Friday, March 30, 2012

Last Week of Nutrition Month Challenge!

Starting Saturday March 31 we enter into the last challenge for Nutrition Month 2012.  Don't forget to like and comment on the Ask A Dietitian SK facebook page or visit me at the Saskatoon Farmer's Market Saturday March 31 from 10am - 12pm to enter our grand prize draw.  The prize includes 4 ski passes and gear for Table Mountain, a General Mills gift basket, a Dietitians of Canada Cookbook, a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, and an Epicure gift basket.  
 
Water, Essential for Life but how much do I Really Need?
We have always been told to drink eight glasses of water a day, but have you ever wondered why this seems to be the magic number? Research tells us that water is important for our bodies because every cell, tissue and organ contains water. It is essential for life and plays many roles in the body including:
-  Controlling body temperature,
- Aiding in digestion,
- Carrying nutrients around the body,
- Helping remove waste in the body, and
- Helping with bowel regularity.

Also, our bodies lose water by sweating, breathing and eliminating waste. If we lose more fluid than we take in, the body can become dehydrated and it may lead to thirst, dry lips,
feeling tired, dizziness, irritability and headaches. So it’s important to drink fluids before you feel thirsty.

What research doesn’t tell us is just how many glasses of water we need each day. There is actually no truth to the claim that everyone needs eight cups of water each day. To further confuse the subject, some guidelines suggest that adult men require 12 cups of fluids per day and adult women require 9 cups. The term “fluids” actually includes water, milk, juice, coffee and tea (this does NOT include pop, energy drinks or alcohol). However, the amount of fluid each person needs depends on age, gender and activity level.

So what’s the bottom line? Drink water. It’s readily available, fresh and free of calories! March is Nutrition Month and dietitians across Canada are encouraging Canadians to re-think your drink and stay hydrated with plain water. Because the amount of water needed by each individual varies, dietitians are challenging you to find out just how much water is right for you! Here are our top 3 tips to help guide you:
- Carry a bottle filled with water to work, in your car and while exercising.
- Drink a glass of water when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed.
- Drink a glass of water before each meal.

Take our challenge today! Track how much water you drink each day and how many times you choose water instead of sugary drinks. Check us out on facebook and share your results for a chance to win cool prizes. If you have food and nutrition questions you can also Ask A Dietitian by calling 1-800-905-0970.
For more Nutrition Month Myths and Facts visit Dietitians of Canada.

Drink up!
Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Another Great Cooking Class!












I attended my fourth cooking class in the past 2 years or so this past weekend.  My husband and I really enjoy cooking and the classes help us get new ideas, learn new techniques, and try new foods or familiar foods prepared in new ways.  Our private class was organized by a friend and brought eight of us together with chef Simon for a great and tasty evening.  We attended the class at Simon's Fine Foods here in Saskatoon (where I have taken his Valentine's class as well).
 
It was the first cooking class for most of our group and we heard many comments of how people were excited to try these new ideas at home now.  The menu was kept a secret from me, but I was very pleased with the surprise.  After watching Gordon Ramsay on Hell's Kitchen I was very curious about Beef Wellington and that was our meat for the evening.  I have included many pictures this time so you can try to see how good everything was.

Simon was great with us and made sure to add extra butter, cream, and oil just for me (knowing that I'm a dietitian of course).  Our meal involved sundried tomato basil buns, beef wellington, honey parsnips, cabbage, mashed potatoes, and fondant or lava cakes.  I was pleased with the variety of vegetables and I picked up some new ideas for cabbage (which as you may remember I often get with the Good Food Box), and a nice simple way to roast parsnips.  The wellington was fairly labor intensive, but the other sides were made with ingredients that we have easy access to in Saskatoon and that you might even find in your kitchen already.  I'm excited to get the recipes and play around with these at home.








Thanks to my friends and family that shared this night and thanks to Simon for great food once again!

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Q's Day - New Foods?

