Has your snacking increased during the COVID-19 crisis? Many report reaching for sweets more often, prompting Sweets Week to spotlight healthier alternatives.
The ongoing lockdowns and work-from-home mandates make balanced eating tougher. Dan Schapendonk, a key organizer of Sweets Week, explains: "Working from home means constant temptation from kitchen cupboards. Office routines provided structure, but now regular meals often turn into endless snacking sessions."
Recent Nutrition Center research reveals an 18% rise in sweets and snacks like cookies, chocolate, pretzels, and chips during the pandemic. Additionally, 7% struggle to opt for healthy foods, 17% have gained weight over the period, and 5% gained but later returned to baseline.
Read also: 'Candy without going too far: how?'
RIVM data shows Dutch consumers eat 1,846,199 kilos of sweets weekly. Annually, that's equivalent to about 10,000 sugar cubes per person, with over three-quarters of added sugars consumed at home.
Meanwhile, more than 84% of Dutch people eat less than the recommended fruit daily, and 94% fall short on vegetables, per NAFG figures. These habits raise serious health risks.
Sweets Week organizers urge mindful choices, targeting younger generations to build lifelong healthy habits. Schapendonk adds: "We're guiding consumers on spotting healthier options and making small, sustainable diet changes. Tying it to a specific week helps maintain those good intentions."
Want to join Sweets Week? Sign up at Weekvansnoepgoed.nl.
