Meet your needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients

1. Having the Amount and Type of Food Recommended and Following the Tips in Canada’s Food Guide will help: Meet your needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients Reduce your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis Contribute to your overall health and vitality

2. The Information Inside the Food Guide

3. What Amount of Food do You Need?

4. One Food Guide Serving of Vegetables and Fruit is: 125 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned vegetable or fruit or 100% juice 250 mL (1 cup) leafy raw vegetables or salad 1 fruit

5. One Food Guide Serving of Grain Products is: 1 slice (35 g) bread or ½ bagel (45 g) ½ pita (35 g) or ½ tortilla (35 g) 125 mL (½ cup) cooked rice, pasta, or couscous 30 g cold cereal 175 mL (¾ cup) hot cereal

6. One Food Guide Serving of Milk and Alternatives is: 250 mL (1 cup) milk or fortified soy beverage 175 g (¾ cup) yogurt 50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese

7. One Food Guide Serving of Meat and Alternatives is: 75 g (2 ½ oz.) or 125 mL (½ cup) cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat 175 mL (¾ cup) cooked beans 2 eggs 30 mL (2 Tbsp) peanut butter

8. Fruits and Vegetables • Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day • Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt • Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice

9. Grain Products • Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day • Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar or salt

10. Milk and Alternatives Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk Select lower fat milk alternatives

11. Meat and Alternatives Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt

12. Oils and Fats • Include a small amount -30 to 45ml (2 to 3 Tbsp) – of unsaturated fat each day. This includes oil used for cooking, salad dressings, margarine and mayonnaise. • Use vegetable oils such as canola, olive and soybean. • Choose soft margarines that are low in saturated and trans fats • Limit butter, hard margarine, lard and shortening.

13. Count the Food Guide Servings in this Meal 125 mL (½ cup) fresh spinach  (1 cup) carrot, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, onion about 90 mL (6 Tbsp) chickpeas 15 mL (1 Tbsp) peanut oil Vegetable Curry

14. Canada’s Food Guide also Recommends: Limiting foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt Examples include cakes and pastries, doughnuts and muffins, french fries and potato chips, nachos and other salty snacks, alcohol, fruit flavoured drinks, soft drinks, sports and energy drinks

15. Canada’s Food Guide also Recommends: Satisfying your thirst with water Enjoying a variety of foods from the four food groups

16. Read the Label Compare the Nutrition Facts table on food labels to choose products that contain less fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium Keep in mind that the calories and nutrients listed are for the amount of food found at the top of the Nutrition Facts table

17. Eating Well and Being Active Work Togetherfor a Healthier You! The benefits of eating well and being active include: Better overall health Lower risk of disease A healthy body weight Feeling and looking better More energy Stronger muscles and bones

18. Take a Step Today… Have breakfast every day Walk whenever you can Spend less time being inactive Eat vegetables and fruit at all meals and snacks Enjoy eating with family and friends Take time to eat and savour every bite

19. Be Active Canada’s Physical Activity Guide recommends building: 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity into daily life for adults At least 90 minutes a day for children and youth Start slowly and build up!

20. GRAIN PRODUCTS The Yellow Group This group includes breads, bannock, tortillas, rice, pasta and cereals. Choose foods that are whole grain and have lots of fibre. Pastas cook quickly and come in many shapes and sizes. You can put spaghetti sauce and cheese on top, and serve with vegetables for a quick meal. Instant brown or white rice is easy to make. A rice pudding made for the next day makes a healthy dessert or snack. Try whole grain bread when you make toast or a sandwich. Cereal can be a quick and easy snack or a meal (with milk and fruit added). Try filling soft tortillas shells with kidney beans, meat and vegetables, or even scrambled eggs.

21. VEGETABLES & FRUIT The green group: • Eat vegetables and fruits of different • colours and you will get the vitamins and minerals you need. • Keep these foods where you will see them, and you will more likely eat them. • Keep a supply of dried, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables in your freezer or cupboard. • If chewing is a problem, grind or chop fruits and vegetables in a blender. • Add chopped vegetables to soups, stews and casseroles. • Use a baked potato as the basis for a quick and easy meal. • Vegetables taste best and have the most vitamins when they are steamed, lightly cooked or eaten raw. • Eat fresh or unsweetened canned fruit for a dessert or snack.

22. DAIRY PRODUCTS The blue group: Choose low-fat milk and milk products (unless you are trying to gain weight). For a change, have hot cocoa, buttermilk or yogourt. Use milk and cheese in soups, sauces, casseroles and puddings. Mix fruit with milk, ice cream or yogourt to make a shake. If you don’t care for milk and milk products, or they upset your stomach, there are otherways to get calcium.

