Which foods? The 10 best for your health

Confused at the supermarket? You're not alone. Between protein bread, oat milk, organic eggs, snack bars, and "healthy" ready-made bowls, the question "which foods are good for me?" quickly becomes exhausting. Then there are trends that contradict each other. Sometimes it's low carb, then again more complex carbohydrates. Sometimes fats are demonized, sometimes celebrated.

The honest answer is simple: there is no one perfect diet for everyone. What gives you energy, keeps you full for a long time, and suits you well also depends on your biology. Your DNA, for example, influences how you process fats, carbohydrates, caffeine, or certain micronutrients. Your microbiome, i.e., the community of your gut bacteria, plays a role when it comes to digestion, tolerance, and everyday usability.

Precisely for this reason, it is worthwhile, when asking "which foods," not only to think about healthy or unhealthy, but about what is suitable or unsuitable for you. This article shows you 10 important food groups that often play a strong role in a good diet. And for each group, it shows you how to make your choices more personal with DNA and microbiome knowledge.

A brief aside that fits surprisingly well: purchase decisions on the shelf are also strongly guided. The article "Packaging design that buys in the gut" beautifully illustrates this. Just because something looks healthy doesn't mean it's the best for your body.

1. High-Quality Protein Sources

If, when asking "which foods," you often think of losing weight, building muscle, or reducing cravings, start with protein. For many, this is the biggest lever in everyday life. Not complicated, but often poorly implemented.

Fish, poultry, and eggs are practical because they are easy to incorporate into normal meals. A breakfast with eggs keeps many people full longer than sweet pastries. A lunch with salmon or chicken is usually more predictable than a quickly bought sandwich that leaves you hungry again after a short time.

What works in everyday life

Good examples are wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, organic poultry, and pasteurized eggs. The key is not perfection, but regularity.

• For stressful days: Boiled eggs, smoked fish, or prepped chicken strips save decision-making.
• For more satiety: Combine protein with vegetables and a fat source instead of just white bread.
• For better digestibility: Prepare protein sources steamed, boiled, or grilled rather than fried.

Those who want to better estimate their needs will find a good basis in the article on daily protein requirements.

Practical rule: If your meal contains hardly any protein, it is often forgotten faster than it is digested.

It gets exciting with personalization. DNA-based nutrition tests, according to Genosalut, analyze over 20 scientifically validated genetic markers, including fatty acid metabolism, vitamin D metabolism, lactose intolerance, and caffeine sensitivity, and evaluate the suitability of over 900 foods to match the genetic profile (details on genetic markers and food evaluation). This helps you choose protein not just "a lot," but more appropriately.

Those who train can additionally look at how timing works in everyday life. The article "Protein before or after training" also fits this.

2. Fermented Foods

Many people, when asking "which foods," are looking for more energy and better digestion. Then they often start with renunciation. Less sugar, less wheat, fewer snacks. This can be sensible, but often it is not enough. You also have to give your gut something to work with.

Fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, or miso bring flavor, acidity, and often more complexity to the plate. Especially if someone eats very one-sidedly, they are a practical way out of the routine.

How to use them effectively

The mistake is usually not the food, but the pace. Those who eat large amounts directly sometimes notice bloating or rumbling and then say: "I can't tolerate that." A slow start is better.

• Gentle start: Start with small amounts of sauerkraut or a few spoonfuls of kefir with a normal meal.
• Pay attention to quality: Unpasteurized varieties are often more interesting than heavily processed products.
• Keep an eye on salt: Especially with sauerkraut and miso, conscious handling is worthwhile.

If you want to specifically support your gut, the article Building up gut flora with nutrition is a good next step.

The bigger context is important: highly processed foods are often underestimated, although they can burden the microbiome and metabolism. In Germany, ultra-processed foods account for about 50 to 60 percent of the calorie intake, according to the classification mentioned in the background, and this is where the question "which foods" quickly becomes very practical. Less highly processed and more fermented is a sensible trade for many (classification of highly processed foods and microbiome).

Some tolerate kefir excellently, but react to kombucha or large amounts of sauerkraut. This is not a contradiction, but individuality.

A microbiome test can be particularly useful here. It not only shows that your gut reacts sensitively, but often also in which direction you can start.

3. Cruciferous Vegetables and Green Leafy Vegetables

You buy broccoli, spinach, or kale with good intentions. Three days later, half of it is still in the fridge, and the rest ends up overcooked on your plate. The problem is rarely the vegetable itself. Usually, the preparation doesn't suit your everyday life or your digestion.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and arugula provide mustard oil-containing plant compounds that the body uses in its normal detoxification work. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, chard, or kale also provide folate, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. For many meals, these vegetable groups are the easiest way to achieve greater nutrient density without having to cook complicated dishes.

