Healthy Eating: how do you actually do that?
It’s really not that difficult!
Eating healthy is easier than you think. You just need to be properly informed. For example, it is better to eat a product full of (healthy) fats than a light product and counting calories is not a good idea. Find out all about it here!
Calories: quality over quantity
Focus on the nutritional values contained in products rather than the calories they contain. It makes sense to eat 200 calories of vegetables rather than 200 calories of cookies. They both contain 827 kilojoules, but 200 calories from vegetables will have a very different effect on your body, energy level and mood than 200 calories from cookies. The amount of calories does not determine how energized or satiated you feel after you eat or drink them. The high-quality calories found in seasonal fruits will make you feel full sooner and for longer than the calories you take in low-quality foods with refined sugars.
Embrace good fats
Fats are very important for your health, but of course, you have a difference between good and bad fats. Get your good fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts, fatty fish and meat. These nutrients are high in vitamins A and D and ensure a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Still, you always had to use fats wisely: it’s all about balance. In any case, do not be tempted by light products. These are highly processed and often full of sugars to preserve the flavor.
Sugar
Sugar in itself is not a problem. But too much sugar is bad for your teeth, heart and blood vessels, liver, … Yet we still eat too much of it. Try to avoid products rich in sugar as much as possible and replace them with natural sugar substitutes. We also eat sugar without knowing it. Sugar is hidden in many products that you would not expect. Rice cakes, canned vegetables, ketchup…: they all contain hidden sugars. Click here for tips on how to eat less sugar.
No excuses
No time? That is no excuse for an unhealthy diet. The plans and properly preparing your meals is the best tool to eat healthy. See that you always have healthy products at home and keep healthy meals in the freezer for days when you have less time.
A few more tips
- Build your meals around seasonal produce
- Try to avoid processed products, chemical preservatives, dyes, and artificial or refined sugars as much as possible
- Eat a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or a homemade, healthy snack as a snack.
- Try to eat as few things as possible that come out of a package or bag.
- If you still want to buy food from jars, packages or bags, it is best to read the ingredients. Does the label contain more than 5 ingredients and/or a lot of difficult names (E numbers, monosodium glutamate,…)? Then it is best not to buy the product.
- Balance is important. Being too strict isn’t good for yourself. Try to eat healthy food as much as possible, but occasionally you can also sin.
