Ask a Dietitian

Dietitians of Canada top 10 list

1. Want to feel your best? Eat well and get physical.
WHY? Making wise food choices can help reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. Being active on a daily basis is needed to stay healthy, fit, have a good self-esteem and reduce stress.
HOW? Eat according to Canada’s food Guide and be active 30-90 minutes each day.

2. Benefit from balance – challenge and support family members to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
WHY? Nearly 1/4 of Canadian adults are obese and 1/3 are overweight. That is 14 million adults carrying extra weight.
HOW? Check portions, add fruit and vegetables or increase your activity.

3. Quality counts – whether at home, school, work or play, keep healthy food choices top of mind.
WHY? Your body needs more than 50 nutrients every day to keep it working it’s best.
HOW? Wherever you are, make healthy, quality food choices.

4. Give your food portions a makeover – tune in to moderation in serving sizes.
WHY? The bigger the portions the more calories you eat. The more calories the more weight you can gain.
HOW? Use the Eating and activity tracker at www.EATracker.ca to compare your portions to the serving sizes in Canada’s Food Guide.

5. Colour your world with vegetables and fruit.
WHY? Dark green and orange vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, winter squash and carrots as well as fruits such as oranges, berries and mellon are filled with health-promoting antioxidants.
HOW? Eat fresh fruit and vegetables instead of juice and go for the rainbow of colours.

6. Be a savvy shopper – get the nutrition facts on foods from the label.
WHY? All packaged foods are now required to have a Nutrition Facts Table and the label is used by 75% of Canadians for nutrition information and healthy claims…

7. Make meal time a family affair!
WHY? Eating together means eating better. Children and teens who eat together with their families eat more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, calcium-rich foods and less fat and pop.
HOW? Make it a habit to eat 3 meals a week together as a family. Get the whole family involved. Find new recipes the everyone will enjoy.

8. Healthy eating is more than a flash in the pan – it’s a lifetime commitment.
WHY? Food Fads come and go but keeping the food guide as your cornerstone for healthy eating will help meet your needs for life.
HOW? Consider adding nuts to your diet, eat fish twice a week or include one orange and one green vegetable each day.

9. Make www.dietitians.ca/eatwell your ‘go to’ place for trusted nutrition information and fun healthy eating ideas!
WHY? Use the recipe analyzer, EATracker, learn about food labels and do a virtual grocery store tour or build a menu with Let’s make a Meal.
HOW? Go to www.dietitians.ca/eatwell

10. Have a food or nutrition question? Ask a registered dietitian.
WHY? Dietitians have the most accurate, reliable and current evidence on food and nutrition.
HOW? Find a dietitian at www.dietitians.ca/find or ask for a referral from your doctor. You can also call 1-800-901-7776.

For more information on Nutrition Month visit www.dietitians.ca/eatwell. This factsheet was adapted from the Nutrition Month Factsheet 2008.