The catch lies in digestibility and selection.

Some people cope perfectly well with raw arugula and large salads. Others experience bloating or a feeling of pressure in their stomach from a lot of cabbage, onions, and raw leafy greens. This is not a sign that vegetables are "not for you." Often, only the form is not yet right. Steamed broccoli, briefly fried pak choi, or oven-roasted Brussels sprouts often work better in everyday life than the next raw food platter.

Practically proven examples include:

• Oven-roasted broccoli with egg or salmon: easy to plan, satisfying, little effort
• Arugula mixed with warm potatoes: spicier than classic salad and often more digestible
• Spinach or chard in stir-fries: quick, inexpensive, and easy to incorporate into normal everyday cooking

It gets exciting with personalization. DNA tests can provide clues as to how strongly you react to oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, or certain fatty acids. Then the selection on your plate makes more sense than blanket dietary advice. For example, those who benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet often combine green vegetables particularly well with fatty fish, flaxseeds, or walnuts. You can find more about this in the article on omega-3 fatty acids and genetic differences.

A microbiome test can also sharpen the selection. If your gut reacts sensitively to highly gas-forming fibers, you should start with small portions of cooked vegetables rather than large amounts of raw food. If the test indicates a need for more fiber-rich variety, it is worthwhile to regularly incorporate cruciferous vegetables in rotation, instead of always eating only tomatoes and cucumbers.

In practice, I rarely recommend "more vegetables" as a general formula. It makes more sense to choose the varieties you can tolerate, prepare realistically, and actually eat several times a week. Broccoli is not useful because it is considered healthy. It is useful if it ends up on your plate and suits you well.

4. Healthy Fats and Oils

You eat a large salad for lunch and two hours later you're hungry again. In practice, this is often not due to the vegetables, but to a meal that lacks a sensible fat component. Good fats slow down gastric emptying, make dishes taste rounder, and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins from food better.

The source is crucial. Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and depending on the goal, fatty fish, fit well into many people's daily lives. Highly processed fat sources from baked goods, chips, sausage, or ready-made products also provide energy, but rarely offer the same benefits for satiety, fatty acid profile, and meal quality.

Using good fats correctly

Olive oil is the best base for many cuisines, especially for salads, cooked vegetables, and mild warm dishes. Avocado or avocado oil are practical when you're in a hurry and want to enhance a meal without much preparation. MCT oil has a special area of application. It can be interesting for individual people, but it is not a standard that everyone needs, and in too large quantities it quickly leads to gastrointestinal discomfort.

In everyday life, this simple selection often works:

• Extra virgin olive oil: for dressings, oven vegetables, and finished warm dishes
• Avocado: for breakfast, bowls, or as a quick addition to cold meals
• Nuts and seeds: if you want to increase satiety without having to cook extra
• MCT oil: only test specifically and start with small quantities

It gets exciting with personalization. DNA tests can provide clues as to how your body reacts to different fatty acids and whether certain inflammatory or fat metabolism patterns deserve more attention. This does not mean that a gene dictates what you must eat. It rather shows where generalized recommendations might be too broad for you. If this interests you, you will find concrete examples in the article on omega-3 fatty acids and genetic differences.

Microbiome data can also sharpen the selection. Some people tolerate fatty meals well, as long as they are well constructed. Others react with bloating, sluggish digestion, or cravings later in the day if the fat amount and food quality don't match. In such cases, it is often more sensible to distribute fat sources more consciously, instead of eating a large amount all at once in the evening.

I rarely simply recommend "more healthy fat." It is more sensible to choose 1 to 2 fat sources that you really use regularly, that fit your budget, and that measurably improve your meals. A good olive oil brings more than five specialty products in the cupboard that are hardly used in the end.

5. Complex Carbohydrates with High Fiber Content

Oats, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, barley, or sweet potatoes have an image problem. Many lump them together with bread, cookies, or breakfast cereals and then generally say: carbohydrates don't do me any good. It's rarely that simple.

Complex carbohydrates are very well tolerated by many people, if the quantity, time of day, and combination are right. The problem is often not the oatmeal itself. The problem is the huge portion plus honey plus juice plus lack of exercise.

What really matters

Three things make the difference: processing, portion size, and context. A plate of lentils with vegetables and protein has a different effect on the body than a sweet snack. Oats with nuts and yogurt are different from a croissant on the go.

