Nutrition - Food and Your Health

Food and Your Health - All About Food

Learn about the foods you eat and their role to good health!

Vegetables and Fruit

See how great you feel as your body is quenched with essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, magnesium, and other beneficial compounds like dietary fibre and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring plant chemicals that help fight disease and promote good health.

Many studies have shown eating more vegetables and fruit can help reduce the risk for diseases such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers. They can also help with achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight and preventing obesity.

The Vegetable and Fruit food group is the most prominent arc in the rainbow on Canada's Food Guide, emphasizing the important role these foods play in a healthy eating pattern.

Some kids don't like vegetables but it's important they are part of their meal plan. Be a good role model and eat your vegetables.

Grain Products

Grain Products are an important source of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals as well as fibre. Check out Canada's Food Guide to see how many servings of grain products you need a day.

Whole grains and whole grain products are composed of all three edible layers of the grain, seed or kernel. Each layer provides a unique combination of nutrients. Examples of whole grains include: whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, whole rye, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, bulgur and spelt. Canada's Food Guide recommends at least half of your daily grain products are whole grain choices.

There are many benefits to eating a variety of whole grains. Eating whole grains may help to prevent or manage heart disease, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, bowel problems and obesity.

Milk and Alternatives

The Milk and Alternatives food group provide a variety of nutrients such as calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, magnesium, potassium, protein and fat. Many of these nutrients are important for developing strong bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. The Milk and Alternatives food group includes milk, fortified soy beverage, canned (evaporated) milk, powdered milk, cheese, kefir and yogurt.

Canada's Food Guide recommends drinking 2 cups of milk or fortified soy beverage every day for adequate vitamin D!

Some kids don't like to drink milk but it's important to include milk in their meal plan. Be a good role model and drink your milk.

Meat and Alternatives

The Meat and Alternatives group provides important nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, protein and fat. Foods belonging to this food group include eggs, fish and shellfish, legumes such as chick peas, beans and lentils, meat, nuts and seeds, poultry and tofu.

To minimize the amount of saturated fat in the diet, Canada's Food Guide suggests we choose beans and other meat alternatives such as lentils and tofu more often. The benefit of legumes (beans, peas and lentils) is that they are also great sources of folate and fibre.

Some kids don't like to eat meat but it's important it is part of their meal plan. Be a good role model and eat your meat, fish and other meat alternatives.

Fish

Fish is an excellent source of protein, healthy omega-3 fats and other nutrients that are important to a healthy diet. However, certain types of fish may contain levels of mercury that can be harmful to your family's health if eaten too often. While fish is an important part of a healthy diet, the key is to eat a variety of fish and to choose wisely. Canada's Food Guide suggests eating at least two servings of fish each week as part of healthy eating.

A Guide to Eating Fish for Women, Children and Families provides information on which fish are highest in omega-3 fats and lowest in mercury, as well as how often to eat them.

Oils and Fats

Dietary fat is an essential nutrient in the body. Fat is naturally present in many foods such as meat, fish, cheese, nuts and avocados. A significant amount, however, comes from oils ands fats that are added to foods.

Choosing the right amount and types of oils and fats can lower your risk of developing certain diseases such as heart disease.

The healthier fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fats. These are found in olive, canola and other vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and avocados. These fats help reduce blood cholesterol levels and help lower the risk for heart disease. Canada's Food Guide recommends a small amount (2-3 tablespoons) of unsaturated fat each day. This includes oil used in cooking, salad dressings, margarine and mayonnaise.

The fats that need to be limited in the diet are saturated and trans fat. Research indicates these less healthy fats increase the "bad" cholesterol (LDL), which has been linked to heart disease. Saturated and trans fats are found in meats, dairy products like cheese, butter, baked goods, and in fast foods and processed foods made with partially-hydrogenated oils and shortening.