23. MEAT & ALTERNATIVES The red group: • These foods have protein and include red meats, fish and chicken, and vegetables like brown beans, chick peas and peanuts. • Choose lean meat and lean chicken to help cut back on fat. • Instead of cooking meat for supper, try either canned meat, fish, or brown beans. • An egg can be part of any meal.

24. Follow Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating by: • Eating a variety of foods • Choosing more grain products • Choosing lower fat options such as low fat milk and trimming away excess fat on meat • Maintaining a healthy body weight • Participating in regular physical activity • Feeling good about yourself • you will have the best chance of staying fit and enjoying life to its fullest.

25. A Person With A Good Diet • clear skin • glossy hair • sparkling eyes • firm muscles • straight posture • proper weight • bright smile • alert • fun-loving • ready to get the most out of life

26. A Person With A Bad Diet • pale or blotchy skin • lifeless hair • dark circles under dull eyes • flabby muscles • droopy posture • too thin or fat • pale gums, bad teeth • tires quickly • seems crabby or lazy • drags through life

27. Energy Drinks • What do you think? Are energy drinks a part of a healthy eating plan? • In a small group discuss this questions and be ready to explain why or why not. • Give as many reasons as you can to prove your point

28. Nutrition information provided on food labels • Nutrition Facts • Ingredient List • Nutrition Claims • Health Claims INGREDIENTS:Whole wheat, wheat bran, sugar/glucose-fructose, salt, malt (corn flour, malted barley), vitamins (thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, d-calcium pantothenate), minerals (iron, zinc oxide). “A healthy diet…”

43. What You Eat Can Contribute Positively To Your Overall Health • Eating healthy foods gives you the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need to be healthy • Fruit and vegetable consumption helps protect against a variety of cancers • A diet high in red meat and processed meat has been linked to an increased risk of cancer • Avoiding sticky foods and following good oral hygiene practices helps reduce the risk of tooth decay • Getting enough calcium from dairy products, calcium-fortified soy beverages, vegetables and fish or meat alternatives when your bones are growing can help prevent the development of osteoporosis in later years • Avoiding high-fat foods can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity • A healthy diet that follows the recommendations of Canada’s Food Guide, contains plenty of fruits and vegetables and high-fibre foods, and avoids unhealthy (saturated and trans) fats can help you maintain a healthy weight and prevent illness

44. How Can People Make Healthy Food Choices If Their Choices are Limited? • Some people have limitations to the food they can eat due to food allergy, personal beliefs about ethical food choices, cultural preferences or religious food rules, dislike of certain foods, or by budget limitations • Some limitations can be removed or overcome, people often dislike certain foods without ever having tried them • We should always consider at least trying a food before rejecting it. Often we can learn to like a food by having it prepared or served in a different way • A lot of tasty food choices are available for people who are making ethical choices or following religious and cultural food rules, or who have allergies • If we have a limited budget, we can still eat well by making careful food choices • Packaged foods are usually more expensive and less nutritious than fresh foods cooked at home • Local produce can be relatively inexpensive in season, and it is more nutritious than imported or packaged fruits and vegetables

45. Super-sized Portions Means Super-sized Waists • We’ve been swallowing big-bigger-biggest servings for so long, we’ve forgotten what an appropriate helping really is • 2.5 oz (75 grams) of meat, fish or chicken = one deck of cards • ½ cup (125ml) of cooked vegetables = ½ a baseball or a small fist • 1 small muffin = one large egg • 1 small potato = a computer mouse • 1 bagel = 1 hockey puck • 1 cup (250ml) of salad greens = one baseball • ½ cup (125ml) of cooked pasta or rice = ½ baseball • 1.5 oz(45 grams) of cheese = three dominoes • Medium sized fruit = one baseball

46. Whether you’re dining out or eating in, the following strategies will help you practise portion control self-defence • Buy small packages of food. Bonus-size boxes of cookies and snack foods encourage overeating. If you shop in bulk, break jumbo packages into smaller, individual-sized portions • Ask for smaller portions when dining out. Split an entrée with a friend, or order two appetizers. At fast-food outlets, avoid “extra value”, “king size” or “biggie” meals • Instead of filling a dinner plate, serve your meal on a luncheon-sized plate. The plate will look full and you’ll end up eating less • Add fruits and vegetables to meals. These foods, which contain fibre and water, add volume to meals and increase satiety • Don’t snack out of the box. Whether you snack on crackers, popcorn, or tortilla chips, measure out a portion and put it on a plate. You’ll end up eating less • Read the nutrition label. Don’t assume larger food packages are one serving. Check to see how many servings are in a package • Slow your pace. After every bite put down your knife and fork and chew your food thoroughly. Avoid distractions while eating, like watching television or reading

47. Helps you learn Promotes healthy weight Sports performance Keeps you healthy Prevents diseases Dental health Sleep better Increase self-esteem & self-confidence Decrease depression & anxiety What are the benefits of healthy eating and active living?