Most of us have a few standard meals that we enjoy and feel comfortable eating.  We have the ingredients on hand, we know how long it takes to make, and we trust that it will turn out. 

There are many ways to approach meal prep and new meal ideas.  I am a recipe girl (yes I modify often, but I like to go off of something).  My husband is a creator - he makes it up and the same dish will never taste quite  the same.  In our house this just leads to greater variety.  If you are fed at our home you might be sampling a new recipe, which means that I have no idea how good it will be, but I like variety so I'm willing to take that chance (and you might not have an option if you're my guest!). 

We recently attended a local cooking class - I'll post more and photos later this week (so check back!).  Cooking classes are a great way to try new foods and learn new techniques.  One new food that we made was beef wellington - something I've seen on cooking/chef shows and always wanted to try.

With that in mind, today I ask:

What food/dish have you never tried, but are curious about?

As always, share comments, questions, answers, recipes, etc.

Thanks for sharing!
Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Recipe from the Farmer's Market Today

Below is the recipe that Theo and I had with us at the farmer's market today for Nutrition Month.  I had this recipe in a previous Nutrishus Newsletter, so you may have seen it already.  I also put in an order for the Pulse cookbooks so I hope to have some to hand out soon!

Greek Lentil Salad 

http://www.pulsecanada.com

Serving Size: 2/3 cup

Makes: 10 servings

Source of: Fibre, Potassium, Vitamin C
Good Source of: Iron
Excellent Source of: Folate
Vegetarian
Gluten-Free

Ingredients

1- 540 mL can lentils, rinsed and drained 1- 19 fl oz can
125 mLcalamata olives1/2 cup
125 mLchopped onions1/2 cup
375 mL halved cherry tomatoes1 1/2 cups
125 mL chopped green peppers1/2 cup
250 mL sliced cucumber 1 cup
50 mL crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup
50 mL fresh chopped parsley and/or cilantro 1/4 cup
 
Dressing:
50 mL olive oil 1/4 cup
50 mL lemon juice 1/4 cup
15 mL dried oregano 1 tbsp


Directions

IN a large bowl, combine lentils, olives, vegetables, and feta cheese.

WHISK dressing ingredients together.

ADD parsley and/or cilantro to salad and toss with dressing to coat.

CAN be eaten right away or covered and left in fridge to marinate for 2 hours before serving. Salad can be made a day in advance. Enjoy

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Friday, March 23, 2012

Multi-grain vs. Whole grain – What’s the Difference?

Nutrition Month Challenge Week 4 starts tomorrow!

More food companies than ever are advertising that their products are ‘made with whole grains’ or ‘multi-grain.’ It seems everything you find in the grocery aisle now contains whole grains. How do you choose which food is right for you?

Grains are the seeds of plants and contain three parts: bran, endosperm and germ. All three parts contain nutrients which are good for health. Bran is the outer layer of the grain and provides fibre and some B vitamins, minerals and protein. Endosperm makes up most of the grain and provides carbohydrate and protein along with a small amount of vitamins and minerals. The germ is the smallest part of the seed and contains a large amount of B vitamins, minerals and vitamin E.

Foods that have had little processing like brown rice, rolled oats and barley are whole grains and contain all three parts of the seed. Research shows that people who eat more whole grains may have a lower risk of some heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. You will get the greatest health benefit from eating whole grains.

Refined grains have the bran and the germ removed from the seed. Some examples are white rice and cream of wheat. While many refined grains in Canada (like enriched white flour) have nutrients added back in, refined grains still have less nutrients and fibre than whole grains.

So what’s the difference between multi-grain and whole grain? Multi-grain products usually contain a few different grains, but they may not be whole grains. Your key to choosing whole grains in the grocery store is reading the ingredient list on food products. If whole grains are the main ingredient they will be listed as the first or second ingredient. To ensure you are getting whole grains look for the words whole grain in front of each grain name.

