When you are enjoying sports, of course you want to feel fit and energetic. Nutrition provides you with the energy you need during exercise. But what is best to eat and drink before and after exercising? Is it necessary to eat something while exercising? And are supplements necessary? In this blog, we’ll tell you about it and give you some practical tips so you can get the best out of your sports performance!

A healthy foundation

Whatever your level or sport, a good foundation is always the most important thing. By eating healthy on a daily basis, you ensure that your body gets enough of all the important nutrients. Good guidelines for this are (1):

• At least 250g of vegetables daily
• Daily 2 servings of fruit (200g)
• Choose mostly whole grain cereal products
• Choose legumes, nuts and fish regularly
• Eat less processed or red meat
• Choose mostly unprocessed foods
• Watch your salt intake
• Preferably drink water, tea or coffee without sugar

When you exercise 2 or more times a week it is good to take this into account in your diet. You will need more energy and fluids. It is also good to watch your carbohydrate and protein intake. The best way to do this is explained below.

Eating before exercise

Before you exercise, you want to replenish your energy stores as far as possible. You do this by eating a good meal 2-3 hours before exercise. This will give your body enough time to absorb the energy.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main fuel for your body during exercise (2). Your body can convert the carbohydrates you get through your diet into glycogen and then store them in your muscles and liver.

By eating enough carbohydrates before exercising, you ensure that the carbohydrate stores in your body are filled to the maximum.

Meal 2-3 hours before exercise

So make sure the base of the meal you eat 2-3 hours before exercise is carbohydrates, supplemented with protein and healthy fats. Below are some examples of good meals to eat 2-3 hours before exercise:

• Sandwiches with egg, peanut butter or hummus
• Pasta with tomato sauce
• Oatmeal with fruit
• Rice with chicken or tofu

It is also important to drink enough before exercise. Try to get about half a liter (500 ml) of fluid at meals(3).

Snack just before exercise

Just before exercising, it’s best not to eat a large meal. Exercising on a full stomach can cause gastrointestinal problems. No one wants that. If you are still hungry just before exercising, you can choose a small easily digestible snack with mainly carbohydrates, such as:

• Banana
• Dried fruit, such as dates or raisins
• Sandwich with fruit spread
• Rice or corn wafers

Exercising on an empty stomach

Exercising on an empty stomach is a popular topic these days. Yet we advise against it. When you don’t eat prior to exercising, you have less energy available during exercise. Your carbohydrate stores are not maximized. This can cause you to be able to give less during exercise and also not last as long. When exercising more intensively, you will definitely notice this. If you like to exercise sober, this is also fine. Just keep in mind that you might be tired a little faster and make sure you eat enough afterwards.

Eating while exercising

If you exercise for less than 1.5 hours, it is usually not necessary to eat anything else during exercise (4). Drinking only water is then sufficient.

Do you exercise for longer than 1.5 hours? Then it is recommended to take extra carbohydrates during exercise (4). Choose something easily digestible, low in fiber and fat, so your body can absorb the carbohydrates quickly. Good options include:

• Banana
• Dates
• Isotonic sports drink
• Energy gel
• (Homemade) rice cake

Drink

During exercise, you lose extra fluids by sweating. It is therefore important to keep drinking well during exercise, especially when you exercise for longer than 1 hour. After exercise, you can check whether you have drunk enough via the color of your urine. Is it very dark? Then this is a sign that you should drink more next time.

Eating after exercise

Try to eat a good meal within a few hours of exercising. This could be your lunch or dinner, for example. In doing so, make sure the meal contains a combination of:

• Carbohydrates (e.g., pasta, rice, potato)
• Protein (e.g., chicken, egg, tofu, legumes)
• Healthy fats (e.g. olive oil, nuts, avocado)
• Vegetables (important for vitamins and minerals)

Carbohydrates

By eating carbohydrates after exercise, you ensure that the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver are replenished (2). This way, your body will also have enough energy available for the next workout.

Protein

Protein is important for recovering and building your muscles after exercise. Try to get about 20-40g of protein after a workout (2). Also during the rest of the day, it is good to make sure to eat something protein every 3-4 hours.

Tip: For example, have our delicious Protein smoothie with 19g of protein per bottle with your breakfast or lunch!

Protein before sleeping

Before sleeping, you can choose to eat another bowl of cottage cheese (250g) to support your muscle recovery during the night. Quark contains specific proteins (casein proteins) that your body absorbs slowly.

Do you need supplements?

In principle, a healthy basic diet is sufficient and you do not need extra food supplements(3). When you eat a healthy and varied diet you get enough of all vitamins and minerals. Tip: Sapje’s juices and shots can make a nice contribution to your daily intake of healthy nutrients!

However, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement during the dark fall and winter months. In addition, the recommendation is to take a vitamin B12 supplement if you eat vegan(5).

Conclusion

At the end of the day, a healthy base is always the most important thing for a good sports performance. In addition, if you exercise several times a week, you can pay attention to the amount of carbohydrates and protein you consume to provide additional support for your energy levels and muscle recovery. But also remember: everyone is different. The above are only guidelines. Test what works and feels right for you. After all, that’s the most important thing!

Sources:

1. Health Council. (2015). Guidelines for good nutrition 2015.
2. Kerksick, C. M., Arent, S., Schoenfeld, B. J., Stout, J. R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C. D., … & Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the international society of sports nutrition, 14(1), 33.
3. Nutrition Center (year unknown), Planning: eating and drinking around exercise. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/nl/thema/eten-bij-sport-en-beweging/planning-eten-en-drinken-rond-sportmomenten.aspx
4. Burke, L. M., Hawley, J. A., Wong, S. H., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of sports sciences, 29(sup1), S17-S27.
5. Nutrition Center (year unknown), Vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Accessed December 15, 2022. https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/encyclopedie/vitamine-b12.aspx

The beginning of a new year is the time for many people to make a fresh, healthy start. Have you made good resolutions for a healthy lifestyle? Then you are not the only one. As many as 80% of the Dutch have one or more resolutions at the beginning of the year (1). Living healthier is one of the most important goals. However, it is often difficult to keep these resolutions. In this blog we tell you what you can do to make your life healthier and how you can make sure you keep your resolutions.

Make a plan

Changing your behavior is difficult, especially when it comes to healthier living. therefore, in order to keep up your good resolutions for a healthy lifestyle, it is important to get it right. By setting achievable goals and making a concrete plan, the chances of success are much greater. In addition, it is important that you really want it. A useful tool is to make an if-then plan (2). This is a concrete plan in which you describe when, where and what/how you are going to achieve your goal. If situation X occurs, I will do Y.

