Healthy eating isn’t about strict rules or expensive products, but about a diet you can stick to for years to come. In this article, you’ll find out exactly what healthy eating entails, what the official guidelines say, and five tips you can start putting into practice today.
What is healthy eating?
Healthy eating means a varied diet rich in vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products, pulses and unsalted nuts, and low in ultra-processed foods, added sugars and alcohol. That is the essence of the Health Council of the Netherlands’ Guidelines on Good Nutrition, which the Netherlands Nutrition Centre has translated into the ‘Schijf van Vijf’ (the Wheel of Five).
Important to know: good health doesn’t come from a single food, but from your overall eating pattern over weeks and months. One pizza does not ruin your eating pattern, and one salad does not define it. A healthy diet provides your body with sufficient energy and all the nutrients it needs: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibre and fluids.
What does a healthy diet consist of?
According to the Wheel of Five, a healthy diet consists of at least 250 grams of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit per day, wholegrain products, pulses and fish once a week, a handful of unsalted nuts every day, and 1.5 to 2 litres of fluids. In addition: be sparing with red and processed meat, sugary drinks and alcohol.
| Food group | Guidelines for adults |
|---|---|
| Vegetables | At least 250 grams per day |
| Fruit | 2 portions (200 grams) per day |
| Cereal products | Choose wholemeal bread, pasta and brown rice |
| Pulses | At least once a week |
| Nuts | A handful of unsalted nuts a day (around 25 grams) |
| Fish | Once a week, preferably oily fish |
| Fluids | 1.5 to 2 litres a day, mainly water and unsweetened tea |
The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends limiting free sugars to a maximum of 10 per cent of your daily energy intake and consuming no more than 5 grams of salt per day. You don’t need to keep track of these figures every day: if you mainly eat unprocessed foods and cook for yourself, you’ll usually be on the right track.
How can you eat healthily without following a strict diet?
The best way to eat more healthily is through small changes that you can stick to, not by following a strict diet. In practice, a ‘healthy diet’ is simply a healthy eating pattern: crash diets often produce quick results, but are difficult to maintain, causing you to slip back into old habits.
The practical approach is to shift the focus from what to avoid to what to add and what to replace. Here are a few examples of small steps towards better eating:
- Replace white bread, white pasta and white rice with wholemeal or brown versions.
- Drink water or tea more often instead of fizzy drinks and fruit juice.
- Put a fruit bowl on the table and keep biscuits and sweets out of sight.
- Replace meat with pulses, eggs or nuts a few times a week.
- Add an extra portion of vegetables to every hot meal.
Eating habits are largely a matter of routine. If you adapt your environment (what’s in the house, what’s on the table), you’ll need less willpower and will be able to stick to it for longer.
Which 5 tips for healthy eating can you put into practice straight away?
These five tips for healthy eating don’t require a diet or a complicated plan: start with a nutritious breakfast, keep a healthy stock of basics at home, cook for yourself more often using wholesome ingredients, follow the 80/20 rule and eat a varied diet.
1. Start the day with a nutritious breakfast
A nutritious breakfast combines whole grains, a source of protein and fruit or vegetables. Think of wholemeal bread with a boiled egg, porridge with fruit and yoghurt or a plant-based alternative, or a smoothie containing vegetables. Short on time in the morning? Prepare your breakfast the night before – for example, overnight oats – or take some fruit and a handful of nuts with you on the go.
2. Keep a well-stocked cupboard of basics at home
The least nutritious choices are often made when you’re tired and there’s nothing in the house. A well-stocked cupboard solves that: pulses in jars or tins, wholemeal pasta, tinned chopped tomatoes, a tin of fish and frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are comparable to fresh ones in terms of nutritional value and keep for a long time. This means that even on busy days, you can have a proper meal on the table within twenty minutes.
