The 10 Keys to a Healthy Diet

Food is often described as our first medicine—and for good reason. What we eat has a direct and powerful impact on our health and overall well-being. In this article, you’ll discover 10 essential keys to healthy eating, with simple habits you can easily adopt to improve your nutrition and feel better every day.

The 10 Keys to a Healthy Diet

The 10 Keys to a Healthy Diet

1. Choose a savory breakfast

Cereal with milk, white bread with butter and jam, and a big glass of orange juice—this is what many people eat for breakfast. Unfortunately, from a nutritional point of view, this is far from ideal. A very sweet breakfast triggers a strong insulin response, which is best avoided, especially in the morning.

Instead, aim for a savory breakfast. Eating protein in the morning supports the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to alertness and motivation. Beyond boosting focus and energy, protein also helps you feel full longer and reduces mid-morning cravings.

Eggs are a great option because they provide high-quality protein along with essential vitamins and trace minerals. You can also vary your protein sources:

• Animal proteins: about 30 g of cheese (preferably goat or sheep), yogurt (goat or sheep), sardines, or an occasional slice of high-quality ham

• Plant proteins: high-protein soy desserts, chia seeds, nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)

2. Eat at least 2–3 fruits and 2–3 servings of vegetables daily

The ideal intake is 800 g to 1 kg of fruits and vegetables per day—around 2–3 servings of vegetables (about 500 g) and 2–3 fruits. At lunch and dinner, try to include at least one raw fruit or vegetable and one cooked.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, which plays a key role in health. Fiber helps with satiety and weight management, regulates blood sugar levels, supports digestion, and nourishes the gut microbiome.

They’re also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are crucial for preventing cancer, degenerative diseases, and cardiovascular conditions.

For maximum benefits, vary fruits and vegetables as much as possible, and aim for a colorful plate.

⚠️ Note: Fruit juice is not the same as whole fruit. Juice lacks fiber, which slows sugar absorption, making its glycemic index much higher than that of whole fruit.

3. Don’t fear fat—choose the right kind

The idea that fat is bad for you has no scientific or biological basis. Healthy fats are essential for vision, brain membranes, and neural connections. They also help reduce cardiovascular risks. In short, good fats are vital for good health.

That said, not all fats are equal. The real issue today isn’t eating too much fat—it’s eating too much bad fat.

Limit saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids, which are often consumed in excess. They’re found in animal products (meat, butter, cheese), certain vegetable oils (sunflower, coconut, palm, grapeseed), and especially in ultra-processed foods like cookies and chips.

Instead, prioritize omega-3 fatty acids, found in:

• Fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon, tuna)

• Oils (rapeseed/canola, flaxseed, walnut)

• Seeds (chia, flax, hemp)

• Small amounts in greens like watercress, lamb’s lettuce, and cabbage

⚠️ Limit tuna and salmon to once a week due to potential contamination with heavy metals (mercury, PCBs, dioxins).

Also favor omega-9 fats, abundant in olive oil, hazelnut oil, avocados, almonds, and hazelnuts. Because of their environmental impact, avocados should be eaten occasionally and preferably sourced from Europe.

4. Take time to chew your food

Chewing may seem trivial, but it plays a major role in health.

• Better nutrient absorption: Proper chewing breaks food down so nutrients can be efficiently absorbed by your cells

• Eat less and manage weight: Chewing stimulates satiety hormones that signal fullness to the brain

• Improved digestion: Poor chewing forces the stomach to produce more acid, which can irritate the digestive lining and cause acid reflux

• Healthier teeth and gums: Chewing increases saliva production, helping clean teeth, protect enamel, and strengthen gums

5. Load up on antioxidants

Antioxidants are powerful compounds that protect our cells and help prevent many conditions, including premature aging, cancer, degenerative diseases, cataracts, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease.

