3. Check nutrition labels. The
Nutrition Facts on pre-packaged
foods give you the lowdown on
what’s in the food you’re choosing,
including serving size, calories
per serving and the percentage
daily value of key nutrients.
4. Eat breakfast daily. Include
veggies, fruits and fibre whenever
possible. Kick-start your morning
with the smoothie recipe in this
story on applemag.ca.
5. Track your food. Write down
everything you eat and drink,
including how much food you
ate, how it was cooked and any
little extras (drinks, sauces
and condiments).
6. Be adventurous. Try
a new vegetable: eat it raw,
blended into a smoothie
or in a new recipe.
7. Fibre up. Add whole
grains (with at least
2 grams of fibre), legumes,
fruits and veggies to
your diet.
8. Take five! Eating together
is good for the whole family
and having five meals together
a week helps share life’s big
and small moments. Make meals
easy to prepare by getting the kids
involved. Younger children can help
too, by setting the table or washing
vegetables.
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9
Plant a garden. No matter how
big or small your space, it’s easy to
grow tasty and nutritious food such
as lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, herbs
and more. And kids love learning
where food comes from, and about
the natural world.
Shop healthy. Start by making
a list of healthy foods you want
in your diet. Having healthier
foods around means you’re more
likely to eat them.
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Eat more vegetables and
fruit. The Canada Food Guide
recommends half the food on
your plate at any meal be vegetables
and fruit. They’re also ideal for
snacking.
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10. Be free! Take a walk, go to your
local playground, tour a farmer’s
market, visit a provincial park,
or a local attraction.
Get outside. Connect with
nature, go for a hike, watch wildlife,
discover your neighbourhood, or
walk the dog—it’s fun to be outside.
EAT
When you include fruits
and vegetables at each meal
it will start to become a healthy habit,
says Karol Sekulic, a registered dietitian
with AHS’s Nutrition Services.
Try filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables,
one-quarter with lean meats or meat alternatives
and one-quarter fibre-rich grains. “If you are
eating more vegetables and fruit, it can do
a lot of things for your overall health
and weight, and reduce your risk
of certain chronic diseases,”
Sekulic says.
