Plate method

The plate method is the simplest nutrition advice in the world: half vegetables, a quarter filling side, a quarter protein – and a glass of water alongside. It comes from Harvard University's “Healthy Eating Plate” and appears in a similar form in the recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE), which since 2024 has advised that more than three quarters of what we eat should come from plant foods and just under a quarter from animal foods.

Here's how it works: fill one half of your plate with vegetables, salad or fruit – raw, steamed or roasted, ideally a colourful mix. One quarter goes to wholemeal pasta, brown rice, potatoes, wholemeal bread or pulses. The last quarter belongs to a protein source: fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, lentils, quark or cheese. Add a little good fat, for example a teaspoon of rapeseed or olive oil, nuts or avocado.

Why it works for weight loss: vegetables provide volume, water and fibre with very little energy, protein is the most filling of all nutrients, and the wholegrain side keeps blood sugar stable. You eat until you're full – just from a plate that automatically has fewer calories than one that's three quarters pasta.

The rule is deliberately rough: it doesn't need scales or an app and works in restaurants, in the canteen and at barbecues. With stews, bakes or bowls, simply imagine the sections in the bowl.

For children, the plate method is ideal because it doesn't ban anything: a child's plate looks just the same, only smaller. And if they're hungry, they can always have more vegetables. A tip: let children fill their half with colourful vegetables themselves – three colours on the plate make a little game.