Slogan for a balanced diet

A balanced diet slogan that is truly effective on the ground is never a vague slogan that copies dietary guide numbers and uses "should" and "must" to morally bind it. Instead, it is a short sentence that adapts to different scenarios and people with different dietary concepts, and the core adheres to the principle of "no judgment, specific enough, and low burden" - there is no universal optimal solution, only good expressions suitable for specific groups of people.

Last year, I helped a friend from the community nutrition department change the slogan of the senior canteen. The first draft copied the requirements of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" and posted "Daily salt intake no more than 5g, cooking oil 25-30g." I posted it for half a month. I asked aunts and uncles who often come to eat, and nine out of ten said they didn't understand. Some people said, "I have eaten heavy food all my life, how can I count a few grams?" Later, we changed the slogans to "Put less half a spoonful of salt in cooking, and walk two more stops when walking" and "Put less sugar in the stew, and square dancing will be more energetic." Only a week later, an aunt took the initiative to say to the waiter at the window when serving dishes, "Put less salt on me. I saw the slogan said that if you eat less salt, you can dance two more dances."

Don't tell me, different groups of people have really different understandings of "balance". If we apply the same standards to fitness groups and require vegetarians to follow, it will only arouse resentment. Oh, by the way, a friend who runs a vegetarian restaurant complained to me before, saying that the post they posted on the door "Being vegetarian is more environmentally friendly and healthier" made many people passing by roll their eyes. Later, it was changed to "Eat an extra chopstick of greens today, your stomach will be relaxed and not bloated." It did not say that eating meat is bad, but just talked about the small benefits of being vegetarian. On the contrary, many office workers who are used to eating heavy oil and spicy food are willing to come in and order a salad to try.

Nowadays, nutrition circles have different definitions of "balanced". The traditional dietary guideline emphasizes that the ratio of grains, potatoes, vegetables, protein, and fats should comply with the pagoda recommendations. Supporters of low-carb diets believe that refined carbohydrates should be used as little as possible. Vegetarians have different requirements for lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans. If there is a unified slogan, no one will be pleased by it. For example, on the wall of the fitness studio I often go to is "Half a plate of protein and carbohydrates, and you will not feel weak after practicing deadlifts." For people who want to lose weight and build muscle, this sentence is more effective than any number. And the community restaurant downstairs of my house that has been open for 20 years has a wall sticker that says "Eat buds in spring and melons in summer. There is nothing wrong with seasonal vegetables." People who come to eat are all neighbors, and no one will worry about the ratio of macronutrients. Eating fresh in season is what they consider balance.

I also encountered the pitfalls of slogans when controlling my sugar a few years ago. I first put a big sign on the refrigerator saying "No sweets", but after less than half a month, I got up in the middle of the night and showed off a whole box of cakes. Later, I changed the slogan to "eat vegetables first, then eat, and replace it with half a portion of ice cream when your blood sugar is stable." Instead, I became less greedy. Occasionally I ate a smaller portion of something sweet without feeling guilty, and my blood sugar stabilized a lot.

In fact, to put it bluntly, the slogan of a balanced diet does not need to be a noble expression at all, nor does it need to be applicable to everyone. If you like to eat strictly according to the dietary guidelines, then posting "One pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruits every day" is also very good; if you are usually busy at work and can't be so precise, posting "Remarks on takeout, use less oil, no need to run after get off work" is completely sufficient. After all, the purpose of slogans is never to judge whether you are eating healthily or not, but to give you a little reminder at the moment you are picking up food, ordering takeout, or opening the refrigerator, so that you can lean a little in the direction of health. That is enough. Oh, yes, the one posted next to my workstation now says "Add a small tomato to your afternoon tea, and you can touch fish for ten more minutes." I personally tested it and it works, haha.