For example, “If I sit on the couch in the evening and get hungry, I eat a piece of fruit.”

• When: In the evening when I get a craving
• Where: On the couch
• What/how: I eat a piece of fruit

Because your plan is already laid out, you don’t have to think about what you’re going to do at the moment. This allows you to execute your plan on autopilot and increases your chances of success. Start with a small change each time and work toward a healthier lifestyle step by step.

Healthy resolutions

Now you know how to make sure your healthy lifestyle resolutions don’t fail before January ends. Many people try a detox or start yet another diet. But what resolutions can you actually make to make your lifestyle healthier? A healthy lifestyle is a collection of many different factors. Nutrition and exercise, but also sleep and relaxation, for example. Below we give you 6 tips to make your life (even) healthier.

1. Nice exercise

Getting enough exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Not only is it important to keep your body healthy, but the substances released during exercise also contribute to your mental health. This does not mean that you have to hit the gym every day. Taking a nice walk with the dog, cleaning the house or working in the garden, for example, also count as exercise. Any form of exercise already has a positive effect (3).

Do you resolve to do more exercise or sports? Then choose something you really like, so that it is easier to keep up. Make a concrete plan. For example, agree with yourself that from now on you will always do your (small) shopping by bike or ask a friend to go to the gym together every Saturday morning at 10:00 am.

2. Eat consciously

Healthy eating helps you stay fit and healthy. By consciously thinking about what you eat and drink, you ensure that you are getting all the important nutrients. The basis of a healthy diet consists of (4):

• At least 250g of vegetables daily
• Daily 2 servings of fruit (200g)
• Choose mostly whole grain cereal products
• Choose legumes, nuts and fish regularly
• Eat less processed or red meat
• Choose mostly unprocessed foods
• Watch your salt intake
• Preferably drink water, tea or coffee without sugar

The occasional cookie or piece of cake is, of course, fine. The most important thing about a healthy diet is that you can stick with it. Do you want to eat healthier? Then make a clear plan of action with achievable small steps. For example, if your goal is to eat more vegetables, you could agree with yourself to drink a green smoothie with your breakfast every morning. Your if-then plan is then as follows: If I have breakfast in the morning, I will drink a green smoothie with it. Of course, you can continue to snack as long as you do so with healthy snacks.

3. Less stress

You probably know that too much stress is not good for your health. Yet with our current busy lives, reducing stress is often easier said than done. A healthier lifestyle is a good first step to reducing stress symptoms. Furthermore, you can use the following tips to create more relaxation in your life:

• Make time for things you enjoy more often
• (Re)discover new hobbies
• Get out into nature
• Read a book
• Ensure regularity in your day
• Try meditation. There are several good (free) apps you can use for this.
• Maintain social contacts, for example, meet with friends more often or join an association or club
• Go to bed on time
• Make sure your home is tidy

When stress symptoms interfere with your daily life, do not hesitate to seek help. This can be done through your primary care physician.

4. Get enough sleep

You probably recognize it: after a night with little sleep it is harder to concentrate, you feel lethargic and your mood is not at its best either. Sleeping well is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It not only makes you feel energetic, but sleep is also essential for many important processes in your body, such as your memory function, the functioning of your immune system and the processing of emotions (5).

Sleeping well starts with good sleep hygiene. The following tips can help you sleep better (6,7):

• Go to bed around the same time every day and also get up around the same time
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night
• Don’t take naps during the day
• Do not drink coffee or other substances containing caffeine in the evening
• Exercise regularly
• Do not drink alcohol before sleeping
• Try to relax an hour before you go to sleep, such as by reading a book or taking a bath
• Provide a dark room with a comfortable temperature
• Avoid noise, use earplugs if necessary
• Do not use screens starting one hour before bedtime (phone, laptop, etc.)

5. Handle alcohol consciously

Try to moderate your alcohol consumption and stick to a maximum of one glass of alcohol per day. Drinking alcohol is not good for your health. It increases the risk of illness and also reduces your sleep quality (4,8).

An if-then plan can also help when cutting down on alcohol. For example, agree with yourself: When I arrive at the party, I will have a glass of soda or water.

6. Less meat

Meat can certainly fit into a healthy diet. It provides several beneficial nutrients, such as protein, B vitamins and iron. However, eating too much processed and red meat can be detrimental to your health (4). In addition, meat production has a major impact on the environment. So by eating meat less often and choosing substitutes like legumes and nuts more often, you are doing both yourself and the earth a favor! We created 8 healthy and quick recipes including a few without meat.

Resources

1. Healthy good intentions are popular.(2016, Dec. 30). ING newsroom. https://nieuws.ing.nl/nl-NL/189746-gezonde-goede-voornemens-zijn-populair
2. Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in experimental social psychology, 38, 69-119.
3. Health Council. Exercise Guidelines 2017. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands, 2017; publication no. 2017/08.
4. Health Council. (2015). Good nutrition guidelines 2015.
5. Mukherjee, S., Patel, S. R., Kales, S. N., Ayas, N. T., Strohl, K. P., Gozal, D., & Malhotra, A. (2015). An official American Thoracic Society statement: the importance of healthy sleep. Recommendations and future priorities. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 191(12), 1450-1458.
6. Irish, L. A., Kline, C. E., Gunn, H. E., Buysse, D. J., & Hall, M. H. (2015). The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep medicine reviews, 22, 23-36.
7. Caddick, Z. A., Gregory, K., Arsintescu, L., & Flynn-Evans, E. E. (2018). A review of the environmental parameters necessary for an optimal sleep environment. Building and environment, 132, 11-20.
8. Koob, G. F., & Colrain, I. M. (2020). Alcohol use disorder and sleep disturbances: a feed-forward allostatic framework. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45(1), 141-165.

You can go in any direction with soup. From a nice warm pumpkin soup on a cold winter day, to a fresh gazpacho in the Spanish sun. Bright or creamy, nice and simple or rich, starter or main course. Because of the endless possibilities, everyone has a favorite soup. But is soup really healthy? And what are the benefits of healthy soup? We will tell you all about it in this article.

What is a healthy soup?

Soup can fit very well into a healthy diet. In fact, you can easily get a lot of vegetables with soup. A good bowl of vegetable soup quickly provides you with 100 grams of vegetables. This is almost half of the recommended daily intake of 250 grams of vegetables. Soup is also very filling and contributes nicely to your fluid intake.

