Eating a balanced low-calorie diet

The festive season is over and 2019 has begun. For the new year, many people have set themselves the goal of eating a more balanced diet with fewer calories. The health tip explains which foods you can use to replace the high-calorie items in your diet.

Cheese fondue, raclette and roast meat with potato salad are all popular meals for family events and are certain to make a delicious dinner. However, all these dishes are also high in calories. Not all foods that are tasty necessarily have to lead to weight gain.

 

Balanced meals

The most important thing to understand is that a healthy diet is a balanced diet. A balanced diet provides the body with all the energy and nutrients it needs. A complete meal consists of one or more unsweetened drinks (e.g. water or tea), one or more vegetables, a carbohydrate-rich food (e.g. potatoes or rice) and a protein-rich food (e.g. fish, poultry or eggs). Further information about nutrition is also available on the Swiss Nutrition Association homepage.

 

Think about healthy eating when you are shopping

Anyone who wants to avoid energy-rich foods in the new year can follow the tips below. The path to healthier eating usually begins with shopping at the supermarket. In addition to a balanced and varied diet, it is important to pay attention to nutritional information. This information and the number of calories are listed on the back of food packaging. It is a good idea to buy products with less sugar and less saturated fat and to avoid convenience products. Instead, buy fresh ingredients such as fruit or vegetables. These are the be-all and end-all of healthy eating if you want to replace high-calorie foods with low-calorie ones.

 

Low-calorie vegetables and fruits

If you want to look after your figure, you can also replace high-calorie fruits and vegetables (e.g. sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, beans and bananas) with low-energy alternatives. Cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and asparagus are the best substitutes.


23.01.2019
In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.