How can I eat healthier? (11 tips)

So you want to start eating healthier. Easier said than done! Where do you begin? And how can you start in the best way possible? With the tips from this article, we make healthy eating a lot easier!

What is healthy food?

Food is the fuel of the body. To function properly, your body needs energy and nutrients, which are mainly obtained from food. Healthy food products contain many nutrients, are natural, preferably unprocessed, and do not contain added sugars and saturated fats.

You have probably heard of the Food Wheel. Then you know that it is important to eat varied so that you get all the important nutrients your body needs. This way, you automatically eat all the healthy proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fibers your body needs.

Examples of healthy food are:

• Vegetables and fruit
• Whole grain products
• Unsalted nuts
• Products with unsaturated fats and unprocessed sugars
• Protein-rich products

Examples of unhealthy food are:

• Sweets and chips
• Sugary soft drinks
• French fries and snacks
• Red or processed meat
• White bread

Read on: What is the basis of healthy food?

Tips for healthy eating

We have made a list of 11 tips for you so that you can start eating healthier quickly!

1. Drink as little soda as possible
2. Avoid junk food as much as possible
3. Eat at least 250 grams of vegetables a day
4. Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit every day
5. Eat a handful of nuts every day
6. Eat as little added sugar as possible
7. Eat enough (plant-based) protein
8. Also try to eat seeds and nuts daily
9. Eat as many real, unprocessed products as possible
10. Make sure you consume enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals daily
11. Drink enough water

Curious why this is all important? We will explain that below!

1. Try to avoid soda as much as possible

Sodas are a major cause of obesity in adults and children (1). They are packed with bad sugars and calories, and since they don't make you feel full, they are "empty calories." So, it's best to stop drinking them altogether!

Curious about what you can replace soda with? We'll tell you later in this article :)

2. Try to avoid junk food as much as possible

French fries, hamburgers, chips, and cookies are all very tasty, but these are products you should skip if you want to eat healthier. Junk food is food with a lot of refined sugars and fat. It contains very few vitamins, fibers, and proteins, but a lot of empty calories, concentrated sugars and sweeteners, harmful (trans) fats, and food additives. In other words, it has many unhealthy substances and little nutritional value. So, it's best to leave it on the shelf ;)

3. Eat at least 250 grams of vegetables per day

That's the advice of the Dutch Nutrition Center. When you also vary in the types of vegetables you eat, you will automatically get all the nutrients you need. But keep in mind: there is a difference in weight between raw and processed vegetables.

Read here how much you need to prepare for 250 grams of vegetables per day.

4. Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit per day

The Dutch Nutrition Center recommends two servings of fruit (about 200 grams) per day. By eating different types of fruit, you will automatically get all the healthy nutrients you need. Fruit does contain fruit sugar, which in turn contains calories. Therefore, we advise not to eat more than two pieces of fruit per day.

5. Eat a handful of nuts every day

Unsalted nuts are healthy because they are full of unsaturated fats. This good type of fat ensures that vitamins are absorbed well and reduces the risk of heart and vascular diseases. It doesn't matter whether they are raw, roasted, or toasted. Nuts do contain quite a few calories, so it's best to eat a handful every day and not until you are full.

6. Try to eat as little added sugars as possible

Sugars are added to bring extra taste and texture to a product and to extend the shelf life. Unfortunately, sugar consists largely of empty calories that you don't really benefit from. Therefore, it's better to look for products that have "No added sugars" on the label.

7. Eat enough (plant-based) proteins

Proteins are the building blocks of our body and our muscles. You can only get them through food, so they are an important part of healthy eating. Most people need to eat 1 to 1.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day. If you exercise a lot, you need more, otherwise a little less. Fortunately, proteins are found in many natural products.

8. Use as many real, unprocessed products as possible

Don't cook with "packaged" products, but use natural (plant-based) products, such as fresh vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Processed and ready-to-eat products often contain food additives, added sugars, and flavor, odor, and colorants. There are few healthy substances in them.

9. Try adding seeds and nuts too

Snacking on a handful of sunflower seeds is becoming less common these days. However, it's actually healthy! What you do see more often now is chia seeds or flaxseeds as part of a yogurt breakfast. It's packed with protein and fats.

10. Daily sufficient fiber, vitamins, and minerals

By following the above tips and eating healthy and varied foods, you'll get all the important nutrients your body needs every day. But if you're on a diet, can't or shouldn't eat certain products, or if you're eating completely plant-based, it's important to pay a little more attention.

Want to make sure you're getting all the important vitamins and minerals? Try our Green Juice!

11. Drink enough water

Your body is mostly made up of water (8). This is necessary for proper body function. Therefore, it's important to hydrate well. The recommendation is to drink an average of 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day (9). If you exercise, or if it's very hot outside, you lose more fluids and it's therefore important to drink more. By the way, during exercise, it's also smart to drink a hypotonic drink like Active Water!

Healthy alternatives

To make it even easier for you, we're also giving you a list of products that can easily be replaced with a healthier alternative.

• Soda > Vegetable tea, water, fruit-infused water or Active Water
• Meat > Plant-based meat substitutes like tofu, tempeh, and chickpeas
• Cookies and candy > Healthy snacks, snack vegetables, and fruit
• Sugared peanuts and salted nuts > Unsalted nuts
• Chips > Veggie chips
• White bread > Whole grain bread
• White pasta > Whole grain pasta or courgetti
• Muesli, cruesli, and granola > Oatmeal
• Chocolate sprinkles and chocolate spread > 100% peanut butter and hummus
• Milkshake > Smoothie
• Spring roll > Summer roll
• Garlic sauce > Yogurt with herbs
• Pizza > Cauliflower pizza
• Ice cream > Yogurt ice cream

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