Everyone knows that it is healthy to eat more fruits and vegetables and less fast food. Yet we often fail to eat really healthy. We often have our hands in the hair when composing a meal. You can't eat dry salads every day, can you? In this article we explain the basics of the best meal plan dubai in scents and colours . And of course we won't leave you hungry and we also have 23 healthy diet tips for you to get started with.

What is a healthy diet? 

A healthy diet is a diet that makes you feel super energetic and vital in the short and long term. A healthy diet gives you the necessary nutrients and building blocks so that all your body functions and systems can work optimally. 

That is why a healthy diet is not only important if you want to lose weight. Even if you want to gain weight or are already completely at your desired weight, you naturally want to feel good. Slim people are often seen as “healthier”, but that is certainly not always the case. 

You are what you eat. And that's not a crazy statement, when you consider how much influence food has on your life! Healthy eating reduces the risk of, for example, cardiovascular disease, cancer and certain age-related diseases. In addition, it prevents obesity . And a healthy diet is happier, more energetic and less likely to develop mental disorders.

So what you put in your mouth not only largely determines your physical health, but also has major consequences for your mental well-being. And that is a difference that you often feel after a few days!

23 healthy diet tips

By eating healthy you feel energetic and vital, you have a stable energy level, you are less bloated and your mood and general feeling of happiness will also improve. Healthy eating also ensures that your body weight is back in balance.

Fortunately, a healthy diet is not that complex in the basics. Here you will find 23 tips to easily convert a healthy diet into practice, whether or not to lose an extra kilo.

1. Vary

The days when a healthy diet amounted to broccoli and chicken every day are thankfully over. We now know that variety is also essential for your diet. By choosing different vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates and fats every day, you get the widest possible range of nutrients.

An additional advantage of variation is that the health value of individual products becomes less important. By alternating, a slightly less nutritious product is always compensated by other foods!

2. Organise your board

If you don't know what the right proportions are for a healthy meal, stick to some easy basic rules.

Fill half of your plate generously with vegetables. Get a protein source the size of your palm (that is, without your fingers). Make a small bowl with your hand and that is about the amount of carbohydrates you can take. And the size of your thumb corresponds to the amount of fat you can use. 

3. Keep it simple

The acronym KISS (keep it simple and stupid) also applies to a healthy diet. You can of course decide to dive into the kitchen for two hours a day and prepare the most refined healthy meals there. However, experience shows that this is rarely successful. You last a week, then get too busy, and before you know it, you fall back into your old, unhealthy habits.

Keep it simple. Not only because you last longer, but also because it saves you stress and money. 

4. Plan ahead

We all secretly know. Planning takes no time, but saves you a lot of time and energy. By determining in advance what you are going to eat this week, you can do targeted shopping and you are prepared for a whole week. This prevents you from coming home from work in the evening and quickly ordering a pizza because you no longer feel like shopping. 

5. The 80/20 Rule

A healthy diet doesn't have to be perfect. That's why the 80/20 rule is very useful. It works very simply: if you eat 80% healthy, the other 20% doesn't really matter that much. There you have space to have a piece of cake, a hand of chips or a glass of wine every now and then. Occasional 'sinning' prevents obsessive healthy eating, and also helps to stay motivated.

It is of course important that the 80-20% ratio does not secretly become a 50-50% ratio. Therefore, keep a close eye on the proportions. Sometimes exchanging a healthy meal for a pizza is fine, but to do it every week…

6. Eat fewer calories

Losing weight is not possible without eating fewer calories . Moreover, not constantly overeating is much healthier for your digestion anyway. It is therefore important that your healthy diet is designed in such a way that it can be done properly.

Eating fewer calories can be done in very small steps. Just think: if you try to eat 100 kcal less every meal than you normally would, you will save about 300 kcal per day. That's enough to lose a few ounces a week.

You can also choose to delete eating moments. For example, do you know snack a lot between meals? Then you can quickly save calories by eating less in between meals. Or keep snacking, but make healthier choices. 