But not all soups are equally healthy. How healthy a soup is depends on its ingredients. Soups with a lot of cream, salt, sugar or fatty meat are usually not so healthy. On the contrary, a healthy soup contains many ingredients such as:

• Vegetables
• Legumes, such as lentils or beans
• Herbs and spices
• Complex carbohydrate sources (potato, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice)

Vitamins and minerals in soup

Thanks to the vegetables, legumes, herbs and spices, you quickly get a lot of healthy vitamins and minerals in your soup. For example, these vitamins and minerals are important for your resistance, energy metabolism, concentration and muscle function.

When preparing foods, vitamins can be lost. For example, think of the green water when you cook broccoli. You then lose vitamins to the cooking liquid, which you then often flush down the drain. A big advantage of soup is that you preserve all the moisture. As a result, you lose a lot less nutrients. In addition, heating makes some nutrients more absorbable for our body. Think, for example, of beta-carotene, which is found a lot in orange vegetables, such as carrot and bottle squash(1).

A soup can also be a tasty and healthy snack, discover all the tips and tricks on healthy snacking in our blog.

Making your own healthy soup

Of course, when you make your own soup, you can make it as healthy as you like. Here are some helpful tips.

Use lots of vegetables

By using lots of vegetables, you ensure that your soup is packed with healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber. In addition, vegetables make the soup extra filling and add lots of flavor and texture.

Season with herbs and spices

Herbs and spices are great for adding more flavor to your homemade soups without having to use a lot of salt. Moreover, they also contain many healthy nutrients. For example, choose cumin, parsley or fresh basil.

Choose your ingredients smartly

The best advice for making a healthy soup is to make sure vegetables remain the main ingredient. But, of course, you can certainly add all kinds of other ingredients. Choose things you like, but above all, think about what kind of soup you want to make. Do you want a hearty soup? Then make a soup with lentils or potatoes, for example. Do you want more protein in your soup? Then pieces of meat, fish or an egg are also a great option. A small splash of cream can also be added if you like, but don’t overdo it.

Not in the mood for soup? Don’t feel like standing in the kitchen for a long time? Discover our top 8 quick and healthy dishes.

Do not cook longer than necessary

When the soup is heated, some vitamins may be partially lost. Vitamin C and folic acid are especially susceptible to this(2). By not cooking the soup too long, you ensure that as much vitamin C and folic acid as possible is preserved. Fortunately, the other vitamins and minerals are retained a lot better.

Is ready-made soup also healthy?

Extra salt, sugar and/or cream is often added to ready-made soups from a bag or can. You also regularly come across processed meat in ready-made soups. Think for example of pea soup with smoked sausage or tomato soup with meatballs. Of course this can be very tasty for a change, but to have this as a standard part of your diet is usually not the best choice.

Soups from Sapje

Of course, you can go ahead and make delicious healthy soups yourself. But you may not always have time for this or feel like it. At Sapje we have several healthy vegetable soups in our assortment. Our soups are always packed with vegetables and thus provide you with a lot of healthy nutrients. The 100% organic ingredients are carefully chosen and each soup is deliciously flavored with the best herbs and spices. Below is a list of our healthy soups:

• Tomato Soup
• Pumpkin Soup
• Zucchini Soup
• Celeriac Soup
• Sweet potato soup
• Vegetable broth

New! Bell pepper soup and cauliflower soup

Good news!!! We have now added two more delicious soups to our range. The red bell pepper soup has a warm sweet taste and a slightly spicy character thanks to the addition of the special aromatic pepper Piment d’Espelette. Our new cauliflower soup is a perfect warm-up for your body. The cheerful yellow color immediately catches your attention, and when you open the bottle, the delicious scents of the herbs and spices immediately meet you.

Soup cure

Do you want to use soups to let go of your old unhealthy habits and work toward a new lifestyle with healthy habits? Then our detox soup cure is for you. During the soup cure, you are consciously working on your daily diet for three days. It is an accessible way to step out of your normal pattern. Read more about our 3 day soup cure here.

Smoothies have a healthy image. After all, the colorful, creamy thirst-quenchers are bursting with fruits and vegetables. But are smoothies really that healthy? They certainly don’t always have to be! In fact, whether a smoothie is healthy varies quite a bit. How you can find out for yourself whether a smoothie is healthy and what are good moments to drink (or eat) a smoothie, you can read in this article!

What is healthy anyway?

Let’s start at the beginning. What is “healthy” anyway. On its own, you can’t say directly whether a product is healthy or not. It always depends on how much and how often you eat something. Your total diet and lifestyle ultimately determine whether something is “healthy” for you at that moment.

The composition of a healthy smoothie

Smoothies come in all shapes and sizes. The base usually consists of fruit and more is often added. Examples include vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and dairy, as well as sugar and cream. Therefore, the nutrients in a smoothie vary greatly.

Sapje from concentrate

Many ready-made smoothies are made from juice from concentrate. In this process, much of the water is first removed from the fruit juice. This way it is easier to transport the juice. The concentrate is later diluted with water to make fruit juice again. You can imagine that nutrients are also lost in this process, but all the fruit sugars are retained. Sapje from concentrate therefore contains a lot of sugar, but less healthy nutrients. Because of this, it is often not the healthiest option.

What about fresh fruit?

But what if you use only fresh fruit and no concentrate? Even then, smoothies are not always an immediately healthy choice. Fruit is of course super healthy because of all the vitamins and minerals, but it also naturally contains some sugars. When you add a lot of fruit to a smoothie, the amount of sugar can quickly add up. Moreover, you drink a smoothie much easier than if you were to eat all those pieces of fruit separately. A common example is the comparison between orange juice and oranges. A freshly squeezed orange juice of 4 oranges you drink without difficulty. But eating 4 whole oranges is a lot more challenging. This is mainly due to the difference in volume and the speed at which you eat or drink it. So you get more sugar and also energy much faster. When you want to lose weight, this is not so useful, but fanatical athletes or people who want to gain weight may actually be able to use this extra energy. As a general guideline, you can choose to add a maximum of 2 pieces of fruit to your smoothie.

Vegetables in your smoothie

Vegetables are often added to a smoothie. This is almost always a good idea! After all, vegetables are full of healthy nutrients and contain very little energy. The advice of the Health Council of the Netherlands is to eat 250 grams of vegetables daily. Unfortunately, only 6% of the Dutch people manage to achieve ^this1. So there is a lot to be gained. Smoothies with lots of vegetables can help you boost your daily vegetable intake.

