What are you eating???

What are you eating??? Are you making good choices? Is what you’re eating healthy?

It’s time to play… Canada’s Food Guide BINGO

Canada’s Food guide BINGO • Take out the handout from last class / that you completed as homework (“Canada’s Food Guide Scavenger Hunt / BINGO”) • Fill in your BINGO card using the answers on the handout (any answer can go in any square). • NOTE: (a) both answers from #5 in one box (b) all 3 answer from #10 in one box (c) both answers from #12 in one box • I’ll ask a series of questions from the handout – mark the box with the correct answer. • To win, you need a straight line (vertical, horizontal or diagonal).

Breaking down nutrition myths

Get the real deal on your meal Canadian dieticians bust some of today’s most popular food and nutrition myths! • Organic foods are the safest & healthiest choice for you. • Both organic and non-organic foods are grown and produced under strict regulations, ensuring that what you eat is safe. • Avoid carbs if you want to lose weight. • Cutting carbs might help you lose weight in the short term, but typically because you are eating less food and as a result fewer calories. Cutting carbs drastically restricts your diet so it can be tough to stick with a low-carb diet for very long. • Late-night snacking will make you gain weight. • If you gain weight, it’s not due to the clock. The trouble is that often after dinner snacking leads to you eating more calories than your body needs in a day. • Everyone should each a gluten-free diet. • A gluten-free diet is the only healthy way of eating for people with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, but it’s not necessary for everyone else. • Drinking energy drinks is the best way to get energized. • No one needs an energy drink. Energy drinks give a short burst of energy because they usually contain a large amount of caffeine and sugar (up to 14 teaspoons). The best way to get energized is to eat well, be active, stay hydrated & get enough sleep.

Get the real deal on your meal • Superfoods will keep you super-healthy. • There’s no official “superfood” definition, and the term is sometimes used to market trendy, expensive foods. Basic foods that aren’t called “super” can be equally nutritious, less costly and more widely available. No single food has superpowers to keep you healthy on its own. • Certain foods, like cabbage soup or celery, can burn fat and make you lose weight quickly. • Weight loss diets that focus on single foods are restrictive and lack nutrients needed for good health. These diets don’t create healthy habits you can stick with and don’t help with long-term weight loss. • Cows’ milk is full of hormones and antibiotics. • Canadian milk meets strict government standards so it’s safe and healthy. Growth hormones to stimulate milk production are not approved for sale or permitted for use in Canada. When cows get sick and are on antibiotics, the cow is identified and milked separately until she is healthy again. • “Multi-grain” is the same as “whole grain”. • Multi-grain isn’t always whole-grain. Multi-grain products include different grains but they may not be whole. Look on the food label’s ingredient list for the words “whole grain” in front of each grain name to make sure it’s made with whole grains. • Everyone needs to drink eight glasses of water a day. • The amount of water you need to hydrate your body varies daily and depends on factors like gender, physical size, activity level, and environmental factors like heat and humidity. To stay hydrated, drink water plus other beverages throughout the day. Drink more in hot weather.

Get the real deal on your meal • If a food is low in fat or fat-free, it must be healthy. • While certain foods may have little fat, they can still be high in sugar and calories, and offer few (if any) nutrients. A lot of food that are low in fat (candy, pop, low-fat cookies) are not healthy whereas some foods that are higher in fat (fish, avocados, nuts) are healthy choices. • A detox diet is a good way to clean out the toxins in your body. • There is no scientific evidence to support the need for detoxification diets. Your liver, kidneys and intestine already “cleanse” your system of toxins. • Fruit has too much sugar to be healthy. • It’s true that fruit has naturally occurring sugar, but it is also full of vitamins, minerals and fibre that are important for good health. Choosing more vegetables and fruit can help to maintain a healthy weight and reduce risk of developing chronic disease. • You’ll gain weight if you follow Canada’s Food Guide – it recommends too much food. • The recommended number of servings is an average amount of food that most people should try to eat every day. You might need to choose more or less food depending on your individual needs (i.e. physical activity level). • You need vitamin and mineral supplements to be healthy. • Vitamin and mineral supplements can’t replace the benefits of healthy food or provide nutrients such as fibre, carbohydrates, essential fats and protein. Most healthy people can meet their vitamin and mineral needs by following Canada’s Food Guide. Talk to a doctor or Registered Dietician before taking any supplements.

Making informed food choices Nutrition facts table

Nutrition information provided on food labels • Nutrition Facts • Ingredient List • Nutrition Claims • Health Claims *** In Canada, it is mandatory that a nutrition facts table and an ingredient list almost all pre-packaged foods. - This law came into effect in December 12, 2005. 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). EXAMPLE: “Good source of fibre” “A healthy diet…” statement EXAMPLE: “A healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer.”

Nutrition facts table • A consistent look, makes the Nutrition Facts Table: • easy to find • easy to read • Includes: • the specific amount of food on which all nutrient information is based • the actual amount of a nutrient (in grams or milligrams) • calories and 13 core nutrients • the % Daily Value

What food products have nutrition facts? • Almost all prepackaged foods have Nutrition Facts. • Exceptions: • Fresh fruit and vegetables • Raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood • NOTE: ground meats and ground poultry are NOT exempt and require Nutrition Facts. • Foods prepared or processed at the store: • EXAMPLES: bakery items, sausage, salads • Foods that contain very few nutrients: • EXAMPLES: coffee beans, tea leaves, spices • Alcoholic beverages (with more that 0.5% alcohol) • Small individually wrapped candies • Individual servings of foods that are sold for immediate consumption (e.g., sandwiches or ready-made salads) • Information binders on the nutritional value of vegetables and fruit may be found near produce sections in grocery stores.

