March is Nutrition Month and the Leeds Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit says how you are eating is as important as what you are eating.
Registered Dietitian Marie Traynor says Nutrition Month is an opportunity to bring current issues of every day eating to Canadians. Traynor says the “plate model” is used as the basis of what health Canada suggests for healthy eating patterns.
“Half that plate is filled with vegetables and fruit. A quarter with protein foods and a quarter with whole grains. And it also includes a message of using water, safe water, as your drink of choice more often.”
Traynor adds things like mindful eating, taking time to enjoy our food, taking time to prepare our food and eating with others is also important.
Health Canada released a revised version of the Canada Food Guide with three food categories (whole grains, protein foods and vegetables/fruits) in January. Traynor says the new food guide is not saying stop eating animal based proteins, but suggesting replace some of that with plant based protein.
For more information about the food guide, you can visit Health Canada’s website here.