· 4 min read
The Swiss food plate: what a balanced family meal looks like
Half vegetables, a quarter starch, a quarter protein – a simple rule of thumb that even kids understand.
Cooking balanced meals sounds complicated, but it isn’t. The Swiss food plate by the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE) offers a simple guide you can apply to every lunch and dinner.
The three parts of the plate
- Half: vegetables and fruit, as colourful as possible.
- A quarter: starches such as potatoes, rice, pasta or bread – ideally wholegrain.
- A quarter: protein such as pulses, eggs, fish, meat, tofu or cheese.
What it means for kids
Children need smaller portions, but the same split. A colourful plate also sparks curiosity: the more colours, the more there is to discover. Small hands are welcome to help put the plate together.
The plate check in Plätzli
In Plätzli, every recipe shows a plate check: how close is the dish to the ideal plate, and what might be missing? Often a side salad or some raw veggies is all it takes. Values are guidelines and do not replace individual nutrition advice.