Proteins and fats

So the basis of a healthy smoothie is about 1-2 pieces of fruit with a good amount of vegetables. This way you have a delicious snack or nutritious thirst quencher. Are you planning to use your smoothie as a meal? Then you can also add extra protein and healthy fats. For extra protein, for example, you can use (vegetable) yogurt, cottage cheese or milk. Beans are also a super good way to add extra protein, vitamins and fiber to your smoothie. If you also want to add healthy fats, nuts, seeds and kernels are a great option! These provide lots of vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fats in addition to protein. Avocado and peanut butter are also great for adding extra healthy fats to your smoothie.

This is what a healthy smoothie contains

So what makes a healthy smoothie depends a bit on your personal needs and goals. However, there are certainly some things you can look out for. In general, a healthy smoothie can contain the following components:

• Fruit (1-2 pieces)
• Vegetables (100-200 grams)
• Protein (e.g. (vegetable) milk, yogurt or beans)
• Healthy fats (e.g., nuts, seeds, avocado)
• Whole grain cereals (e.g., oatmeal or whole wheat flakes)
• Herbs and spices (e.g., cinnamon, turmeric or ginger)

In addition, it is good to make sure that fruit juice from concentrate has not been used or a lot of extra sugars or cream has been added. Extra tip: You can also eat your smoothie with a spoon. That way you can enjoy it longer and it is more filling.

Sample recipe healthy breakfast smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 100 grams of blueberries
• 100 grams of kale
• 250 ml of soy milk
• handful of cashew nuts
• 5 tablespoons of oatmeal
• ^1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Put all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Ready you are to enjoy a delicious nutritious breakfast!

Don’t feel like standing in the kitchen yourself? Opt for Sapje’s smoothies!

So ready-made smoothies from the supermarket are often not the healthiest choice. Fortunately, at Sapje, we approach this differently. We use only fresh, organic and pure ingredients. Our smoothies are packed with vegetables, nuts, seeds and pits and we add just enough fruit to give the smoothie a delicious taste. With additional herbs and spices, we provide an even richer taste experience.

After preparation, our smoothies are immediately frozen in the shock freezer. This not only preserves best the color, taste and smell, but also the many nutrients. So you can enjoy a deliciously fresh smoothie at home every day.

Smoothies from Sapje

Our Green smoothie contains no less than 6(!) types of vegetables, making it ideal as a nutritious snack or refreshing thirst quencher. The Breakfast smoothie speaks for itself, of course. But this chocolate smoothie is also excellent for lunch. The combination of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats, makes for a balanced meal. Finally, we have our protein-rich Protein smoothie. This smoothie contains a whopping 19 grams of protein per bottle. Ideal around exercise or as a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

Resources

1. RIVM. (2018). Food consumption survey 2012-2016.

You may know folic acid as the vitamin that is important for women around pregnancy. This is because this vitamin contributes to the growth and development of the unborn child. But women without a desire to have children and men also need enough folic acid. This is because folic acid is a vitamin, which means that this substance is essential for your health, but that you cannot make it yourself, or not enough of it. Therefore, it is important to get enough through your diet. Find out what folic acid does in your body and how to get enough of it naturally in this blog!

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is also known as folate or vitamin B11 (and as if that wasn’t confusing enough, in America, Germany and France they call it vitamin B9). Folate and folic acid are actually two different forms of vitamin B11. In your diet, this vitamin occurs only as folate (a group of different polyglutamate compounds). But because natural folates are very unstable, they cannot be used in supplements(1). Hence, supplements always contain a synthetic and more stable form: folic acid.

What does folic acid do in your body?

In addition to the role folate plays during pregnancy, it has numerous other functions in your body. Below are some of folate’s most important functions:

• Helps in the normal functioning of your immune system.
• Contributes to the production of cells and tissues (cell division).
• Is involved in memory, concentration and learning ability.
• Has a role in the production and breakdown of homocysteine.
• Helps to reduce fatigue.
• Supports the production of red and white blood cells.
• Contributes to the growth of the unborn child during pregnancy.

Since folate is a water-soluble vitamin, it cannot be stored properly in your body. So it is important to get enough of it daily.

How much folic acid do you need daily?

The amount of folic acid you should take daily depends on your age and whether you are or want to become pregnant.

Anyone 14 years and older

From the age of 14, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 300 µg of folate. In principle, a healthy and varied diet is sufficient to ingest this amount.

Pregnant women

For women planning to become pregnant, the advice is to get 400 µg of folate from food daily from 4 weeks prior to pregnancy until 10 weeks into pregnancy, in addition to taking a daily supplement of 400 µg of folic acid.

Breastfeeding women

For breastfeeding women, the recommendation is to get 400 µg of folate per day through the diet.

Can you also ingest too much folic acid?

Getting too much folic acid through your diet does not seem possible. However, high doses via supplements can lead to an excess(1). It is therefore important to be conscious about taking supplements. A folic acid supplement is a must if you want to have children, but other than that it is good to focus on a good intake through your diet. That way, you can be sure to get all the health benefits without risking taking in too much.

Folic acid in food

Vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals, legumes, organ meats, eggs and dairy are the main sources of folate in our diet. Green leafy vegetables are especially high in folate. Eating a healthy and varied diet will ensure that you get enough of this important vitamin daily. The table below shows some examples of good sources of folate.

Folic acid in food

*Source: NEVO-online version 2021/7.0

Loss of folate during preparation

Folate in food is quite unstable. When this vitamin comes into contact with high temperatures, light or oxygen, some of it is quickly lost. For example, 3.5 minutes of cooking spinach already causes a 51% decrease in folate. In the case of broccoli, after 10 minutes of cooking it is even 56%(2). In contrast, steaming these vegetables does not cause a loss of folate. It also helps to combine folate-rich vegetables with vitamin C, as this vitamin counteracts the breakdown of folate(3).

Folic acid in vegetable juices

Our vegetable juices are an excellent way to get extra folate. In addition to the fact that the fresh vegetables in our juices are themselves rich in folate, the juices also contain a lot of vitamin C, which helps preserve folate. Also, our juices are frozen immediately after preparation so that all vitamins are extra well preserved. Below you can see which of our juices you can choose best if you want to get extra folic acid in a natural way. You can also choose to do a detox to get enough folic acid.

*RI=Reference intake

January 2022

With a detox , you kickstart a healthier lifestyle. For example, to get rid of your addiction to sugar, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco or junk food. By being very conscious of your diet during a juice cleanse, you break a pattern of unhealthy eating and drinking. Read the full article on their website .

