diet.txt

DIET
 A healthy diet includes:
A variety of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables have important nutrients. They should make up half of your plate at lunch and dinner and be your primary snack choice.
Whole grains and whole grain products life whole grain bread, oats, corn, barley, farro, oatmeal, brown and wild rice, and quinoa.
Healthy protein sources such as legumes, nuts, fish, seafood, low fat dairy, and lean and unprocessed meat and poultry. 
Prioritize proteins that come from plants (beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, and tofu) as they have more fibre and less saturated fat than other types of protein.
Liquid non-tropical vegetable oils 
Foods prepared with little or no salt
Water. Replace sugary drinks with water as your drink of choice. 
Limited processed foods
Limited added sugars
No alcohol (or very limited, if at all). 
Find Heart Healthy Recipes on UHN’s website.

CANADA’S FOOD GUIDE
 
Canada’s Food Guide is an eating plan created by Health Canada to help people in Canada make healthy food choices. It is available in different languages. Top tips include:
1. Focus on your plate.
Health Canada recommends a plate loaded with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. These foods have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, including risk factors such as high blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol. 
Dairy is included as a protein. To reduce your saturated fat intake, choose low fat milk, cheese, and yogurt.
2. Eat more plant-based foods.
Choose beans, lentils, soy, and nuts more often. The goal to improve heart health is to reduce saturated fat, which comes mostly from animal-based foods such as beef, chicken, and dairy products. 
3. Think “outside of the box.”
Choose more whole foods and fewer ultra-processed foods that are loaded with sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
Shop the outside aisles at the grocery store, avoiding inner aisles where the processed foods are located.
4. Drink smart.
Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, which make up the main source of total sugars in the Canadian diet. Excess sugar is linked to obesity and heart disease. Make water your drink of choice!
5. Be mindful when eating.
Cook more often
Eat with others
Reflect on your eating habits
Enjoy your food
Be aware of food marketing, which can be misleading.

HEALTHY HEART PORTION GUIDE
 The following guide will help you integrate foods that are low in saturated and trans-fat, high in fibre, and low in sodium into your diet in appropriate portions. Note that the amount of food you need depends on your age, gender, body size, and activity level. 
For more information, speak to your health care provider about referring you to a dietitian.
Portion Size versus Serving Size
According to the National Institutes of Health, portion size and serving size are defined as follows:
Portion size is the amount of a specific food that you choose to eat at one time and is completely under your control. Be aware that many foods that come as a single portion contain multiple servings. 
Serving size is the amount listed on a food package’s Nutrition Facts Label. The nutrition values on the label are for one serving size, as suggested by the food manufacturer. The Nutrition Facts Label and ingredients list on food packages can help you make informed choices about your diet.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
 Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. 

Eat 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. 
Choose dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit more often. 
Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. 
For more fibre, use fresh fruit and vegetables in place of juices. 

Choose (example of 1 serving): 

125ml (½ cup) fresh or frozen vegetables 
250ml (1 cup) salad 
1 piece of fresh fruit (the size of a tennis ball) 
½ cup mixed fruit 
125ml (½ cup) unsweetened fruit 

Choose less often: 

Buttered, creamed, or deep-fried vegetables 
Brine-cured or pickled vegetables like sauerkraut 
Unsweetened fruit juice 
V8 juice 
Canned fruits in heavy syrup 
Coconut and coconut milk


DAIRY AND ALTERNATIVES
 Milk products are an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. 

Eat 2-3 servings per day. 
Try fortified, unsweetened plant-based beverages if you do not drink milk.

Choose (example of 1 serving): 

250 ml (1 cup) skim or 1% milk 
250 ml (1 cup) calcium-fortified unsweetened plant-based beverage 
¼ cup skim milk powder 
175 g (3/4 cup) fat-free yogurt 

Choose less often: 

Whole milk, 2% milk, goat milk, regular cream, light cream, sour cream, and whipping cream 
Evaporated whole milk and condensed milk 
Yogurt with a M.F. content greater than 2% 
Regular ice-cream 
Non-dairy substitutes made with coconut oil or hydrogenated oil, such as coconut milk or cream.


FATS AND OILS
 Fats are a valuable source of essential fatty acids and vitamins. 

Choose 6-9 servings each day. 
Limit the amount of saturated and trans-fat in your diet. 
Unsaturated fats are ‘healthy fats.’ Examples of unsaturated fats include olive, canola, and avocado oil. 
Many commercial and processed foods contain hidden fat. Choose these foods less often. 