What often works well in practice:

• Oats instead of sweet breakfast: keeps you full longer, easier to plan
• Lentils or chickpeas as a side dish: more fiber than many classic starchy sides
• Cooked and cooled potatoes or sweet potatoes: often more suitable for everyday life than constantly resorting to bread

If you get hungry again quickly after carbohydrates, first check the combination with protein and fat. Not just the carbohydrates themselves.

This is where personalization really helps. In Germany, DNA-based nutrition and metabolism tests, depending on the provider, analyze about 100 to 200 SNPs, i.e., genetic variants, to classify differences in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism (Overview of DNA-based nutritional analyses). For you, this practically means: Not every "low carb" recommendation is automatically the right one. Some benefit more from choosing carbohydrates more wisely than from strictly reducing them.

6. Polyphenol-rich Foods

Berries, cocoa, and green tea are not wonder weapons. But they are often small levers with astonishingly good everyday suitability. Especially if you want to improve your diet without overhauling everything, they are useful.

Polyphenols are plant compounds found primarily in strongly colored or aromatic foods. You don't have to be a biochemistry fan for this. Practically, this just means: color and bitterness are often not a disadvantage, but an indication of interesting ingredients.

Small amounts, big routine

A few examples that are easy to incorporate into daily life:

• Berries in breakfast or quark: significantly more sensible than sweet toppings
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: suitable for porridge, yogurt, or shakes
• Green tea instead of constantly sweet drinks: simple habit with little effort

Tolerance is important. Some react nervously to green tea, others to large amounts of cocoa with stomach sensitivity. This doesn't mean that the foods are bad. They just might fit you better in a different form or quantity.

The microbiome also plays a role here. Part of what you "get out" of plant-based foods depends on how your gut handles it. That's why the idea of "which foods" is often much more helpful than "which superfoods." Berries in everyday life beat exotic powders that you don't use regularly anyway.

If you are unsure, don't start with ten new foods at once. Incorporate two or three into your week and observe your energy, digestion, and satiety. This is often more honest than any trend.

7. Functional Mushrooms

You might know shiitake from the kitchen. Reishi or lion's mane more from the supplement aisle. Functional mushrooms initially seem like a niche to many. In practice, they are particularly interesting if you want to specifically work on focus, everyday recovery, or immune-related balance.

Not everyone needs mushroom extracts. But some people benefit from them, especially if their basic diet is already established and they want to fine-tune it. The important thing is not to see mushrooms as a substitute for real food. They are more of an addition than a foundation.

When they make sense

Shiitake or maitake can be integrated directly into meals. Reishi or lion's mane are more often used as powder or extract. The benefit depends heavily on whether you use them consistently and in a form that you tolerate.

What I pay particular attention to in my advice:

• Cooking mushrooms first: They are often the easiest way to start.
• Extracts with moderation: Not every trendy product is automatically useful.
• Observe your own reaction: Sleep, digestion, and daily well-being often provide the best clues.

Those who only look at macronutrients when considering "which foods" sometimes miss such finer tools. At the same time, if you hardly eat vegetables, constantly need snacks, and plan poorly, lion's mane is not your primary problem. Then the basics are more important.

Personalization can also help here. Those who get clues about inflammatory tendencies, stress tolerance, or digestive patterns through DNA or microbiome data often use such supplements more targetedly instead of indiscriminately.

8. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds may seem small, but they often pack a big nutritional punch. A handful of walnuts, some flaxseed in yogurt, or chia in your breakfast can significantly improve a meal. Greater satiety, more bite, and often less desire for later snacks.

The most common mistake is not the choice, but the quantity. A good supplement quickly turns into a casual snack eaten without attention. Then, nuts may provide quality, but no real structure.

Their best role in everyday life

Use nuts and seeds more as a building block for a meal rather than constantly grabbing from the packet.

• Walnuts: good in yogurt, quark, or with fruit
• Ground flaxseed: practical for muesli or porridge
• Chia: helpful if you want to make breakfast more satiating
• Almond butter: better than sweet spreads if the quantity is right

If you metabolize fats differently genetically, a DNA test can help you better assess the balance. Then it's not just about "nuts are healthy," but about which fat sources are more sensible for you in the overall picture.

Another plus point: nuts and seeds are often a good bridge for people who want to eat fewer highly processed snacks. Instead of reaching for bars or pastries, you get something that stays closer to real food.

