Ask a Dietitian

As seen March 18/03
MARCH IS NUTRITION MONTH – HEALTHY EATING… TASTY AND EASY!
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The Kraft Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada and Dietitians of Canada 2003 Report on Healthy Eating Challenges Facing Women found that the biggest challenge facing women who want to eat well is time. Women reported they don’t have time to plan, purchase and prepare healthy meals and food choices. Preparing meals that the whole family likes and will eat was said to be especially hard when women are tired after a long day at work.

Other factors, reported by dietitians that contribute to unhealthy eating habits are the gradual erosion of cooking and meal planning skills of younger women and the perceived high cost of eating well.

Here are some tips to help you make healthful food choices for your family.

Focus on healthy eating guidelines which stand the test of time.

Key strategies for healthy eating include:

• following Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
• enjoying a variety of different foods
• emphasizing whole grain cereals, breads, other grain products, vegetables and fruits
• choosing lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats and foods prepared with little or no fat
• achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight by enjoying regular physical activity and healthy eating
• limiting salt, alcohol, and caffeine

Remember that healthy eating is tasty and easy!

Key strategies for tasty and healthy meals:

• stocking up on basic food ingredients from each of the four food groups so you can always pull a meal together
• choosing whole wheat, bran or oat breads, cereals, and muffins, brown rice, whole grain pasta, and whole wheat flour over those made with refined or white flour most often
• eating more fruits and vegetables by adding fruit or berries to your breakfast cereal or yogurt and keeping fruit or raw vegetables handy for snacks – a fruit bowl on your kitchen table or desk will encourage healthy snacking
• having milk, lower fat yogurt, cheese or milk puddings with meals or snacks
• making use of convenience foods such as washed and bagged salads, frozen vegetables, deli-roasted chicken, and prepared pasta sauce when you need a quick meal
• buying lean cuts of meat, poultry without skin, and using lower fat cooking methods
• having meat alternatives-based meals, try bean soup, vegetarian chili, soy meat products such as veggies burgers
• using nuts and seeds in small amounts – for example tossed into salads and muffins
• choosing café au lait, lattes, decaffeinated tea or coffee, or herbal tea instead of high caffeine beverages
• visit Dietitians of Canada website www.dietitians.ca/eatwell for more ideas, suggestions and recipes.

Information about the website:

• Dietitians of Canada Nutrition Month website is the best sites available for Canadians who want personalized feedback about their food choices and answers to their nutrition questions.
• When you visit the site at www.dietitians.ca/eatwell you’ll learn about making healthy food choices in a fun, interactive way.
• A new interactive feature, “One Day @ A Time”, has been added this year. It presents healthy eating challenges and solutions through nine scenarios which provide practical, healthy eating advice and tips for common situations women and mothers find themselves in on a daily basis.
• Other popular interactive features include: the “Virtual Kitchen”, “Nutrition Challenge”, “Your Nutrition Profile”, “Meal Planner” and “Healthy Body Quiz”. These will allow you to assess your own eating habits, update your nutrition knowledge, and find recipes and answers to your nutrition questions.
• The site also provides information about Nutrition Month events, a “Tip of the Day” and can help you find a consulting dietitian in your community. Visit the website at www.dietitians.ca/eatwell

Great Cook Books:

• Dietitians of Canada Cook Great Food- (2002).
• Dietitians of Canada Great Food Fast- (2000)

Reaching a local dietitian:

• Visit the “Find a Nutrition Professional” section of the Dietitians of Canada website at www.dietitians.ca to search for a dietitian in your area.
• Ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian.
• Call your local public health department, hospital or community health centre.
• Call the Dietitians of Canada Consulting Dietitians Network toll free at 1-888-901-7776.
• Look in the Yellow Pages under “Dietitians”.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on Global TV’s Noon News Hour!