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Simple Tips for Healthier Eating
You'll be more likely to eat well-balanced meals if everything you need is right there. Make sure that your cabinets and refrigerator are filled with everything you need to eat right. The following tips are provided to assist you in healthful meal planning and preparation.
Spice It Up
One of the simplest ways to eat smarter is to learn to use herbs and spices to flavor your foods in place of high calorie, and/or high fat sauces, dressings, and other ingredients. The following is only a partial listing of seasonings to use and enjoy - try a pinch at a time and feel free to experiment!
Eat More Vegetables
- Have cleaned, chopped fresh vegetables available and visible in the refrigerator for simple, healthy snacking.
- Enjoy a salad before your dinner meals - not only for its nutrient content, but also to fill you up before the higher fat and calorie foods are served.
- Keep frozen vegetables on hand. They're easy to prepare separately or to add into other foods, and frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of ripeness.
- Include more vegetables on a sandwich instead of extra meat or sauces.
- Enjoy vegetable juice as a mid-afternoon refresher.
Eat More Fruit
- Add slices of peaches, raspberries, and strawberries to cereals.
- Mix fresh fruit into yogurt or use it as a topping on low-calorie frozen yogurt.
- Freeze grapes or sliced melon for a cool treat.
- Add slices or cubes of fresh fruit to salads.
- Grill fruit on skewers for a unique and yummy dessert.
What's a "Serving"?
Learning what is meant by "one serving" is an important part of healthier eating. The information provided on nutrition labels is for one serving of the product. Be sure to note the total number of servings the product provides and adjust the nutrition if your servings per package differ from the label - very often, what the label states is one serving may be quite different from your own definition!
"One serving" is not only important to making sure you don't get too much of things you don't need, but also that you get enough of what you do need. To insure that you get 5-10 servings of vegetables and fruit a day, use the following measures:
One Vegetable Serving
- 1 medium sized vegetable (e.g. carrot)
- 125 mL fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables
- 125 mL of vegetable juice
One Fruit Serving
- 1 medium fruit (e.g. apple)
- 125 mL fresh, frozen, or canned fruit
- 125 mL of fruit juice
All Calories Are Not Created Equal
Two foods that have the same number of calories don't always have the same nutritional value. An orange and a 5 oz. glass of cola may contain equivalent numbers of calories, but those in the cola are "empty calories," while the orange contains vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients your body needs, along with the calories. It is important to read content labels carefully and look beyond the calories when making food choices.
Slow Down on Desserts
You don't need to cut dessert out all together - just take smaller servings and select those low- or non-fat and reduced calorie foods. Today's grocery shelves and health-conscious cookbooks are filled with dessert options for people who are making more healthful food choices. Limiting the amount of sugar and fat in your diet gives you more opportunities to enjoy nutrient-rich calories.
Eat a Balanced Meal
Your body needs a wide variety of nutrients in order to function. Eating all types of foods in moderation is the key to maintaining balance. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is useful in assuring that you are consuming the balance of foods you need for good health.
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