Use a Guide to lead the way
You wouldn’t enter into unknown territory without some sort of guide so why eat your way through life without a guide? Guides are just that, a guide.
It doesn’t mean you must follow them word for word they are there to get you started, teach you the basics and help you on your way. They are also there for you when you fall off track and help to steer you back in the right direction.
Guides are updated over time and are most often created through collaboration and with the input of experts. This is how I use and suggest you use Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
Food groups, servings and serving size
In this guide you can learn what foods to eat (food groups), how often to eat them (number of servings) and how much of them to eat (serving size).
Most people I talk to have an understanding of which food groups to eat and might know a bit about how many servings to consume but they are very confused about serving size. As Mairlyn Smith tells us over and over – Size Matters!
I can’t stress enough that serving size matters. Serving size is very different than how many times a day you consumed a food group.
How many serving sizes?
Canada’s Food Guide states that a female from 19-50 years of age should eat the following number of servings; 7-8 fruits & vegetables, 6-7 grain products, 2 milk & alternatives and 2 meat & alternatives.
Is this right for me?
Remember this is a guide. It’s not a one size fits all, it’s a guide. You need to take a look at your activity level, your personal health goals and you also need to figure out what makes your body feel good. This will be different for everyone.
Make it simple
If you feel overwhelmed by all of the number of servings and serving size talk then think of it like this:
“Eat small portion sizes, no junk food, and make sure that 50 percent of what goes in your mouth is a real fruit or vegetable” ~Timothy Caulfield, The Cure for Everything
Eating healthy is a lifestyle. It’s not a fad or a diet or a magic formula in my opinion it’s a lifestyle. Make small changes, make changes that last. Make lasting lifestyle change!
Looking for a salad to help you increase your fruit and vegetable consumption? Why not try our Green Green Salad.
Be Well…Jenn
