A Wholesome and Well-balanced Diet
The DGE’s 10 Rules
A wholesome diet keeps you healthy and promotes physical and mental ability and well-being. But what does a healthy and tasty diet look like? Your daily diet should be well-balanced.
The ten rules of the German Nutrition Society (DGE)
Eat and drink wholesome products:
- Enjoy a varied diet
- Eat fruit and vegetables - 5 portions a day
- Opt for wholemeal products
- Add foods of animal origin to your diet
- Consume health-promoting fats
- Eat sugar and salt in moderation
- Drink mainly water
- Prepare meals carefully
- Take your time to enjoy the meal
- Watch your weight and stay active
The German Nutrition Society recommends eating large amounts of fruit and vegetables daily, complemented with cereal products such as bread, rice, pasta, wholegrain cereals, and potatoes. This basis is supplemented with dairy products, meat and fish, as well as small amounts oils and fats.
The food intake should be accompanied by a sufficient liquid intake of 1.5 litres or more, depending on the temperature level and the amount of physical activity. The German Nutrition Society has formulated ten guidelines based on current scientific knowledge.
Changing Eating and Exercise Habits
A good energy balance is also key, since nutrition and physical activity are inherently linked. If you exercise a lot, you are physically fitter, but you also need more energy. Therefore, you can consume more calories. We normally manage to maintain this balance. However, a lack of physical activity in our day-to-day life as well as the various culinary temptations can profoundly upset this balance over the years.
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture runs several projects to help improve diet and exercise habits in Germany. The Ministry supports different initiatives designed to prevent poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, overweight and related illnesses.
Since 2008, the Federal Government’s IN FORM National Action Plan has brought all of these different projects together to form a nationwide strategy.