Furthermore, you often 'automatically' eat fewer calories if you opt for satiating food as much as possible. This makes you full faster and you need less food! 

7. Eat less fast sugars

If you want to eat fewer calories, it's important that all your calories have a function. What do we mean by that? Put simply: everything you eat must contribute something, for example by supplying vitamins or ensuring a feeling of satiety .

Calories that actually have no function are called empty calories and do not belong in a healthy diet. They are foods that actually do not contain any healthy substances and are not really filling either. So you might as well not eat them. These are the first calories you cut if you want to lose weight!

The most important empty calories are fast sugars: added sugars that are mainly found in processed foods. Sugar contains practically no nutrients and it is very filling. In fact, due to the rapid sugar peak, it makes you hungry again very soon after eating – so that you actually eat more.

Eating less sugar can therefore help you enormously to lose weight. The fastest way to achieve this is by snacking healthier and eating less ready-to-eat foods. Sweets and ready-to-eat meals contain the most sugars!

If you want to do it all right, you can also take a close look at the labels of other products. There is often more sugar in savory food than you think. But with sweets and ready-to-eat food you take the biggest first steps.

8. Eat More Fibre

Fibre actually does the opposite of sugar. They provide practically no calories, but they do make you feel more full. So that's a win-win if you want to lose weight! And fibre is one of the most important things you can eat for a healthy intestinal flora. Since health and illness can often be traced back to gut health, it is essential that you prioritise gut health in a healthy diet. 

Fibre is the reason why it is better to choose whole grains. They contain much more fibre than their 'white' equivalents. So always opt for whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, and so on. You will find that you need to eat much less of it to feel full!

Fibre is also found in other vegetable products, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts and legumes.

9. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Fruit and especially vegetables are really an asset to a healthy diet and to lose weight! They contain extremely few calories, even if you eat a lot of them. And they do help to prevent hunger.

Your daily 250 grams of vegetables often provides less than 100 kcal. It is certainly advisable to eat some more vegetables, because the following applies here: the more, the healthier. So be sure to eat a soup or salad for lunch, or nibble carrots or tomatoes in between.

Something similar applies to fruit, although to a lesser extent. Fruit provides a lot of fibre, which we now know is important. In addition, it is a bomb of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants .

Unfortunately, you cannot continue to eat fruit indefinitely. Many people suffer from fructose if they eat more than four or five pieces of fruit a day: that can cause stomach pains and intestinal complaints. 200 to 300 grams of fruit per day is a safe amount for almost everyone.

10. Eat more plant-based

In addition to fruit and vegetables, it is also important to regularly include other vegetable products in the menu. Not only because it makes it easier to lose weight, but also because it is healthier!

As we mentioned above, plant foods such as legumes, nuts and grains are packed with fibre. In addition, they are relatively lean, with the exception of nuts – which, however, are a very good supplier of healthy fats .

But on top of that, research shows that plant-based eating is very healthy in the long term. Many vegetables and legumes, for example, contain substances that improve your cholesterol levels and counteract inflammation in your body.

That doesn't mean you have to suddenly go vegan. But the vast majority of the Netherlands eat too much animal and too little vegetable. It is a good idea to vary it a bit more for both your weight and your health.

11. Eat Enough Protein

In addition to fibre, there is another category that is very important for satiety: that of proteins. Your body can only digest proteins slowly. This means that they remain in your stomach for a relatively long time after eating, resulting in longer satiety.

Do you not want to have to plan very extensively with your daily proteins? Then it often works well to simply choose a protein source the size of your palm with every meal. 

Animal protein sources include meat and meat products, fish, dairy and eggs . Plant sources include soy and legumes, nuts and whole grains. Some vegetables also contain a small amount of protein.

12. Snack healthier

We already mentioned it: snacks are a pitfall for many people. Even if you eat three super healthy meals a day: if you eat a bag of chips in between, you still won't lose weight.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't snack at all. In fact, snacks can be a great way to get extra protein or vegetables, for example. But then it is important that you choose healthy snacks !