Following are three tips to help you get more whole grains:
- Try oatmeal made from rolled oats for breakfast.
- Use whole grain pasta. The nutty flavour is a tasty way to perk up your dish.
- Try a grain you have never eaten such as quinoa, bulgur, barley or couscous.

Our Challenge: This week compare bread labels at the grocery store and pick out the whole grain versus multi-grain. Remember, multi-grain isn’t always whole grain. You’ll get the greatest health benefits from eating whole grains. Take our challenge today and check us out on Facebook® (http://www.facebook.com/AskaDietitianSK) share your results for your chance to win cool prizes. If you have food and nutrition questions you can also Ask A Dietitian by calling 1-800-905-0970.

For more Nutrition Month Myths and Facts visit www.dietitians.ca 
Source: http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Food-guides/Choosing-Whole-Grains-FAQs.aspx. Accessed February 21, 2012.

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Recipe: Sunny Day Shepherd's Pie


Growing up, shepherd's pie was one of my favourite meals.  There are many different ways to make it, but I recently tried this recipe from Dietitians of Canada Cook! which uses sweet potatoes and makes for a very colourful dish (from all the beta-carotene).  This recipe also helps you meet Canada's Food Guide recommendation to eat at least one orange vegetable each day.  If you add a dark green leafy salad you also meet the recommendation to eat at least one dark green vegetable each day!

The recipe is very high in zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and niacin.  I had my vegetables chopped earlier in the day which made for quick preparation come supper time.  

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients
500 g ground beef, extra lean (raw weight)
1/2 cup onion, raw, chopped
1/2 cup slices carrot, raw
1/2 cup celery, raw, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp salt
1 ml spices, nutmeg, ground
1 clove garlic, raw, minced
22 ml grains, wheat flour, white, all purpose, equals 1 1/2 tbsp
300 ml soup, beef, broth or bouillon, canned, ready-to-serve, reduced sodium (1 1/4 cups)
125 ml corn, canned, drained no-salt-added (1/2 cup)
2 medium (12.7cm x 5.1cm dia) sweet potato, raw, (2 cups mashed)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, for about 8 minutes or no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tsp fat from the pan.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, pepper, salt and nutmeg to the skillet and saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in broth and bring to a boil; boil, stirring, until thickened. Return beef and accumulated juices to the pan and stir to coat.

3. Pour beef mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle corn evenly over top. Spread sweet potatoes evenly over corn.

4. Bake in preheated over for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out hot.

Enjoy the great food and the long sunny days we're getting!
Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Happy Dietitian's Day!

Today is the 3rd anniversary of Dietitian's Day - Here's what Dietitians of Canada has to say about Registered Dietitians (RDs):

Dietitians…
The smart choice for advice on healthy eating
• Dietitians are ONE OF A KIND; they have the distinct ability to translate the complex
science of nutrition into practical solutions for you on healthy eating and disease
prevention and treatment
• Dietitians are UNIQUELY TRAINED to advise you on food, healthy eating and nutrition.
They have a degree in food and nutrition, from an accredited university
• Dietitians must be MEMBERS OF A PROVINCIAL REGULATORY BODY in order to
practice. This ensures the public that they are receiving nutrition advice from a
qualified professional
• Dietitians WORK WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK AND PLAY – in health departments, hospitals,
health and wellness centres, food companies and universities, to name just a few
• For good reason, when it comes to food and nutrition advice, Canadians TRUST
dietitians most.

In Saskatchewan, you can access a dietitian and get answers to your nutrition questions until
April 27 in a new and exciting way. Ask A Dietitian is a service that provides Saskatchewan
residents the opportunity to connect with a registered dietitian (RD) who can help make sense of
various nutrition topics for all ages, whether it is about feeding your family, reading labels, food
safety, where to go for nutrition counseling on chronic diseases and much more. This two month
pilot project is funded by the Dietitians of Canada (DC) and the Saskatchewan Dietitians
Association (SDA).