Choose (example of 1 serving): 

5 ml (1 tsp) of unsaturated fats like canola, olive, and avocado oils
5 ml (1 tsp) margarine that is soft tub, non-hydrogenated, low in saturated fat OR 10 ml (2 tsp) light margarine 
15 ml (1 tbsp) salad dressing made with recommended oils OR 30 ml (2 tbsp) calorie reduced salad dressings 
2 tsp (10 ml) nut butter such as peanut butter or almond butter  
Raw, dry roasted, or in-the-shell nuts (for example: 4 walnut halves, 8 almonds) 
1/6 medium avocado 
7.5 ml (1/2 tbsp) regular mayonnaise and mayonnaise type dressings OR 15 ml (1 tbsp.) light regular mayonnaise and mayonnaise type dressings 

Choose less often: 

Butter, hard margarine, lard, suet, hydrogenated oils, palm oil, coconut oil 
Salad dressing containing cream cheese and/or bacon 
Peanut butter made with hydrogenated oil 
Nuts that are roasted in hydrogenated oils, salted, and/or chocolate covered.


GRAIN PRODUCTS
 Grain products are a source of carbohydrates and dietary fibre. 

Eat 6-8 servings per day. 
Breads can be high in sodium. Please read the Nutritional Facts table to ensure it is a low sodium choice. 
Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day. 
Eat a variety of whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oats, and whole grain breads. 

Choose (example of 1 serving): 

1 slice of bread, preferably whole grain 
½ whole-wheat pita 
¼ whole-wheat bagel 
½ chapatti or roti 
½ matza 
½ tortilla 
½ hamburger or kaiser bun, or English muffin 
250mL (1 cup) homemade soups made with beans, lentils, barley, and vegetables 
2-4 whole-wheat, low-fat crackers (check the serving size) 
125 mL (1/2 cup) starchy vegetables: corn, sweet potato, yam, cassava 
1 small or ½ medium potato 
125ml (1/2 cup) cooked brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, macaroni, noodles, kasha, barley, bulgur, quinoa 
For cereals, check the Nutrition Facts Label and choose items with more than 15% daily value of fibre and less than 5% daily values of sodium: 

80ml (1/3 cup) Bran Buds with Psyllium 
190ml (3/4 cup) cooked oatmeal 
175ml (2/3 cup) Shredded Wheat 
125 mL (1/2 cup) Kellogg’s All Bran 



Choose less often: 

Salted or high-fat crackers, egg bread, cheese rolls, croissants 
Commercial cakes and cookies, store-bought muffins, doughnuts, Danishes, waffles, pancakes 
Potato chips, corn chips 
Canned soups and dehydrated soup mixes 
Frozen French fries 
Rice and pasta convenience products (such as Kraft Dinner), egg pasta, fried noodles.


MEAT AND ALTERNATIVES
 Protein foods, including meat and plant-based proteins, are an important part of healthy eating.

Eat 2-3 servings per day. 
One serving of meat, fish, or chicken is about 3 ounces (90 g) cooked. 
Cheese is high in sodium. Read the Nutritional Facts Label of cheese products before you buy them. 
Have plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, and split peas often. 

Choose (example of 1 serving): 

Fresh, frozen, and canned low-sodium fish packed in water 
90 g poultry. Choose lean ground chicken or turkey when possible.
90 g lean cuts of beef, veal, lamb, pork, rabbit, or venison. Choose extra-lean ground beef when possible.
50 g of 15% M.F. cheese, low sodium 
2 eggs OR 4 egg whites OR 125 ml (1/2 cup) liquid egg whites 
150 mg (3/4 cup) firm tofu  
175 ml (3/4 cup) cooked lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, navy beans, kidney beans 

Choose less often: 

Canned fish soaked in oil 
Battered, fried, creamed, smoked, salted, or pickled fish, caviar, and squid 
Duck, goose, poultry skin, basted poultry 
Luncheon meat, back bacon, ham, sausages, wieners 
Organ meats, spareribs 
Processed cheese, full-fat cheese, cheese spreads.


PORTION SIZES
 Food portions are increasing. Larger portions might mean that you are eating more and gaining weight. Here are some ways you can eat and serve smaller portions.
At home:

Plate the suggested serving size for each person (children, teenagers, and adults) and put away the extra food for another meal
If you are still hungry, have extra salad or vegetables instead of extra dairy, grains, or meat
Pack up leftovers for lunch the next day

When eating out: 

Skip or share the appetizers
Split the main dish with your companion 
Put half of your plate in a to-go container for the next day’s lunch or dinner before you begin eating
Order a mini dessert or share a dessert
Avoid refills of sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, iced tea, and lemonade OR stick to water

When ordering takeout:

Order less
Add a homemade salad to the meal

Snacks: 

Measure out the amount according to the serving size instead of eating straight from the bag or box.
Avoiding buying snacks such as cookies, chips, ice cream, store-bought muffins, and cake
Have healthy snacks, such as fruit, in plain sight

Groceries:

Buying in bulk may be budget friendly, but is not serving size friendly
Use small reusable containers/bags to repackage your snacks according to the serving size
Re-package bulk purchases into small portions before freezing them.

It is easy to overeat when you are not paying attention. Don’t eat while watching tv, reading or on your computer
Using a food diary for a few days can help you pay closer attention to what, how much, and how often you are eating.