3. Cook for yourself more often using wholesome ingredients
When you cook for yourself, you decide how much salt, sugar and fat go into your meal. Ready meals and highly processed products often contain a lot of these. A practical rule of thumb when shopping: choose products with a short list of ingredients, all of which you recognise. If you prefer organic produce, this mainly says something about the farming methods; you can read more about this in ‘The benefits of eating organic’.
4. Follow the 80/20 rule
The 80/20 rule means: eat according to the guidelines about 80 per cent of the time and leave 20 per cent of the time for things you simply enjoy. That leeway isn’t a weakness, but rather the reason you’ll stick with it. A diet that doesn’t allow for birthday cake or pizza is bound to fail sooner or later. Perfection isn’t the goal; consistency is.
5. Eat a varied diet, in tune with the seasons
Variety broadens your nutrient intake: every food has its own profile of vitamins, minerals and fibre. So make sure to vary your choices within each food group. One day rice, the next day buckwheat, bulgur or quinoa. Choose seasonal vegetables, vary your intake of pulses and balance your meals: after a hearty lunch, a lighter evening meal is ideal.
Are supplements necessary if you eat healthily?
No, for most people, a varied diet provides the necessary nutrients in sufficient quantities. Supplements are an addition for specific situations, not a substitute for a healthy diet.
A few situations where supplementation may be beneficial:
- Vitamin D: the Health Council of the Netherlands recommends extra vitamin D, particularly for older people, people with darker skin and those who spend little time outdoors. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. See vitamin D3.
- Vitamin B12: it is found almost exclusively in animal products. If you follow a largely or entirely plant-based diet, a B12 supplement is the standard recommendation. Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Omega-3: if you do not eat (oily) fish, algae oil is a plant-based source of DHA and EPA. DHA contributes to maintenance of normal brain function, from a daily intake of 250 mg of DHA; our algae oil provides 210 mg of DHA and 70 mg of EPA per capsule. You can read more background information in ‘What is omega-3 good for?’
- Protein: if you find it difficult to get enough protein from your diet – for example, if you do intensive exercise or are older – a protein powder can be a practical option. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
Are you unsure whether you need to take supplements? If so, consult your GP or a dietitian, especially if you’re taking medication.
Frequently asked questions about healthy eating
How can you eat healthily on holiday or whilst travelling?
Stick to the same basic principles whilst travelling and accept that it doesn’t have to be perfect: one meal that doesn’t go to plan won’t change your overall diet. Practical tip: take fruit, unsalted nuts or a homemade snack with you; where possible, choose a meal with vegetables and a source of protein; and, above all, drink water. The 80/20 rule works just as well on holiday as it does at home.
Is organic food automatically healthier?
No, ‘organic’ refers to the method of production, not necessarily to the nutritional value. Organic products are grown in accordance with European regulations without artificial pesticides and without genetic modification; the differences in vitamins and minerals compared with conventionally grown products are usually minor. It is therefore a choice based on farming methods, the environment and taste, in addition to the principle of eating a varied diet.
What is the difference between healthy and nutritious food?
Nutritious food means that a product provides a lot of nutrients per calorie. Vegetables, fruit, pulses, wholegrain products, nuts and fish are examples of this. Healthy eating is about your overall diet; within that, nutritious eating involves choosing products with a high nutrient density rather than those that mainly provide calories.
Do you need to eat breakfast?
Not necessarily. It’s about what you consume throughout the day, not the time of your first meal. For many people, a nutritious breakfast does help to start the day calmly and avoid reaching for quick snacks later in the morning. If you can get through the morning fine without breakfast and eat a balanced diet for the rest of the day, that’s perfectly fine.
A healthy foundation, supplemented where needed
Healthy eating starts on your plate: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pulses and, above all, variety. If you’d also like to take targeted supplements – for example, vitamin D3 during the winter months or omega-3 from algae oil if fish isn’t on your menu – you’ll find supplements in our range with a short, fully transparent list of ingredients and no unnecessary additives. For each product, we explain what’s in it and why.
