March marks the beginning of Nutrition Month in Canada!
This year’s theme is Unlock the Potential of Food, whether that’s its potential to fuel, to discover, to prevent, to heal, or to bring people together. Over the course of this month, I am going to dig deeper into how dietitians can help you unlock the potential of food. Visit www.dietitians.ca for more information!
POTENTIAL TO FUEL
We all know the importance of eating balanced meals to provide us with energy, but what about staying fuelled between meals? Nutritious snacks, in the right portion sizes, can be part of a healthy eating plan, especially on busy days.
Make your snacks balanced by being aware of portion sizes and pairing protein with fibre, like apple slices and peanut butter, or raw veggies and hummus.
Avoid distracted snacking by not eating in front of a screen so that you can listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
Speak to a dietitian to find out how you can unlock food’s potential to fuel and create the perfect snack to keep you energized between meals.
POTENTIAL TO DISCOVER
Starting from a young age, inspiring children to shop, cook and prepare food can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. Dietitians can help you to shop for and prepare healthy meals, giving children the power to discover better health as they grow.
Here are some tips to involve children in making food:
Involve them from the very beginning with recipe selection and grocery shopping
Keep it fun and don’t stress about messes in the kitchen
Be a role model by eating balanced meals and being excited about trying new foods
Ask a dietitian to find out what tasks your child can help with in the kitchen, starting as young as 2 years old.
POTENTIAL TO PREVENT
Lifestyle factors, including what we eat, can influence our health. A nutritious diet can help prevent illness and can lower the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.
Aim to eat fewer highly processed foods like cake, chips, cookies, and other foods that are high in added sugar, salt, and trans fat. Include more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, healthy oils, and lower fat protein foods like legumes, nuts & seeds, fish, and poultry.
Dietitians can help you follow a healthy eating pattern that suits your individual needs and health goals so you can unlock food’s potential to prevent!
POTENTIAL TO HEAL
Dietitians believe in and understand the potential of food to enhance lives and improve health. We can help you select and prepare the foods you need to meet your nutrient needs and promote healing. Dietitians provide education on how nutrition can help prevent or manage certain conditions, such as diabetes, celiac disease, heart conditions, cancer, and more.
As members of the health care team, dietitians work closely with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other allied health professionals to promote healing and ensure patient care is optimal. Advice from a dietitian helps prevent disease, treat conditions, and keep the immune system healthy.
POTENTIAL TO BRING US TOGETHER
Eating together with family and friends is an enriching experience for people of all ages. Even though it may be difficult to bring people together due to busy schedules, it is worth the effort! Children who share family meals have more nutritious diets and better academic performance. Adults who eat as a part of a group have lower body mass indexes, and older adults have a lower rate of malnutrition.
Sharing a meal is a great way to interact with family and friends. Dietitians are here to support your family make changes to your mealtime behaviours so you can enjoy the benefits of bringing people together with food.
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