Replace the biscuits, sweets and chips, for example, with whole-wheat toasts with lean toppings, raw vegetables with a dip or a piece of fruit. Or snack with a handful of nuts or a bowl of yoghurt. By making smarter choices, you avoid hunger between meals but you don't take in empty calories. 

You will also notice that when you make your main meals healthy and filling, the need to snack decreases. 

13. Drink water

Many people map out an extensive menu… and then forget to look at their drink. However, soft drinks in particular can be a source of hundreds of kcal per day.

What's up with that? Soft drinks are a hefty calorie bomb, and the same goes for alcohol . That wine with dinner is unfortunately not so innocent when you look at the effect on your weight… In addition, calories from drinking are much more satiating than calories from eating. This way you get in a lot more than you need without noticing.

We therefore recommend that you only drink drinks that provide (almost) no calories. Such as water and tea, or coffee with possibly a splash of milk. Diet soft drinks are doubtful: although they do not provide any calories, the sweet taste sometimes makes you still hungry for food. In addition, large amounts of sweeteners are also not healthy.

Alcohol and drinks with sugar are really not recommended if you want to lose weight. The same goes for full-fat dairy and other drinks made with cream.

14. Make rice and pasta from vegetables

There is nothing wrong with healthy carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and pasta. The problem is that we just eat too much of it. A tasty and healthy way to solve this is to (partly) replace your portion of rice or pasta with vegetable pasta. By this we mean rice or pasta made from vegetables.

You can find zucchini spaghetti in many shops these days. There are also pasta types that are made wholly or partly from lentils. Or how about cauliflower rice or cauliflower nasi? And instead of lasagna sheets you can use eggplant slices! 

The nice thing is that in this way you can still eat your favourite dishes in a healthy diet, but just a little differently. You will consume less carbohydrates and a lot more vegetables. Depending on your needs, you can choose to partially or even completely replace your pasta or rice.

15. Make a healthy sauce or dressing 

Sauces have a bad reputation when it comes to calories. And for a thick cheese sauce or bechamel sauce, this is right. These really only consist of fats and sugars.

But you can also make super healthy sauces! Just think of a delicious tomato sauce or a Provencal sauce that is only made with (fresh) vegetables. So try to replace the unhealthy sauces with healthy options whenever possible.

You can also easily make dressings more responsible. A jar of dressing from the store mainly consists of bad sugars and other added substances. But there are plenty of homemade alternatives. For example, mix some yogurt with mustard, or mix olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice for a very basic healthy choice. Also add herbs and other seasonings to your heart's content.

16. Banish unhealthy food from your home

A healthy diet comes naturally if you don't have unhealthy foods in the house and don't have to resist temptations. Surrounding yourself with fresh fruits and vegetables makes it easier to choose. And vice versa: if you don't have a slice of chocolate in the kitchen cupboard, you can't easily reach for it at a weak moment!

By always keeping healthy food (including snacks) in stock, you make healthy eating a lot easier for yourself. The moments when you are suddenly hungry are often fatal for a diet or a healthy lifestyle . If you then have a tasty apple or a handful of nuts at hand, the chance is a lot smaller that you succumb to an unhealthy temptation.

And if you don't have that temptation at all? Even better! Few people will cycle to the supermarket, especially to get a bag of chips.

17. Steam your food

We find it quite normal to bake most of our food. A healthy diet should contain enough healthy fats, but you don't have to fry everything all the time. By cooking butter or oil, you add relatively many calories to your meal. In addition, we often set our heat too high, causing the fats to oxidise and bad substances to form. 

When you steam your food, you don't have to use extra fat. You can not only steam vegetables, but also potatoes, meat and fish. To give your food sufficient power and taste, you can experiment with herbs. Lemon juice, soy sauce and other low-calorie seasonings are also recommended.