SK residents are able to access the service by calling 1-800-905-0970 or emailing
askadietitian.sk@gmail.com. In addition, March is Nutrition Month so check out
www.facebook.com/askadietitianSK for updates or follow Ask A Dietitian on Twitter
at https://twitter.com/#!/askadietitiansk for daily nutrition tips. You can also sign up, along with
hundreds of other SK people, to receive the nutrition myth of the day email for the month of
March.  Steph played an important role in bringing Nutrition Month back to SK, have you taken part in our 5 week challenge?  The challenges run until April 6, so there's still time!

Celebrate the RD in your life today!
Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Q's Day: Picky?

Lately, it doesn't seem to matter if I'm working with teams, families, or individuals, I have come across numerous picky eaters.  Obviously we all have different taste preferences and a different approach to being adventurous with food.  There are many ways to work with picky eaters and potentially open them up to many new flavours and dishes.

For Q's Day today, I would like to know:

How do you deal with the picky eater(s) in your life?

Perhaps you cook them a special meal, sneak vegetables into casseroles, or fruit into muffins.  Please share your comments, recipes, questions, answers, and help support others who are also dealing with picky eaters.

Happy (adventurous) eating!
Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Friday, March 16, 2012

Vegetables & Fruit: The Sidekicks for Good Health

The week 3 challenge starts tomorrow!  Make vegetables and fruit your star not your side!


Crisp, delicious and wholesome vegetables and fruit! I can almost hear the satisfying crunch of an apple, the sweet taste of freshly picked berries, or feel the comforting warmth that a bowl of homemade vegetable soup can bring.  There are many health benefits of eating vegetables and fruits daily.  They are not only delicious but very nutritious too! Think of vegetables and fruit as sidekicks for good health. They contain powerful antioxidants that protect your body from cell damage, help protect you from heart disease and cancers and since they are typically lower in calories, help with weight maintenance too. 

And yet, according to Statistics Canada, only half of adults are getting the recommended seven to ten vegetable and fruit servings a day for optimal health. During March, Nutrition Month, dietitians all across Canada are debunking the myth that it’s hard to eat all the vegetables and fruit recommended by Canada’s Food Guide. It might sound like a lot, but it can quickly add up.  So you might be wondering what a serving size is: 1 piece of fruit, ½ cup of berries, ½ cup of juice, ¼ cup raisins or dried fruit, 1 cup of dark leafy greens or ½ a potato.

Dietitians want to help you embrace adding more vegetables and fruit in your diet! We know that once you start eating more vegetables and fruit you will feel great. So here are our top 3 tips for eating more vegetables and fruit:
·         Load up your next sandwich up with sprouts, lettuce, cucumbers and tomato,
·         Throw an apple or orange in your purse or bag or freeze half a cup of grapes for a unique afternoon snack, or
·         Make it your goal to fill half your plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner. Choose fruit for dessert more often.

Our challenge: This week during lunch and dinner make it your goal to fill half your plate with bright coloured vegetables.  We must warn you that if you are up for the challenge side effects might include more energy and feeling great! Take our challenge today and check us out on Facebook® (http://www.facebook.com/AskaDietitianSK) to share your results for your chance to win cool prizes. If you have food and nutrition questions you can also Ask-A-Dietitian by calling 1-800-905-0970.

For more Nutrition Month Myths and Facts visit www.dietitians.ca

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching

Friday, March 9, 2012

Cook Once, Eat Twice: A New Way to Cook & Save Time

Tomorrow is the start of the week 2 challenge for Nutrition Month!

It’s five o’clock and you are driving home from work and are thinking “What’s for dinner?”. You try to remember what might be in the fridge and how fast you can create a meal before you have to be out the door again.