9. Root Vegetables and Tubers

You come home in the evening, want something warm to eat, and need a side dish that's filling without immediately making you search for what else is in the cupboard. This is exactly where potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, or celeriac are often stronger in everyday life than their reputation suggests.

Their advantage is practical, not theoretical. Root vegetables and tubers are inexpensive, store well, and are easy to plan into a normal kitchen. Above all, they bring structure to the plate. This is especially helpful for people who want to eat less bread, convenience foods, or spontaneous snacks.

Better to judge than just by carbohydrates

Potatoes and beetroot are often quickly pigeonholed as having "too many carbohydrates." In practice, the better question is: How do you eat them, in what quantity, and with what?

A baked potato with herb quark and vegetables has a different effect than chips or a white bread roll on the side. Cooked and cooled potatoes also provide resistant starch. This is a part of the starch that your small intestine does not fully absorb. Your gut bacteria can process it further, which can be good for satiety and digestion for some people.

This is where personalization pays off. If a DNA test indicates less favorable carbohydrate processing for you, it doesn't mean potatoes are out. Usually, it's more about portion, preparation, and combination with protein, fat, and fiber. A microbiome test can also show whether you are likely to respond better to resistant starch and certain fiber sources, or whether you should increase quantities more slowly.

A few everyday combinations:

• Baked potatoes with herb quark and broccoli
• Baked sweet potato with salmon or tempeh
• Beetroot with feta or lentils
• Celeriac puree as a lighter alternative to very creamy side dishes

I often use these foods in practice as a test case for everyday suitability. If you tolerate root vegetables well and combine them sensibly regularly, eating usually becomes more predictable. Less cravings. Fewer improvised snack meals.

If you're looking for concrete ideas, recipes for an anti-inflammatory diet in everyday life can help, as they show how potatoes, beetroot, or sweet potatoes can be sensibly combined with protein, vegetables, and good fats.

10. Spices and Herbs

Spices and herbs are the inconspicuous part of the answer to "what foods." They rarely provide the main bulk of a meal, but they can strongly influence whether you regularly eat healthily and deliciously.

Those who only look at nutritional values often overlook daily life. People don't stick to a diet because it's theoretically perfect. They stick to it when the food tastes good. Fresh rosemary on roasted vegetables, cinnamon in oatmeal, ginger in tea, or turmeric in a vegetable stir-fry make all the difference there.

Taste determines consistency

Herbs and spices help you make simple foods more interesting. This is not a minor aspect. It is often the reason why a good plan still works weeks later.

A few simple uses:

• Turmeric plus black pepper and some fat: classic in curries or soups
• Freshly grated ginger: good in tea, wok dishes, or dressings
• Cinnamon: practical in porridge, yogurt, or warm fruit dishes
• Rosemary and thyme: excellent with roasted vegetables and potatoes

If you want to cook in an anti-inflammatory way, you'll find directly implementable ideas in the article on anti-inflammatory nutrition with recipes.

For this food group, safety thinking is also worthwhile. According to a BfR survey, 73 percent of respondents consume raw meat and sausage products at least 1 to 3 times a month, 57 percent raw milk soft cheese, while many underestimate the risk (health risks of raw foods at the BfR). Spices and herbs can do a lot for taste. However, they do not replace kitchen hygiene and do not automatically make risky raw food unproblematic for sensitive individuals.

10 Food Groups Compared

Food Group	🔄 Implementation Complexity	⚡ Resource Requirement	📊 Expected Results	💡 Ideal Use Cases	⭐ Main Benefits
High-Quality Protein Sources (Fish, Poultry, Eggs)	Medium, shopping, storage, preparation required	Medium-High, organic/wild and refrigeration increase costs	Muscle building, satiety, stable blood sugar	Weight management, strength training, lean mass maintenance	Complete amino acids, micronutrients, high thermic effect
Fermented Foods (Kefir, Sauerkraut, Tempeh, Miso)	Low-Medium, easy to integrate, possibly home fermentation	Low, jars, storage; quality control needed	Improved gut flora, better digestion and nutrient absorption	Gut health, microbiome optimization, after antibiotics	Live cultures, increased bioavailability, enzymes
Cruciferous & Green Leafy Vegetables (Broccoli, Spinach, Kale)	Low, raw or lightly steamed recommended	Low, cost-effective and widely available	Activation of detoxification pathways, antioxidant effects	Anti-aging, detox, support of folate-dependent functions	Rich in vitamins, sulforaphane effects, low calorie density
Healthy Fats & Oils (MCT, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil)	Low, easy integration, portion control important	Medium, high-quality oils and possibly supplements