“Free radicals” is a term you see thrown around a lot in health circles. Do you ever wonder what exactly free radicals are and what they do in your body? In this blog, we take a closer look at the effects of free radicals on your health. Among other things, we discuss:

• What free radicals actually are
• How free radicals are created
• How free radicals function in your body
• When free radicals can cause damage to your body
• What the possible consequences of free radical damage are
• How your body counters this damage by creating antioxidants
• What antioxidants there are and what is known so far about their effects
• What you can do yourself to support your body in protecting against free radical damage

Read on quickly!

What are free radicals?

First, let’s address the question of what free radicals are. Free radicals are aggressive substances that are naturally released by various processes in your body. Very simply put, free radicals are created when your body uses oxygen to generate energy. They are therefore sometimes referred to as “oxidants” and exist in different forms(1).

How do free radicals form?

Free radicals are a natural byproduct of various bodily functions, including your immune system. They are also created during activities that are basically necessary or good for you, such as your digestion and exercise. Free radicals can also be released when you experience a lot of stress. Your body also produces free radicals when exposed to external factors such as air pollution, cigarette smoke and sunlight(2). In addition, free radicals can be released when there is inflammation in your body. So although free radicals are natural byproducts of everyday bodily processes, they can be harmful to your health.

How do free radicals function in your body?

“Free radicals” is a collective term for molecules and atoms that have become unstable because they contain an odd number of electrons in their outer layer, when it should be an even number. Free radicals deprive nearby tissues or cells of electrons in an attempt to stabilize themselves(3). In some cases, this can lead to damage to these cells and tissues.

When can free radicals cause damage to your body?

Free radicals can damage healthy cells and tissues when too many free radicals are present in the body or in a particular part of the body. In this way, an excess of free radicals can have negative effects on our health(5).

Are free radicals just bad for you?

No, free radicals are not just harmful to your health. In some cases, free radicals actually have a positive effect. For example, they are used by your immune system in fighting germs. They also play a role in getting rid of proteins damaged during physical exertion(8). Moreover, your body is basically made to deal with free radicals in a good way. So it is only when there are too many of them (in one place) that your body can lose control and a chain reaction can occur that can cause oxidative damage.

How does the body counteract oxidative damage?

The body counteracts oxidative damage by making so-called antioxidants, or deriving them from certain forms of food. Antioxidants help clear free radicals by providing them with the electrons they need. Free radicals thus lose the need to borrow them from healthy cells and tissues that cannot actually spare the electrons. Because of their special composition, antioxidants can donate electrons without becoming unstable and turning into free radicals themselves. Moreover, antioxidants can play a role in supporting the health of body cells(9).

What antioxidants are there?

The name “antioxidants” refers to hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of substances that can clean up free radicals. They come in different forms. Antioxidants can be produced by the body itself, or derived from food. Vitamins C and E, for example, are counted among antioxidants, as are trace elements and minerals such as selenium, manganese and zinc.

Proven health benefits of antioxidants from food

Meanwhile, the antioxidant effects of vitamins B1, C and E, selenium, zinc, copper and manganese are clearly scientifically substantiated. For the health benefits of many other antioxidants, especially the numerous bioactive compounds, the evidence is not yet always unequivocal. For example, while you can sometimes see in trials that they eliminate free radicals in a test tube, they have not yet been proven to have the same effect in the human body. It also depends, for example, on the body’s ability to absorb an antioxidant. Also, the antioxidant must get to the right place (where too many free radicals are present) to perform its function. Whether it does so is difficult to determine in this way(12). Moreover, a certain substance functions in some situations as an antioxidant (a provider of electrons), but in other circumstances as a pro-oxidant (taker of electrons)(13). This also makes it more difficult to determine exactly what the health effect of a specific antioxidant may be. Read more about the benefits of antixodants here .

The effects of eating fruits and vegetables on oxidative damage

Several studies have shown that eating larger amounts of vegetables and fruits rich in antioxidants can help protect cells from oxidative damage. So while there is clear evidence that eating these fruits and vegetables can support your body in protecting against free radical damage, it is not yet clear exactly why. For example, it is difficult to say whether it is due to the antioxidants alone, or whether other components of fruits and vegetables also play a role (14). It is probably precisely a combination of nutrients that is responsible for the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Either way, eating enough fruits and vegetables is a good way to support your body in the fight against free radicals and other important processes in the body. Here’s how to easily eat more fruits and vegetables.

What antioxidants do you find in which fruits and vegetables?

Below is an overview of the best-known antioxidants and the fruits and vegetables in which you will find them.

Vitamin C occurs naturally in such foods as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, citrus fruits, beets, cauliflower, kiwi, strawberries, sweet potato, tomatoes and peppers.

Vitamin E can be found in avocado, (chard) beets, turnips, red peppers and spinach (in cooked form).

Vitamin B1, selenium, zinc, copper and manganese are found in grains, seeds, nuts, legumes and animal products such as fish and shellfish, (beef) meat, chicken, brown rice, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas and lentils. These antioxidants are also found in various vegetables, but often in slightly lower amounts than in the foods mentioned above(15),(16),(17),(18).

Can you get antioxidants from supplements, too?

To date, there is no scientific evidence of the health benefits of antioxidant supplements. They may even be harmful to your health if you take too much of them and actually increase the risk of certain serious conditions ( 16). In addition, they may interact with any medications you take. In contrast, there is no evidence that antioxidants from foods can be harmful. In fact, there is a chance that antioxidants from fruits and vegetables work better than supplements because they contain combinations of nutrients that enhance each other’s effects. In addition, supplements often contain only one antioxidant, while each antioxidant also has unique properties that cannot be replaced by other forms. Some antioxidants, such as vitamin E, also exist in different varieties themselves. Whereas vitamin E supplements usually consist only of alpha-tocopherol, you can find as many as 8 types of vitamin E in food. This is another reason why it is advisable to get antioxidants from food as much as possible and, for example, choose fruits and vegetables in such a way that you get different types of antioxidants. ( 17)

What antioxidants can you find in vegetable juices?

Drinking organic, slowjuice vegetable juices is an easy way to get many different types of antioxidants, as one juice often contains many different fruits and vegetables. For example, the juices Detox, Wild, Fresh and the ginger shot are good sources of manganese. The Sunny and Power juices and the Protect shot are rich in vitamin C. In Boost, you will find vitamin C, B1, copper and manganese, among others. Recharge is a source of vitamin B1, copper, manganese and zinc and Recover is rich in copper and manganese. Then, of course, there is the shot of Antioxidant, which is specially formulated from natural sources of many different types of antioxidants. It is rich in vitamin E and vitamin C, among others. Because we make our vegetable juices from the best organic vegetables and fruits, press them with the slow juicer and then freeze them immediately, you can count on them still containing many of the healthy nutrients from the whole vegetables and fruits.

When you hear calcium, you may quickly think of milk and other dairy products. But dairy is certainly not the only source of this important mineral. Vegetables are also a valuable provider of calcium for your body. Why you need calcium, how much calcium you should get daily, and which foods are high in calcium are all explained in this blog!

What functions does calcium have in your body?

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies. As much as 2% of your body weight is made up of calcium, 99% of which is found in your bones and teeth(1,2). Besides being important for keeping your bones and teeth strong, calcium also plays a role in the contraction of your muscles and the transmission of impulses in your nerve cells. But calcium is involved in many more essential processes in our body. Below is an overview of the main functions of calcium in your body:

• Maintain strong bones and teeth
• Involved in muscle function
• Good for nerve function
• Promotes digestion
• Supports energy metabolism
• Contributes to normal blood clotting
• Plays a role in cell division

So to maintain a fit and healthy body, it is definitely important to get enough calcium!

How much calcium do you need daily?

The amount of calcium you need depends on the status of calcium metabolism in your body(2). This is regulated by 3 mechanisms, namely:

• The absorption of calcium through your intestines
• The reabsorption of calcium from your kidneys
• The build-up and breakdown of calcium stores in your bones

In addition to being important for the structure of your bones, your bones also play a role as a store of calcium. Your body can tap into this store when you take in less calcium through diet.

Especially your age plays an important role in the amount of calcium you need daily. Both children and the elderly have an extra high need for calcium. This has to do with the body’s calcium balance.

Children

Children have a positive calcium balance. This means that more calcium is stored in the body than is excreted. This is because calcium is important for building and developing bones during growth. During this period it is especially important to get enough calcium so that the bones can fully develop.

Daily recommendation calcium (children 0-8 years): 450-700mg

Daily recommendation calcium (children 9-17 years): 1100-1200mg

Adults

In healthy adults there is a neutral calcium balance. As much calcium is stored in the bones as is broken down. By getting enough calcium through your diet, you ensure that your bones remain strong.

Daily recommendation calcium (18-60 years): 950-1000mg

Elderly

As you age, calcium absorption in the intestines and kidneys decreases(3). In women over 50 and men over 70, this decreased absorption causes more calcium to be withdrawn from the bones, creating a negative calcium balance. In other words, more calcium is broken down than is built up. Building strong bones at a younger age provides a good starting point for maintaining strong bones later in life. Physical exercise and stress on the bones also helps maintain strong bones, as does a higher dietary calcium intake.

Adequate intake (women >50, men >70): 1100-1200mg

Vitamin D and calcium

Vitamin D also plays an important role in calcium metabolism. In fact, this vitamin helps with the absorption of calcium from your diet and increases calcium absorption in your bones(1). So for optimal calcium metabolism, it is also important to have enough vitamin D available. You make this vitamin yourself when your skin comes in contact with sunlight. By spending 15-30 minutes daily in the sun with your face and hands uncovered, you generally make enough vitamin D. But for several groups, the Health Council also recommends taking a supplement. This applies, for example, to young children, people with dark skin color and women over 50 and men over 70.

What foods are high in calcium?

Milk and milk products are, of course, a well-known source of calcium. For this reason, they are often advised within a healthy diet. But vegetables, grain products, legumes and nuts also contribute to your daily calcium intake. Especially when you have little or no intake of dairy products, these products can be a good source of calcium.

Calcium-rich foods

*Source: NEVO-online version 2019/6.0

Increase your calcium intake with vegetable juices

Since calcium is also present in various vegetables, drinking vegetable juices can also be a good way to get extra calcium (and, of course, other vitamins and minerals). We at Sapje have a number of vegetable juices in our range that excel in their calcium content. In particular, our Detox juice is a real winner when it comes to calcium. One bottle already provides you with 100% of the daily reference intake (RI) of this mineral. But fuel, seasons and support are also remarkably rich in calcium. Below is an overview of our juices with the most calcium.

*RI=Reference intake

Conclusion

So getting enough calcium daily is important not only for your bones, but also for many other processes in your body. Besides the better-known sources of calcium, such as milk and cheese, vegetables can also make a good contribution to your calcium intake. Our vegetable juices make it extra easy to get enough calcium daily. In addition, of course, they provide many other good nutrients. So be sure to take a look at the juices order page.

Iron is a mineral that occurs naturally in our diet and is incredibly important for your health. But what does iron actually do in your body? How much iron do you need? And what foods can you eat to get enough iron? In this blog, we tell you everything you need to know about iron.

What does iron do in your body?

You may have already known that iron is important for your health. In fact, iron is an essential nutrient, which means you should get enough of it through your diet. The mineral is involved in many different processes in our body. Among other things, it helps in the normal formation of hemoglobin. This is the protein responsible for the color of your red blood cells. In addition, iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in your body. Other important functions of iron are:

• Promotes your energy metabolism
• Supports your immune system
• Contributes to the production of cells and tissues
• Helps to reduce fatigue
• Good for your memory and concentration

How much iron do you need?

The amount of iron you need daily depends on your age and gender. This is because women of childbearing age lose more iron through blood loss during menstruation. Hence, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron for women of childbearing age is 16 mg per day, while it is 11 mg for post-menopausal women and men.

Your diet and lifestyle can also affect your iron requirements. For example, if you eat vegetarian or vegan, it is more difficult to absorb enough iron. We’ll tell you more about this in the next section. It can also be a challenge for people who exercise fanatically to absorb enough iron. After heavy training or competition, your body absorbs less iron. This is because after exercise, the protein hepcidin is released, which inhibits the absorption of iron. This makes your body less able to absorb iron after exercise.

What does iron contain?

There are 2 types of iron found in foods: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is the iron bound to hemoglobin. You find this form only in animal products, especially in meat and fish. Plant foods contain only non-heme iron. An important difference between these two forms of iron is that heme iron is much more absorbable than non-heme iron. Your body absorbs about 25% of heme iron and only 1-10% of non-heme iron. Although with an average diet you only get 10% of your total iron intake from heme iron, the higher absorption does ensure that heme iron contributes the most to your iron supply. When you eat little or no animal products, you generally get less iron. For vegetarians and vegans, it is therefore good to take this into account.

Iron-rich foods

Good sources of heme iron (animal products)*:

Good sources of non-heme iron (plant products)*:

*Source: NEVO-online version 2019/6.0

Improve absorption of non-heme iron

What your diet looks like affects not only how much iron enters your body, but also how much you actually absorb. In fact, there are several nutrients that can affect iron absorption. The most important of these is vitamin C. This vitamin helps absorb non-heme iron from your diet. Thus, by adding vitamin C to a meal, you can ensure that your body absorbs more iron.