Research indicates that we are spending less and less time preparing meals at home. Take a moment and think about how long it takes you to prepare a meal for your family? A recent study conducted by the Heart & Stroke Foundation indicated that this is an issue for lots of folks. Forty-one percent of people said healthy meals take too long to prepare. Another study suggested that we spend a mere 15 – 30 minutes preparing a meal, in comparison to 45 minutes just a decade ago and as much as 6 hours in the 1900’s. Clearly 6 hours is too much, but a little time spent preparing a tasty meal is a great investment in your family’s health and well-being.

March is Nutrition Month and this year dietitians across Canada are debunking nutrition myths such as “cooking healthy meals takes too much time”! If you are making one meal, why not make two? It doesn’t require additional time and it means you have a healthy meal ready in minutes the following week. Imagine the comfort of knowing what’s for dinner on your way home. A delicious meal made with wholesome, nutritious foods and all you have to do is reheat and eat.
Top 3 tips to cook once and eat twice:
  • Make big batches of soups and casseroles. Cook on the weekends and freeze. Simply thaw, heat and eat!
  • Make extra servings of cooked chicken, dice and freeze. Simply thaw and reheat to make 10-minute quesadillas or stir-fries or put on top of pizza.
  • Cook and freeze brown rice in individual or family-sized portions. Great for a quick side to complete your meal.
Up for the challenge? One day this week when you have a little more time, dietitians challenge you to double one recipe and freeze half for an easy meal next week. Take the challenge today and check us out on Facebook® to share your results for your chance to win cool prizes. If you have food and nutrition questions you can also Ask A Dietitian by calling 1-800-905-0970.

For more Nutrition Month Myths and Facts visit www.dietitians.ca


Sources:
1.“Time Crunched is stealing years from Canadians” Report on Canadians Health, November 2011 Heart & Stroke Foundation (accessed online http://bit.ly/Agddy3 Dec 7, 2011)
2. Consumer Trend Reports: Chapter 9 Consumer Spending – Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) (accessed online http://bit.ly/wkcFRG Jan 29, 2012)

Happy cooking!

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Thursday, March 8, 2012

International Women's Day 2012

The theme for International Women's Day this year is: Empower Rural Women - End Hunger and Poverty.  Below I have included Goal 1 from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.  

"In many countries women supply most of the labour needed to produce food crops and often control the use and sale of food produce grown on plots they manage. However, the gender disparities in ownership of, access to, and control of livelihood assets (such as land, water, energy, credit, knowledge, and labour) negatively affect women's food production." 

 Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Rural Women's Poor Access to Infrastructure in Rural Areas Limits their Opportunities to Reduce Poverty and Hunger
Figure 1
Figure 1: Average hours per week spent fetching wood and water in rural areas of selected Sub-Saharan
African countries
Source: UNDP 2011
Rural women spend more time than urban women and men in reproductive and household work, including time spent obtaining water and fuel, caring for children and the sick, and processing food. This is because of poor rural infrastructure and services as well as culturally assigned roles that severely limit women's participation in employment opportunities (see also Goals 3 and 7).
Faced with a lack of services and infrastructure, rural women carry a great part of the burden of providing water and fuel for their households. In rural areas of Guinea, for example, women spend more than twice as much time fetching wood and water per week than men, while in Malawi they spend over eight times more than men on the same tasks. Girls in rural Malawi also spend over three times more time than boys fetching wood and water (Figure 1). Collectively, women from Sub-Saharan Africa spend about 40 billion hours a year collecting water [2].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Source: FAO 2011
For these reasons and because rural women tend to underreport their employment as contributing family members, according to available data female employment in agriculture is consistently lower than it is for men across the total adult population in developing countries, although it varies greatly by region (Figure 2). The jobs of rural women who are employed tend to be shorter term, more precarious and less protected than those of rural men and urban people. The lack of flexible hours to accommodate family work combined with wage and job discrimination and limited representation of women in workers' organizations are partly responsible for this.
As an Important Source of Livelihoods for the Poorest, Agriculture is a Means to Eradicate Extreme Poverty, Especially for Rural Women
Despite women's lower overall employment rates, among employed women the proportion working in agriculture as opposed to other sectors is usually equal to or higher than the male equivalent. Almost 70 percent of employed women in South Asia and more than 60 percent of employed women in Sub-Saharan Africa work in agriculture [3]. The substantial involvement of rural women in agriculture, primarily as unpaid or contributing family workers, highlights the importance of developing policies and programmes that address the needs, interests and constraints of women as well as men in the agriculture sector. This includes revamping and strengthening extension systems to be more responsive to and inclusive of women, addressing structural barriers to women's access to productive resources, and improving financial systems to respond to the needs of rural women producers and entrepreneurs, including to move out of the less productive segments of the rural economy [4].
Improving Rural Women's Access to Productive Resources is Central to Addressing Hunger
On average, women make up about 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries. Evidence indicates that if these women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 to 30 percent, raising total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5 to 4 percent, in turn reducing the number of hungry people in the world by 12 to 17 percent [5]. For rural women and men, land is perhaps the most important household asset to support production and provide for food, nutrition and income security. Yet an international comparison of agricultural census data shows that due to a range of legal and cultural constraints in land inheritance, ownership and use, less than 20 percent of landholders are women [6]. Women represent fewer than 5 percent of all agricultural land holders in North Africa and West Asia, while across Sub-Saharan Africa, women average 15 percent of agricultural land holders [7].
Extensive evidence shows that rural female-headed households also have more limited access than male-headed households to a whole range of critical productive assets and services required for rural livelihoods, including fertilizer, livestock, mechanical equipment, improved seed varieties, extension services and agricultural education [8]. Similarly, in seven out of nine countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, female-headed households were less likely to use credit than male-headed households [9].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Source: FAO, 2011. FAO elaboration.
Rural Women's Economic Empowerment Can Help Reduce the Number of Underweight Children
A large body of research indicates that putting more income in the hands of women translates into improved child nutrition, health and education [10], yet data on child nutrition disaggregated by both rural/urban location and sex are sparse. In all developing regions [11] of the world, rural children are more likely to be underweight than their urban counterparts. From 1990 to 2008, the proportion of children under five in developing regions who were underweight declined from 31 per cent to 26 per cent, yet in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia, the disparity between rural and urban children increased [12]. Figure 3 indicates that in South and Central America, rural children are about 1.8 times more likely to be underweight than their urban counterparts; other regions do not fare much better. Improvements in maternal nutrition, access to water and sanitation and health services, all of which are lacking in many rural areas in least developed countries (LDCs), would also contribute greatly to addressing this situation.



Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD

something nutrishus counselling & coaching

www.nutrishus.com

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Snowy Q's Day

We woke up to a snowy day here in Saskatoon.  I almost can't see anything out the window since the snow is still falling or just blowing around.  Weather like this makes for poor driving conditions and it always takes longer to get places.  With the weather in mind, today I am wondering:

What snacks do you eat in your car or on road trips?

You don't want to end up going hours without food, but stops along the way may not have healthy options.  It's usually a good idea to plan ahead so that you have things available, even if it's 'just in case'.

I usually bring a water bottle and if I know I'm going longer perhaps some fruit, trailmix, and homemade muffins.

Stay warm and don't get stuck!

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Eat More, Weigh Less


Portions have grown-up over the past decade!  Did you know that just one bagel from the grocery store can equal up to four slices of bread, or that an average chicken breast is actually two meat servings? It’s true.  Over the years, our portions have become larger. We now have options to upsize and it seems like portion sizes have grown out of proportion.

So how you can eat more and weigh less? It starts with watching portion sizes and balancing your meals for good health. And no, we don’t mean balancing food on your head, but rather balance your meals to ensure that you’re eating foods from at least three out of the four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide at every meal. Canada’s Food Guide suggests an amount of food for the average person. You may need a little more or a little less depending on your age, gender and activity level. See what the food and nutrition experts say at the Dietitians of Canada website by visiting www.dietitians.ca. 

