Proper eating habits start at home

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:49:43 +0000

By DIANE BRITTON

It is more difficult to eat a balanced diet when eating out, and much easier to overeat with restaurant mega-sized food portions.

The Canadian Community Health Survey shows that Canadian adults are eating less milk products, vegetables and fruit; but have still continued to increase our fat and overall calorie intake. In short, we're eating more calories and getting less nutrition.

Try these four easy tips to improve your eating habits.

Home is Healthier
Home-cooked meals allow you to control the sodium and fat content of your foods, with no unwanted trans fats. Include whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and calcium and iron food sources to balance your meals. You'll also benefit by saving money because you're eating out less!

Feast with Family and Friends
Studies show that families who eat together have healthier eating habits. If you're living away from family, make time to enjoy meals more often with roommates and friends.

Role Model
Do you find yourself making poor food choices around some individuals? If so, then it's up to you to take the lead. When you make healthier food choices, you'll discover people around you will begin to follow suit. Try snacking on yogurt, fresh fruit or vegetables and watch the people around you pick up your good eating habits.

Turn off the Tube
Make your meals a TV-free zone. Research shows that people who eat in front of the television eat more and have more trouble maintaining a healthy weight. So, turn off the TV and turn down the weight gain.

For an individual nutrition appointment, call the Health Centre (SU020) at 403-329-2484. Initial sessions are $40 per person.

Diane Britton is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's on-campus registered dietitian

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a full look at the January issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Portion size, activity keys to weight loss

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:15:11 +0000

Weight loss is complex, but two key factors for successful weight loss strategies are correct portion size and physical activity.

Food portions have increased considerably over the past 30 years. Couple a portion size increase with a decrease in activity levels and it's no wonder Canadians are struggling to achieve a healthy weight.

Examples of proper-sized food portions can be found on Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating. For instance, one serving of cooked pasta is just 125 ml – a lot smaller than most people think. Try measuring your food portions for a day and comparing this to the serving sizes on the food guide and you'll get a clear picture of your personal nutrition plan and how many servings per day you're eating from each food group. If you're within the recommended number of servings per day then you're on track for a healthy weight. Unbalanced food groups usually lead to health or weight management problems.

Ways to 'eyeball' food portions

• 5 ml of oil is about the size of a stamp or a quarter

• One serving of fruit is about the size of a tennis ball (larger fruits usually equal two servings)

• 125 ml of pasta, fruit or vegetables is about the same size as a hockey puck

• 30 ml of peanut butter is about the size of a golf ball

To track your food intake and physical activity, visit the Dietitians of Canada website eat tracker at www.dietitians.ca/eatracker for an interactive tool that provides personal feedback.

For individual nutrition appointments, call the Health Centre (SU020) at 403-329-2484. All sessions are $20 for U of L students and employees.

Diane Britton is the registered dietitian for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

UNews - food portions

Proper eating habits start at home

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