Why have nutrition facts? • Nutrition facts allow you to... • Easily compare similar foods so that you can make informed food choices (select the healthier option) • Look for foods with a little or a lot of a specific nutrient (e.g., fibre, iron OR sugar, salt, etc.) • Select foods for special diets • To make informed choices, it is important that you use the key components of the nutrition facts table. • PRIMARY COMPONENTS: • Specific amount • % Daily Value • SECONDARY COMPONENTS: • The ingredient list • Nutrition claims

STEP 1. Specific amount • The specific amount is: • Listed under the Nutrition Facts title • Listed in common measures you recognize & understand as well as a metric unit • Not necessarily a suggested serving size • This becomes very important when making informed food choices and should be there first thing you look at. • You should compare the specific amount to: • The amount you actual eat (is it more? is it less?) • Depending on how much you eat, the amount of each nutrient will be different from what’s in the table. • A comparable product (is it more? is it less?) • Comparing the amount of food by weight or volume (usually given in g or mL) allows you to be certain that you are comparing similar amounts of food.

STEP 2. The % daily value (% DV) • The % Daily Values is… • Used to determine whether there is a little or a lot of a nutrient in the amount of food • A benchmark to evaluate the nutrient content of foods • Based on recommendations for a healthy diet • After having looked at the specific amount, you should read the % DV. • The % DV helps you see if a specific amount of food is a good source of a nutrient. Rule of thumb: • 5% DV or less is a LITTLE • 15% DV or more is a LOT

STEP 2. The % daily value (% DV) To use the % DV effectively consider the following: • Here are some nutrients you may want… MORE OF… * FibreLESS OF… * Fat * Vitamin A * Saturated & trans fats * Calcium * Sodium * Iron FOR EXAMPLE: Which cereal would you choose if you would like to eat more fibre? REMEMBER: 5% DV or less is a little 15% DV or more is a lot

Step 3. The ingredient list (optional) • The ingredient list can also help you make informed decisions. • All ingredients are listed by weight – from the most to the least. EXAMPLE: • The ingredient list is… • A source of information for certain nutrients • EX: The list will show if the food contains added sugars • NOTE: Sugar comes in many forms. • Corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, golden syrup, malt syrup, invert sugar and concentrated fruit juice are all examples of sugar. • A source of information for people with food allergies

STEP 4: Nutrition claims (optional) • Nutrition claims are… • Statements made when a food meets certain criteria • Statements are regulated by the Federal government • The government specifies: • the criteria a food must meet for a claim to be made • the wording of the claim to ensure that they are consistent and not misleading • Optional and may be found only on some food products • Generally only highlight one nutrient, so may still need to refer to the Nutrition Facts table to make informed food choices.

Nutrition claims • When you want to decrease the amount of a certain nutrient look for the following key words:

Nutrition claims • When you want to increase the amount of a certain nutrient look for the following key words:

Health claims • “A healthy diet…” disease risk reduction claims. • The 5 health claims are: • “A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may reduce the risk of heart disease. (Naming the food) is free of saturated and trans fats.” • “A healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, and regular physical activity, help to achieve strong bones and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. (Naming the food)…” • “A healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer. (Naming the food)…” • “A healthy diet containing foods high in potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke and heart disease. (Naming the food)…” • “(Serving size from Nutrition Facts tables in metric and common measures) of (naming the food) provides X% of the daily amount of plant sterols shown to help reduce/lower cholesterol in adults.”

General Health claims • General health claims are generally developed by: • Third party organizations (i.e. the heart & stroke foundation) • Corporations (i.e. President’s Choice & Sensible Solutions) • Are also closely regulated by the federal government.

Let’s practice

What is the serving size? • How many calories are in one serving? • How many grams of fat are in one serving? • Is there a little or a lot of sodium in this product? • Is this a source of fibre?

Source of Omega-3 Polyunsaturates • Low in saturated fat • Free of trans fat • Low in cholesterol • Source of calcium • Vitamins B2 and B12 • What is the serving size? • Which fats are considered “good fats” and which one are considered “bad fats”? • The label lists six benefits, but what is the major downfall of this product? • Which ingredient has the most weight in this product? Which ingredient has the least? • How many ingredients are sources of sugar?

Could the following nutrition claims be made by the manufacturer? • Low in fat? • High in fibre? • Sodium free? • Source of iron? What is the fourth most prevalent ingredient in this cereal? How many sources of sugar are listed in the ingredients?

Butter vs. margarine?!?! Lactantia Salted Butter Becel Original Margarine

Regular vs. Light?!?! Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter

Is natural pb the healthy choice? Kraft All Natural Smooth Peanut Butter

Whole Wheat vs. Regular?!?! Catelli Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Spaghetti Catelli Spaghetti

What are you eating???