To keep your meal balanced picture your plate. Your goal is to have half your plate filled with vegetables (including salad), one quarter from lean protein such as poultry, fish, meat or legumes and the other quarter from starchy foods such as pasta, rice, or bread, (preferably whole grain).  

March is Nutrition Month and this year dietitians across Canada are debunking nutrition myths.  In order to debunk the myth “You will gain weight if you eat everything as recommended by Canada’s Food Guide”, here are our top three tips:
  • Find out how many servings are recommended for you. Simply visit Health Canada’s website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca to see how much you should be eating in a day. 
  • Portion Check. Measure and compare your portions to Canada’s Food Guide. How do your portions measure up? 
  • Track it! For a simple snapshot of how you are eating use My Food Guide ServingsTracker from Health Canada. If you are interested in more detailed nutrition information check out Dietitian’s of Canada’s Eatracker at Eatracker.ca 

Our challenge: Track what you eat for just a few days. Compare your findings on-line to what experts recommend. Take our challenge today! Check out Ask a Dietitian SK on Facebook® and share your results for your chance to win cool prizes.  If you have food and nutrition questions you can also call Ask A Dietitian SK at 1-800-905-0970.

For more Nutrition Month Myths and Facts visit www.dietitians.ca or www.nutrition2012.ca

Happy Week 1 Challenge!
 
Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Posted by Picasa

March is Nutrition Month!


Get the real deal on your meal is the theme of National Nutrition Month, 2012.

Nutrition information has never been more accessible than right now; millions of Canadians have ready and easy access to the Internet and other forms of social media. But not all the information is credible; myths and misinformation abound. Nutrition Month 2012 is dedicated to busting up popular food and nutrition myths by bringing truths to Canadians from dietitians, the food and nutrition experts.

Saskatchewan is celebrating Nutrition Month with a 5-week challenge.  Each week a myth, truth, and challenge will be provided and posted on the Ask A Dietitian Saskatchewan facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/AskaDietitianSK).  Dietitian may have locations set up across the province to collect weekly ballots and discuss the myth, truth, and challenge with participants.  If participants are unable to get to a dietitian location they can ‘like’ the Ask A Dietitian Saskatchewan facebook page and comment weekly to be entered for the Saskatchewan grand prize (to be drawn April 6).  In Saskatoon, Dietitians will be on location at the Farmer's Market every Saturday in March from 10am - 2pm.

Follow on facebook and twitter (@askadietitiansk) to learn other myths and truths, share recipes, discuss challenges, view videos, access links to Dietitians of Canada resources and find out about other nutrition month events happening in your area.  Something Nutrishus (@nutrishuscc) will also be sharing daily myth tweets with you as well as information on our facebook page and here on the Nutrishus Blog.

Week 1 (March 3-9)
Myth: You’ll gain weight if you follow Canada’s Food Guide – it recommends too much food.
Challenge: Use My Food Guide Servings Tracker for 3 days this week to see how many servings you eat. 

Week 2 (March 10-16): 
Myth: Cooking meals at home takes way too much time.
Challenge: Cook and put one meal in the freezer this week to eat at a later date.

Week 3 (March 17-23):
Myth: It’s too hard to eat all the vegetables and fruit recommended in Canada’s Food Guide.
Challenge: See how many meals you can successfully fill half your plate with vegetables this week.

Week 4 (March 24-30):
Myth: “Multi-grain” is the same as “whole grain”.
Challenge: Compare bread labels at the grocery store and pick out the whole grain versus multi-grain.

Week 5 (March 31-April 6):
Myth: Everyone needs to drink eight glasses of water a day.
Challenge: Track how much water you drink each day this week and how many times you choose water instead of a sugary beverage.

Happy March 1!

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching