ny time is a good time to make healthy changes. Give yourself a healthy nutrition makeover by following some easy and basic steps. The first step, and every step along the way to making wise eating choices, requires planning. By planning in advance, you and your family will be well prepared to have healthy meals and snacks throughout the week at home and on-the-go.




Healthy shopping choices
Use Canada’s Food Guide. Follow the rainbow − make sure you have enough food group servings for each member of your family. If you are a family of four with two adults and two children ages four and six, include 25 servings of vegetables and fruit each day! No need to panic. Here is what this could look like: four cut up oranges for breakfast; a small bag of baby carrots for snack; cut up peppers and celery and four apples for lunch; 2 cups of blueberries for afternoon snack; 2 cups of broccoli as part of dinner. That equals 24 servings so the last serving could be 1/2 cup (125 mL) of juice or another fruit. 


Taking stock of what you’ve got
• Check your pantry and refrigerator for staples you want in your kitchen. With these on hand you can create a healthy meal in minutes
• Even with a good supply of staples, you will want to plan your meals for the week, including breakfasts, lunches and snacks following the recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide
• Use healthy cookbooks that provide recipes with nutrition information. Anne Lindsay’s Lighthearted at Home or Bonnie Stern’s The Best of HeartSmart Cooking are great to have on your bookshelf
• Make your grocery list based on the meals you’re planning for the week. Stock up on fresh vegetables and fruit to round out the menus as well as for healthy between-meal snacks. 

  

 

Food groups in your cart

Stock up on vegetables and fruits. The Food Guide recommends at least one dark green and orange vegetable each day. Enjoy vegetables and fruit all year long; choose fresh, frozen or canned options prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.

Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar and salt. Plan to make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day. 

Select lower fat milk and alternatives. Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day, and look for lower fat soy beverages, yogourts and cheeses.

Look for lean cuts of meat and include meat alternatives such as tofu, beans, nuts and seeds, and eggs more often. Eat at least two servings of fish each week.

You need a small amount of unsaturated fat each day – about 2 to 3 tbsp. This includes the oil you use for cooking, in salad dressings and margarine and mayonnaise. Look for unsaturated fats such as canola and olive oil and non-hydrogenated margarine.


Read the Nutrition Facts
This table, found on food packages, is full of valuable information. 

The Serving Size in the Nutrition Facts table is based on a measurable amount of food as specified by the serving size. When comparing products, ensure the serving sizes are similar.

The % Daily Value (DV) refers to the nutrient value in a specific amount of food. You want higher %DV’s for positive nutrients such as fibre, calcium, iron and Vitamins A and C, and lower %DV’s for fat, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium.

Visit healthcheck.org for more information and a complete list of products, or order a copy of Canada’s Food Guide which includes recommended servings for different age groups at healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide





Enter the Recipe
Makeover Contest!
Let the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s registered dietitians give your favourite recipe a healthy makeover. Enter the Recipe Makeover Contest at healthcheck.org for a chance to win a copy of Anne Lindsay’s cookbook, Lighthearted at Home.

Perfect serving sizes
Canada’s Food Guide recommends the number of servings people should eat from each of the four food groups, plus a small amount of added oils and fats. Understanding and following the serving size recommendations is key to eating a healthy diet.