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The Health Council has adjusted the standards. What does that mean for your plate?

In the midst of the summer rush, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre released news on July 7 that is easy to overlook, but which definitely concerns your daily diet: the Health Council has published new standards and recommendations for fats, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. That sounds like something for dieticians and scientists, but it is simply about what ends up on your plate every day. First, the good news: according to the Nutrition Centre, anyone eating according to the Five Food Groups (Schijf van Vijf), which was updated just last April, is already on the right track. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look at exactly what has changed and what it means if you train.

Fat: not the enemy, but a matter of species

Fat has had a bad reputation for years, even though your body simply needs it. The new standards make it clear, above all, that it is not about whether you eat fat, but which fat.

The advice regarding saturated fat has been tightened. This fat is found in large quantities in fatty meat, full-fat dairy, and full-fat cheese, but also in cookies, pastries, and snacks. While the recommendation was previously to stay below 10 percent of your daily energy intake, it now reads: as little as possible, with that 10 percent as an intermediate step. This includes the advice to replace products high in saturated fat with products high in unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oil, liquid cooking and frying products, margarine, fish, and nuts.

There has also been a shift within the unsaturated fats. The standard for linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in sunflower oil and margarine, among other sources, has doubled from 2 to 4 percent of your calories. Conversely, that for alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found primarily in flaxseed oil, has been lowered from 1 to 0.5 percent. And the search for the perfect ratio between omega-3 and omega-6? The Health Council found insufficient evidence for this. The most important thing is that you get enough of both.

What remained the same: the total amount of fat. That still lies between 20 and 40 percent of your calories. However, the separate upper limit of 35 percent for overweight individuals has been scrapped.

Carbohydrates: no longer a percentage, but a clear direction

Until now, it was generally accepted that you should obtain at least 40 percent of your calories from carbohydrates. That fixed figure has disappeared. Instead, the Health Council advises choosing primarily whole-grain products, vegetables, fruit, legumes, and dairy. A new recommendation regarding sugar is: keep the amount of free sugars as low as possible. This refers to sugar added to cookies, candy, and soft drinks, as well as the sugars in honey, syrup, and fruit juice. The natural sugars in fruit, vegetables, and milk are not included.

For those who train, that is an important nuance. Carbohydrates are the fuel your muscles prefer to run on when you are working hard. Those who largely cut them out of fear often notice this during training: less energy, getting tired faster, and slower recovery. The new advice is therefore not about leaving them out, but about quality.

Fiber: the more you move, the more you need

From now on, the recommendation for dietary fiber is no longer given as a single number, but as a range. What has not changed is the underlying principle: the amount of fiber you need depends on how much energy your body consumes. The more energy, the more fiber. For someone who trains regularly, this is good to know. Fiber provides a feeling of satiety, aids digestion, and ensures a more consistent energy flow throughout the day. You get it from whole-grain products, vegetables, fruit, legumes, and nuts.

What does this mean in practice?

Anyone who compares the list of changes will mainly see a confirmation of what was already known. A few simple choices will get you a long way:

  • Bake and fry with liquid oil instead of butter.
  • Choose whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice.
  • Eat legumes and a handful of unsalted nuts regularly.
  • Skip soft drinks and fruit juice more often and drink water, tea, or coffee without sugar.
  • Eat fish once a week.

So there is no reason to overhaul your entire eating pattern or follow a strict diet. The new standards primarily show that the basics are sound. Earlier this year, we already wrote about the protein transition and the new Food Pyramid. With these standards for fat, carbohydrates, and fiber, another piece of the puzzle falls into place.

Nutrition and training reinforce each other

At MINT Personal Training, we see every day how closely nutrition and training are connected. You can train as well as you like, but without the right fuel, you won't get the most out of yourself. Conversely, healthy eating only truly makes a difference when your body is also in motion. That is why our trainers don't just look at your exercises, but also consider what you eat, without complicated schedules or forbidden lists.

Curious how that would work for you? Stop by for an introduction at one of our studios in Delft, Rijswijk, or Pijnacker.

Source: Nutrition Centre, New Health Council standards and recommendations for fats, carbohydrates, and fibers (July 7, 2026).

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