How do I know if I am eating well
enough?
You know you're eating well if you can answer "yes"
to each of the following statements, which are based on Eating
Well with Canada’s Food Guide:
-
You enjoy a variety of foods.
Eating a variety of foods from each food group of Eating
Well with Canada’s Food Guide gives you the chance
to get all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The four
food groups are:
- vegetables and fruit
- grain products
- milk and alternatives
- meat and alternatives.
-
Your food choices for all of the four
food groups fall within the ranges recommended by the Food Guide.
- Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide has set
ranges for food intake that are based on age, sex and
life stage.
- Aim to choose the recommended number of Food Guide Servings
for your age and sex each day.
-
You eat at least one dark green and
one orange vegetable each day, and you choose vegetables and
fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.
- You can substitute orange-coloured fruits like mangoes,
cantaloupe, peaches, nectarines or apricots for orange-coloured
vegetables.
- Eating whole vegetables and fruits instead of juices will
fill you up and give you more fibre.
-
At least half of the grain products
you choose each day are whole grain and you choose grain products
that are lower in fat, sugar and salt.
- Choose whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and couscous
most of the time.
- Whole grain products made with wheat bran, oat bran, whole
wheat, oats, rye or flax will give you more fibre than white
grain products.
-
You drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each
day and you choose lower-fat milk alternatives.
- Lower-fat milk and alternatives are rich in nutrients
and do not provide unnecessary fat and calories.
-
You often have meat alternatives such
as beans, lentils and tofu. You eat at least two Food
Guide servings of fish each week and you select lean meat
and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt.
- Beans, lentils and tofu are low-fat sources of essential
nutrients like folic acid, protein and fibre.
- Eating fish can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Choosing lean meat and alternatives can help to reduce
your fat intake and trim unnecessary calories.
-
You limit foods and beverages that
are high in calories, fat, salt or sugar.
- Limiting foods that do not fit into any of the four
food groups will help you achieve and maintain a healthy
body weight.
- Examples of foods to limit include: cakes, cookies,
doughnuts, pastries, and muffins; potato chips, nacho
chips, and other high-fat or highly salted snack foods;
french fries; sweetened soft drinks and alcoholic beverages;
ice cream and other frozen treats.
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