How to Follow Healthy Food Guide
How much should you eat?
The amount you need to eat to be healthy depends on:
• your age
• how active you are
• your height and weight
• whether you are male or female
• if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Depending on your age, an example of a mealplan for people who sit all day and do notexercise includes:
Healthy Food
• at least 5 servings of Vegetables and Fruit;
• at least 5 servings of Grain Products;
• at least 2 servings of Milk and Alternatives
• at least 2 servings of Meat and Alternatives.
Age and activity level affects how much you should eat. The table will help you figure outwhat amounts are healthy for youeach day.Young children age two years to five years need child-size servings whichare half to one serving suggested in Healthy Food Guide.
Are you eating too much healthy food?
The size of servings depends on the type of food you are eating. Some foods countas more than one serving. You should makesure you know how many servings are in the food you eat, so that you can avoid eating more than your body needs. Eating more can causeyou to gain weight.
Whole grains are a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals.What kind of whole grains doyou like to eat? Have you tried barley, brown rice, oats, quinoaand wild rice?
How to calculate the number of servings in a package of raw meat.
1. Find the weight listed on the package.Is it in kilograms (kg) or grams (g)?
a. I f it is kilograms (kg), you will need to calculate the weight into grams.Go to step 2.
b. If it is in grams, go to step 3.
2. Calculate the weight in grams. Multiply the weight in kilograms by 1,000.
3. Calculate the number of servings in the package. A serving for one person is about 80 grams of uncooked meat. Divide the weight of the package (in grams) by 80.
Healthy Food Diets
Is sugar bad for me?
Sugar is a source of energy found naturally in foods likevegetables, fruits and milk products. These foods are healthy sources of sugar because they also contain important vitamins and minerals. Foods with added sugar in them,like pop, chocolate bars, hard candies, ice cream, cakes and sugar cereals are unhealthy choices because they containtoo much sugar and very few other nutrients. If you do eat these foods, make one choice and have it only once a week. Always remember to brush your teeth after eating to protect your teeth from cavities.
Is salt bad for me?
Your body needs only a small amount of salt, also called sodium.Small amounts of sodium are found naturally in almost all foods.If you make healthy food choices daily, you will provide yourbody with all the sodium it needs. Foods that come in packages contain added sodium to prevent the food from spoiling on the shelf. Eating a lot of packaged foods can give your body too muchsodium, which can cause problems like high blood pressure.
What about water?
If you are thirsty, have a drink of water. In Canada the waterthat comes from the tap is safe to drink. You already pay monthlyfor the water from the tap. You do not need to spend extra money on bottled water. When you move to a new place to live,you can phone your community health centre and ask if there are any water warnings.
Is fat bad for me?
Fat is found naturally in foods like meats, nuts, some plants,and milk products. But your body only needs a small amount of fat to keep it healthy. When adding fatty ingredients like butter, margarine or oil to your foods, use small amounts and look for foods that only have healthy fats. Saturated fat and trans fat are unhealthy fats. Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are better choices.
Plan your healthy food meals using a weekly menu
Save time and money by planning a week of meals before you go grocery shopping. With a plan, you will buy fewer food items that youdon’t need and make fewer trips tothe store.
Here’s what you’ll need:
• a copy of Healthy FoodGuide
• recipes that you and yourfamily like to eat
• a piece of paper dividedinto a table like the oneto the right.
This is an activity the whole familycan do together.
Healthy food – remember to eat a morning meal
Eating in the morning is very important. Your body needs theenergy from food to work welleach day. Your children will alsodo better in school if they eatin the morning. You can eat just about any food for breakfast,but try to use foods from at leas tthree of the four food groups.
Healthy Food - Recommended Daily Servings
Did you know…
- Your body needs calcium to make bones,teeth and muscles strong. Vitamin D helpsyour body absorb the calcium from milk and fortified soy beverages. To make vitamin D,your body needs sunlight, but during thewinter Canada doesn’t get enough sunlightfor you to make all the vitamin D you need.That’s why vitamin D is already added to milk and fortified soy beverages.
- Drinking milk with meals andwater to quench thirst is a healthy habit. You can save money and avoid a lot of extrasugar by not buying pop orfruit-flavoured drinks.
- Lean and skinless meats are healthychoices. Regular meats might have alower price, but you may be paying forskin and fat that you would probably cut off and throw away at home.
- A large bowl full of sugar sweetened cereal (4 servings) hasjust as much sugar as one can of pop! Would you serve yourchild a can of pop for breakfast?
- Fats like oil, butter, margarine, mayonnaise andsalad dressings add flavour to foods but eating toomuch can make you gain weight. Foods like cakes,pies, chocolate bars, doughnuts, potato chips and french fries are very high in fat and are not goodchoices for your body.
- If you use bottled water to make baby milk, you must boilthe water first.
- If you don’t have a thermos or small freezer pack, it ishard to pack cold milk forchildren’s lunches. Pack a water bottle instead. Your child can have a glass of milk or fortified soy beverage asan after school snack.
For more information on healthy eating and active living go to: Food Pyramids: What Should You Really Eat?