There are also foods that can actually counteract iron absorption. For example, the polyphenols in coffee and tea reduce the absorption of non-heme iron. So to improve iron absorption, it’s best to avoid drinking coffee or tea around your meals. Phytates (or phytic acid) from grains and legumes also reduce the absorption of non-heme iron. Finally, the mineral calcium also reduces the absorption of iron, both heme and non-heme iron.

Promotes iron absorption:

• Vitamin C

Adverse to iron absorption:

• Polyphenols in coffee and tea
• Phytate in grains and legumes
• Calcium

Increase your iron intake with vegetable juices

Although vegetables contain the less absorbable non-heme iron, they can still make an important contribution to your daily iron needs. So by eating more vegetables, you can give your iron intake a good boost. Green leafy vegetables are especially high in iron. In addition, vegetables are often rich in vitamin C, further increasing iron absorption. An easy way to get extra vegetables (and thus iron and vitamin C) is to drink vegetable juices. At Sapje, we have several vegetable juices that are high in iron and vitamin C. Our Detox juice, for example, contains a lot of chard and spinach, which means that with just one juice you already get 24% of the daily reference intake (RI) of iron and 120% of the RI of vitamin C. Our Fuel juice is also a real winner when it comes to iron. Below is an overview of our juices with the highest iron content.

Conclusion

Iron is thus an important mineral for staying healthy and fit. Among other things, it plays a role in the production of red blood cells, oxygen transport in your body and the functioning of your immune system. In general, you can get enough iron by eating a healthy and varied diet. But for women of childbearing age, vegetarians and avid athletes, it can be more difficult. By consciously paying attention to eating iron-rich foods and adding vitamin C to meals, you can increase your iron intake. Sapje’ s vegetable juices can help you do just that. And in addition, they also provide numerous other health benefits

That eating enough vegetables is healthy, you probably knew. Most of us are told that from a young age. But how many vegetables should you actually eat per day for good health? In this article you will discover how many grams of vegetables per day are considered “healthy” in the Netherlands and other Western countries. In addition, we discuss:

• the health benefits of eating vegetables
• How many people actually eat enough vegetables
• Which forms of vegetables are called “healthy”
• How to easily eat more vegetables a day yourself
• What else you can consider when choosing your daily serving of vegetables

Vegetables as part of a healthy diet

That proper nutrition is essential for a long and healthy life has long since ceased to be news. Not for nothing has Het Voedingscentrum, the government-backed advisory agency on nutrition, been around for 80 years, since 1941. For example, this center is responsible for creating the famous “Disk of Five,” which you can use to see if your daily menu is made up of the right amounts of the following foods:

• fruits and vegetables
• lubricating and cooking fats
• dairy, nuts, legumes, meat and egg
• bread, cereal products and potatoes
• beverages

So the Disk of Five makes it clear what nutrients you need to take in on a daily basis to have enough energy and to get and/or stay healthy. In this article we focus on the first category: vegetables. How much should you eat, which types of vegetables fall within the Dishes of Five and how do you get that amount?

What is a healthy amount of vegetables per day?

The Nutrition Center considers a minimum of 250 grams of vegetables per day to be a healthy amount for adults. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of varying the types of vegetables you eat. After all, each vegetable has a different composition of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. By varying your daily portion of vegetables, you ensure that your body gets all the nutrients it needs to function properly. Do you think 250 grams of vegetables a day is a lot? Then it might be nice to know that other European countries recommend even larger amounts of vegetables. For example, the High Health Council in Belgium recommends that the population eat 300 grams of vegetables a day. Several other countries, such as Great Britain, Germany and France, recommend 5 servings of vegetables and fruits of at least 80 grams per day. They thus follow the WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations, also known as “5-a-Day.” So that already gets you to 400 grams of vegetables a day.

What do vegetables do for your health?

Vegetables play an important role in maintaining good health. Most vegetables are low in calories, so even in large quantities they are not likely to cause obesity. At the same time, vegetables contain a variety of healthy nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for all kinds of physical and mental processes, from thinking and exercise, for example, to supporting your immune system and renewing body cells. According to the Nutrition Center, it is therefore necessary to eat enough vegetables every day to stay healthy.

How many vegetables does the average Dutch person eat per day?

So the Dutch Nutrition Center advises adults to eat 250 grams of vegetables a day. But how many people actually reach that amount? A RIVM study published in 2020 found that 1-79 year olds who participated in the food consumption survey in the period 2012-2016 ate an average of 129 grams of vegetables per day. On its website, the Voedingscentrum talks about an average consumption of 131 grams of vegetables per day. Even in Belgium, the recommended amount of vegetables per day is not met by a large part of the population. According to a 2014 food consumption survey, the average Belgian between the ages of 3 and 65 ate about 145 grams of vegetables per day.

Vegetables from the Disk of Five

So, on average, Dutch people eat less vegetables than they need to live a healthy life. In addition, not all the vegetables eaten fit within the five-slice scale, because they were supplemented with nutrients that do not contribute to good health, such as high salt or sugar. If you look specifically at the consumption of vegetables that do fit within the Five, the daily quantity of vegetables per person was only 114 grams per day. A little further on in this article you can read which vegetables do fit within the five-step scale, so that you can choose them if necessary.

How many people ate enough vegetables?

According to the poll, only 5% of the population between the ages of one and 79 ate a healthy amount of vegetables that fit within the Disk of Five. Young children between the ages of one and three still came closest to the amount recommended for them. 39% of little ones did eat enough vegetables. Among adolescents (14-18 years old) and young adults (19-30 percent), vegetable consumption was lowest. Only 0 to 1% of those in these age groups ate enough vegetables per day.

Which vegetables are labeled “healthy”?

When the Nutrition Center talks about 250 grams of vegetables per day, it is talking about specific forms of vegetables. Of course, you can package, store and prepare vegetables in different ways, and that affects the amount of healthy nutrients you get. According to the Nutrition Center, in some cases so little remains of vegetables’ original nutrients that they do not contribute (enough) to good health. In other cases, they are supplemented with nutrients that can actually be unhealthy. So which forms of vegetables can you count when aiming for 250 grams of vegetables a day? The RIVM report mentions, among others:

• Unprocessed, fresh vegetables
• Frozen vegetables
• Canned vegetables
• Pureed vegetables
• Dried vegetables without added salt and sugar

Vegetables with added sugar or salt are not counted as part of The Disk of Five and therefore you cannot count them towards your daily dose of 250 grams of vegetables per day.