It may take some getting used to at first, but your taste quickly adapts to the subtler flavours of steamed food. You will find that you can taste much more of the uniqueness of your food. 

18. Have a healthy appetiser

Anyone who has difficulty limiting his or her portions can eat more as a solution. It sounds contradictory, but by eating more we mean that you can take an extra salad or soup as a starter, for example. A healthy diet should definitely not starve you. Most vegetables contain very few calories, but they do provide a feeling of fullness.

The consequence? You feel a lot fuller before you even start the main course. That makes it much easier to enjoy your main course in peace and leave that second portion. 

Make sure that you choose a relatively lean soup or salad. A soup to which large splashes of cream have been added does not help to reduce calories unnoticed. The same goes for a salad with a lot of cheese, fatty meat or a greasy dressing. Opt for lots of fresh vegetables and a leaner sauce.

19. Treat yourself to quality

If you don't feel like cooking or have something to celebrate, don't go for fast food. Unhealthy food gives you satisfaction for a while, but then you are left with messy intestines and extra weight on the counter. Instead, treat yourself with a trip to a good restaurant that really cooks with good, healthy ingredients.

Do you have something to celebrate and do you want to treat yourself? Then instead of that restaurant meal you can also choose ingredients that you normally find too expensive. When you choose quality, you not only consume fewer calories, you also taste your food more intensely and enjoy the unique flavours even longer. And anyone who thinks a healthy diet and losing weight is really important will probably pay an extra euro for it. 

20. Find Your Ideal Eating Schedule

A healthy diet can be approached in many ways. The traditional layout with three meals a day is certainly not ideal for everyone! For example, some people prefer to eat more often, with smaller meals.

Also see what is practical for you. When do you have a lunch break? Do you often eat out, and what healthy options can you conveniently take with you? When do you notice that you are hungry, and how can you cope with that?

In short: plan your meals in such a way that they work well for both your body and your practical planning. That way, the chance is a lot bigger that you stick to your healthy diet to lose weight!

21. Practice Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting means that you only eat between certain times. Most people choose to skip breakfast and eat only between, say, 12 noon and 8 p.m. By not eating breakfast, you can afford the rest of the day a little more. Moreover, such a prolonged fasting period also has positive effects on your hormones . 

Of course, be careful not to let yourself go completely during the hours in which you eat, because then you can still gain weight. Intermittent fasting is also not something you have to do every day. For example, you can choose to only fast when you know that you will eat more later in the day, or on days where you do not have intensive work. 

22. Cook Yourself

It is best to take a healthy diet into your own hands. So cook yourself as much as possible. This is one of the most important choices you can make to lose weight.

To start with, cooking yourself ensures that no 'sneaky' calories sneak onto your plate. Many ready-to-use products from the supermarket are full of unnecessary sugars and unhealthy fats. You will soon get a lot more than you think. By cooking yourself, you keep this in your own hands!

Moreover, people usually eat with much more attention if they have been in the kitchen themselves. And that in turn has major consequences for your satiety. The more slowly you eat, the better your body will realise that you have indeed eaten enough.

Fortunately, cooking yourself does not have to take long at all. Especially if you use pre-cut vegetables, for example, you can have a meal on the table within fifteen minutes. And then you're still cheaper than with a takeaway!

23. Change 1 thing 

Switching to a healthy diet and sustainable healthy lifestyle is not always easy. People often don't see the wood for the trees: what is allowed and what is not, how often you should eat, and what if you forget that handful of nuts a day...

But everyone can change one thing about their diet! So try to find one improvement and focus on that. Choose a "rule" that is simple, but can have a lot of impact. A few examples are:

Always good breakfastNo more drinking alcoholNo scooping extra portions (or just scooping extra vegetables)Replace white grains with whole grains where possible

You'll find that one adjustment quickly becomes a habit. And if it eventually goes pretty much by itself, you can add a new adjustment if you want! Soul Sante Cafe’s eating plans take everything into account. This makes the best meal plan and lifestyle a lot easier and more fun!

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