The good news? You can easily get them through your diet—especially by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Foods rich in antioxidants include:

• Berries: blueberries, blackberries, goji berries, acai berries, raspberries, strawberries

• Other fruits: apples, plums, pomegranates, oranges, kiwis, grapes, figs

• Vegetables: artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, bell peppers

• Aromatics: onions, garlic, shallots

• Spices: cloves, oregano, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon

• Herbs: thyme, basil, parsley, chives, dill, mint, rosemary, bay leaf

• Hot drinks: tea and coffee

• Cocoa and chocolate: raw cocoa powder, dark chocolate (at least 70%)

Whenever possible, choose organic. Organic foods contain 20–70% more polyphenols (a key group of antioxidants) than conventionally grown foods.

6. Practice mindful eating

Busy lifestyles often push us to rush breakfast or eat lunch in front of a screen. This disconnects us from our relationship with food.

Try to dedicate at least 20 minutes to each meal. Mindful eating means fully paying attention to what you eat and how you feel.

This practice helps you:

• Listen to hunger and fullness cues

• Eat portions that match your real needs

• Reduce snacking and overeating

It also naturally encourages healthier food choices. When we eat impulsively or emotionally, we’re more likely to crave fatty, sugary, and salty foods.

Finally, mindful eating supports mental well-being. Focusing on the present moment helps calm the mind, reduce stress, and ease anxiety.

7. Reduce your salt intake

Salt is essential, but excess consumption increases disease risk. Today, most people eat more than twice what the body actually needs.

Too much salt raises the risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Excess salt is also linked to stomach cancer and ulcers.

Simple ways to cut back on salt:

• Limit salty foods (processed meals, chips, deli meats, pizzas, sauces, cheeses)

• Use herbs, spices, garlic, onion, lemon, pepper, curry, paprika for flavor

• Taste food before adding salt

• Avoid salting cooking water

• Remove the salt shaker from the table

8. Go vegetarian for dinner

In the evening, a vegetarian dinner—without meat, fish, or eggs—can significantly improve sleep quality.

Animal proteins stimulate dopamine, which promotes alertness and motivation. That’s great in the morning, but at night the body needs serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for relaxation and sleep regulation.

Serotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid found in plant-based proteins such as legumes, soy, whole rice, sunflower seeds, and even dark chocolate. The carbohydrates in legumes and whole grains also help optimize serotonin production.

Sleep-supporting foods include:

• Walnuts and almonds: rich in tryptophan and magnesium, which helps prevent sleep disturbances

• Complex carbohydrates (whole grains and fruit): insulin helps amino acids reach the brain, making tryptophan more available for serotonin synthesis

Animal proteins and cooked fats also require longer digestion, which can disrupt sleep when eaten late.

9. Choose low-temperature cooking methods

High-temperature cooking reduces the nutritional quality of food by destroying vitamins and minerals. Some vitamins can lose up to 50% of their content during cooking. The longer and hotter the cooking process, the greater the nutrient loss.

Browning food also produces Maillard compounds, which—when consumed in excess—may increase cancer risk.

Whenever possible, opt for low-temperature cooking (below 100°C / 212°F). Gentle steaming is one of the best methods to preserve nutrients.

10. Eat whole foods and avoid ultra-processed products

Whole foods are foods in their natural form, with little to no processing—fruits, vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, and so on. Processed foods, on the other hand, are altered products that don’t exist in nature in their original form, such as ready-made meals, juices, sodas, and cookies.

Ultra-processed foods often:

• Contain few nutrients

• Have a high glycemic load

• Lack fiber

• Are too soft to provide lasting satiety

They also disrupt the gut microbiome, reducing beneficial bacteria that protect against pathogens and help prevent modern chronic diseases.

Tips to avoid processed foods:

• Choose products with short ingredient lists (no more than 4–5 ingredients)

• Avoid ingredients with complex, unfamiliar names (glucose-fructose syrup, modified starch, hydrolyzed proteins, etc.)

• Avoid problematic additives (apps like Yuka can help)

• Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods that you prepare yourself