"I want to eat healthy things."
Translation:我想吃健康的东西。
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1712
The link has somewhat a simple classification but when it says "optional" it actually mean "both ways exist".
In this particular sentence I think we better use 的, as there is no close association between Health and Thing in meaning.
If we change the noun to "food" 食品 then we can see better the difference. 健康的食品 would be close to "healthy food", whilst 健康食品 would sound like "health food".
This video help me a lot to understand the different de's and how they are used https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggPbyZN96ss
1624
I like to think of the possessive particle 的 as connecting 2 nouns 我的狗 (my dog). The 的 in this sentence connects a noun and an adjective. If an adjective is only 1 character, then you don't use 的.
Noun: 狗 (dog)
Adjectives: 健康 (healthy), 聪明 (clever), 小 (small)
健康的狗 (healthy dog), 聪明的狗 (clever dog), 小狗 (small dog)
https://www.chineseboost.com/grammar/modifier-de-noun/ https://www.chineseboost.com/grammar/de-after-adjectives/
1712
It would be acceptable if food or a particular type of food is mentioned in the preceding context, or the situation is so specific that the listener must understand which thing you are referring to.
e.g. in front of an ice cream stand which only ice cream is sold.
304
东西 is like "thing(s)" or "stuff" or "something", depending on the context. 菜 is "vegetables" or "dish" or "food" or "cuisine", also depending on the context. But it won't fit here.