How can you easily eat more vegetables?

Would you like to boost your daily vegetable consumption? Then try adding some vegetables at breakfast or lunch as well. Some vegetables, such as carrots, small tomatoes, cucumber or peppers, also do very well as snacks. Need some inspiration? Then take a look here! On Veggipedia you will also find plenty of information about more than 475 kinds of vegetables and fruits, with handy recipes. This makes variation a lot easier. With this tool you can see what your personal vegetable needs are and get suggestions for a daily menu that fits them.

Extra tip: You can also follow a detox , Juice’s juice cure contains more than 9 pounds of organic vegetables.

Tip: Eat vegetables from the season!

At Sapje, in addition to organic vegetables, we also like to choose local vegetables from the season. These are often tastier, fresher, and more sustainable, as less energy is usually required to grow and transport them. Would you like to eat as many seasonal fruits and vegetables as possible, but find it difficult to determine which vegetables to eat and when? Here you can find more information with a handy drop down menu per season!

How do you preserve the healthy nutrients from vegetables? 5 tips

Would you like to benefit from the many healthy properties of vegetables? Then it’s smart to take another look at how you buy, store, prepare and consume vegetables. Here are 5 handy tips to get you started:

• Eat fresh vegetables as soon as possible. Depending on the variety, vegetables lose (some of their) healthy nutrients as early as 2 days.
• Do you buy pre-cut vegetables? Then it’s wise to eat them the day you buy them. Even if you cut your own vegetables, it’s smart not to wait too long before eating them. Once cut, many vegetables lose healthy nutrients.
• Vary with raw and cooked vegetables. Fresh vegetables usually contain more nutrients, but from cooked vegetables your body can sometimes absorb them better.
• Do not cook your vegetables longer than necessary. This is because up to 50% of the vitamins can be lost in the process, which is obviously a waste. Steaming and blanching are ways to prepare vegetables that retain more healthy nutrients. Also, with these preparation methods you often preserve the flavor and color better.
• Do not store cucumber, tomato and bell bell pepper in the refrigerator. Many fresh vegetables keep better in the refrigerator, but these varieties can actually spoil due to cold. Want to know more about how best to store your favorite vegetables? Then this is a helpful resource!

Find more great tips and information about vegetables here!

Can you replace vegetables with vitamin pills?

Do you find it difficult to eat enough vegetables and wonder if vitamin pills can have the same positive effects on your health as vegetables? Then we have to disappoint you: they do not. According to the Nutrition Center, it is clear that eating enough fruits and vegetables can help you stay healthy, but too much knowledge is still lacking as to why. It is suspected that certain combinations of nutrients provide the positive effects, but the exact proportions are too unclear to make vitamin pills whose effects are exactly the same. Moreover, vegetables contain more healthy components, such as bioactive compounds and fiber, that a vitamin pill cannot provide. On top of that, vitamin pills sometimes contain such high doses of certain nutrients that using them can also lead to surpluses of certain vitamins and minerals. This can actually be detrimental to your health.

Can you count vegetable juice toward your daily serving of vegetables?

Vegetable juice is basically not counted by the Nutrition Center with the vegetables that fall within the Disk of Five. An explanation about vegetable juice on the center’s website shows that vegetable juice is considered a sugary drink and is therefore not labeled as healthy. Of course, there is a lot of vegetable juice for sale that contains additives such as sugar, salt or preservatives, but that is certainly not true of all vegetable juices.

Fiber

Also, vegetable juice would “usually contain smaller amounts of fiber” than vegetables in their original form. In many cases, this is indeed true. With vegetable juicing, an amount of the natural dietary fiber is lost, and vegetables are an important source of fiber that the body needs. So you can’t say that drinking vegetable juice can completely replace eating vegetables when it comes to beneficial properties for your health. Do you enjoy drinking vegetable juices? Then make sure you eat enough vegetables in addition to that to get enough fiber. You need about 30-40 grams of this per day, according to The Nutrition Center. Besides vegetables and fruits, whole grain bread, potatoes, cereals, nuts and legumes are also good sources of dietary fiber.

Vitamins and minerals

According to the Nutrition Center, vegetable juice is said to contain fewer vitamins and minerals than fresh vegetables, such as vitamin C and folic acid. It is important to note, however, that one vegetable juice is not the other. Vegetable juice made from concentrate (vegetable puree supplemented with water) is generally not fresh and less rich in healthy nutrients than vegetable juice made from fresh vegetables.

What makes Sapje’s vegetable juices healthy?

• Lots of fresh vegetables: Sapje’s vegetable juices are always made with 370-420 grams of fresh, raw and organic vegetables per bottle.
• Pressed with the slow juicer: By pressing the vegetables with the slow juicer in a refrigerated environment, many healthy nutrients are retained extremely well. Moreover, this way of pressing vegetables makes the nutrients from raw vegetables more absorbable by your body.
• Frozen: Because the juices are then immediately frozen, few vitamins and minerals are also lost.
• No additives: No preservatives are necessary because the juices are frozen, and no salt or sugar is added to the vegetable juices. The juices consist of at least 85% vegetables, supplemented with nothing but organic fruits, herbs and spices.
• Glass Bottles: By storing our juices in glass bottles, we preserve the nutrients well and prevent unwanted particles from getting into the juice. A glass bottle does not give off anything to its contents.

In short, we work with lots of fresh vegetables to which no salt, sugar or preservatives have been added. We also choose a production method, preservation method and packaging that preserve nutrients well. This means that in many ways Sapje’s vegetable juices do meet the recommendations of the Nutrition Center. Here you can read more about what we do to make healthy vegetable juice!

Vegetable juice as a supplement to a healthy diet

As healthy as our vegetable juices are, they cannot serve as a complete replacement for eating fresh vegetables. Still, you can consider them a very good addition to your diet when it comes to micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds. This is also because they are always made from multiple vegetables. As a result, they contain a nice mix of nutrients. Read more about the benefits of vegetable juice for your health here.

Easily ingest more vegetables per day

Convenience is also a major reason why juice lovers choose to get part of their daily portion of vegetables through vegetable juice. Buying, washing, cutting and preparing fresh vegetables simply takes time. Our juices only need to be thawed in time; the rest is all done. Still, you get a lot of the goodness of fresh vegetables. Moreover, you don’t have to leave the house to buy our vegetable juices. After all, you can do that through the website, where you can choose from many different juices for much-needed variety. Then you indicate when we can deliver them with the freezer truck and we deliver them to you at your convenience.

Hopefully the tips from this article will help you take advantage of the already good in vegetables more easily, too!