Eating healthy foods is easier than it seems. Once you know a little more about the foods you eat, it simply comes down to a matter of choice and opting for the healthy ones, as often as possible.
Health professionals recommend that people eat the following foods in the order presented below:
Fibre
- Aim for a high-fibre/low-fat diet.
Grain products
- Choose whole grain products, which contain more fibre and vitamins than regular products.
- Fibre is known to reduce bad cholesterol, improve digestion and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Fruits and vegetables
- Make sure you eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
- Dark-coloured fruits and vegetables generally contain more vitamins and other nutrients than lighter coloured fruits and vegetables.
- Choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables over canned.
Dairy products
- Select lower fat products to minimize unnecessary fat intake.
Meat and meat alternatives
- Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, or low-fat alternatives such as tofu, dried peas, beans and lentils.
- Beans, lentils and some peas are also very good sources of fibre.
Sugar
- Reduce your sugar intake.
- Concentrated sources of sugar include soda, candy and most energy drinks.
Fat and salt
- Limit fat and salt when preparing food.
Choose good fats
- Choose polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts and fatty fish.
- Increase your consumption of fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, trout, herring and sardines, and oils and margarines made from canola and soybeans. This will improve your daily intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent heart disease.
- Limit saturated fat found primarily in red meat and high-fat dairy products, as they raise bad cholesterol.
- Avoid trans fats found in fried foods, baked products and some hard margarines.
Prepared foods
- Beware of fat and salt content in prepared, canned or ready-to-eat food.
Food labels
- Take a look at food labels. They contain valuable information that can help you make healthy choices.
For additional information in this regard, consult the following Web sites:
Dietitians of Canada
Canada’s Food Guide