more than one high-fat meal per day, such as deep-fried or breaded food, cheese dishes, fried potato, sausage, cream sauce, puff pastry, cakes, chocolate).

Sweets:
Eat sweets in moderation - many sweets contain hidden fat. Do not eat more than one small dessert daily (1 chocolate bar, 1 Danish pastry, one portion of ice cream).

Meat, fish, eggs and pulses:
Eat one portion of meat 2 _ 4 times a week (1 portion = 80 - 120 g); more is unnecessary, less is no problem.
Do not substitute salted meat products, such as ham, sausage, or bacon, for meat more than once a week.
Do not eat offal (liver, kidneys, tripe, sweetbreads) more than once a month (1 portion = 80 - 120 g).
Plan to eat 1 - 2 portions of fish a week (1 portion = 100 - 120 g).
Eat 1 - 3 eggs a week, including processed eggs e.g. in cakes and pastries, soufflés or creams.
Pulses, pulse products: eat 1 - 2 portions of lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans (1 portion = 40 - 60 g, dry weight) and tofu (1 portion = 100 - 120 g) per week.

Milk and dairy products:
Consume 2 - 3 portions of dairy products a day (1 portion = 2 dl milk or 1 cup of yoghourt or 30 g of hard cheese or 60 g of soft cheese).

Cereal products and potatoes:
Eat at least 3 portions of carbohydrate-rich foods per day (e.g. bread, potatoes, rice, cereal, pasta, etc.), preferably wholemeal products. The size of the portion depends on the degree of physical activity the person engages in.

Fruit:
Eat 2 - 3 portions of fruit per day (e.g. 1 apple, 1 banana, 3 plums or a dish of berries), ideally raw.

Vegetables:
Eat 3 - 4 portions of vegetable per day, at least one of them raw, e.g. as a dip or as mixed salad (1 portion = 100 g raw or 150 - 200 g cooked vegetable, 50 g lettuce or 100 g mixed salad).

Beverages and alcoholic drinks:
Drink at least 1.5 litres of liquid per day, preferably unsweetened and alcohol-free beverages
Alcohol: Healthy adults should not drink more than 1-2 glasses of wine or beer per day.