Healthy Eating Starts Here: Steps to a Healthier You Eat More Vegetables and Fruit Developed by Registered Dietitians Nutrition Services Alberta Health Services 2017
Objectives By the end of this presentation, you will be able to: 1. List 1 benefit of increasing your intake of Vegetables and Fruit. 2. Give an example of a serving of Vegetables and Fruit according to Canada s Food Guide (CFG) and list how many servings you need each day. 3. List 1 challenge of eating more Vegetables and Fruit and a way to overcome that challenge.
Overview Why eat more Vegetables and Fruit? What is a serving of Vegetables and Fruit according to CFG? How to eat more Vegetables and Fruit.
Overview What keeps us from getting enough Make vegetables and fruit the easy choice Where to get more information
Why Eat More Vegetables and Fruit? Eating more vegetables and fruit can: Help lower your blood pressure Reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke
Why Eat More Vegetables and Fruit? Eating more vegetables and fruit can: Supply vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytonutrients to help you fight infections Lower your risk for some types of cancer
What is a serving of Vegetables and Fruit ½ cup (125 ml) of fresh, frozen or canned vegetables or fruit 1 cup (250 ml) of raw leafy vegetables 1 medium sized piece of fresh fruit ¼ cup (60 ml) dried fruit ½ cup (125 ml) 100% juice
Eating Well with Canada s Food Guide Vegetables and Fruit: 4-8 servings daily for children 7-10 servings daily for adults Main Nutrients: fibre, folate, potassium, iron, vitamins A, B6, and C
How to Eat More Vegetable and Fruit Use the Eat Well plate from Health Canada - fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit
How to Eat More Vegetable and Fruit When making mixed dishes make sure half the ingredients are vegetables
How to Eat More Vegetable and Fruit Eat fresh or canned fruit packed in juice for dessert or for a snack Include raw vegetables or a salad with your lunch
How to Eat More Vegetable and Fruit Use shredded or pureed vegetables in muffins and pancakes Top breakfast cereal with fruit Add dried fruit to baking or on top of salads
How to Eat More Vegetable and Fruit Add pureed or grated vegetables to sauces, soups, casseroles and dips
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? What are your barriers to eating more vegetables and fruit? Vegetables and fruit are expensive I prefer fresh vegetables and fruit Vegetables and fruit spoil too quickly They take too long to prepare Vitamins are lost when I cook vegetables
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Vegetables and fruit are expensive Try these ideas: Buy fresh vegetables and fruit when on sale Choose varieties with a lower unit price Try frozen or canned vegetables and fruit year round
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: I prefer fresh vegetables and fruit Look beyond the grocery store: Pick fresh produce from a local u-pick farm Plant fruit trees and bushes in your yard Grow vegetables in your own garden or in a pot if you don t have a lot of space
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: I prefer fresh vegetables and fruit Look beyond the grocery store: Try some local resources: Good Food Box program Food Co-op Community garden Fruit rescue Farmers market
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Vegetables and fruit spoil too quickly Try these tips to avoid waste: Learn how to store your vegetables and fruit so they last as long as possible. Go to halfyourplate.ca Keep vegetables and fruit in a place you can see them easily.
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Vegetables and fruit spoil too quickly Try these tips to avoid waste: Use frozen and canned vegetables and fruit Buy just the amount of fresh produce you need Choose fully and partly ripe fruit when you shop so they are not all ripe at the same time
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Tips for using canned and frozen vegetables: Look for brands with no added salt or rinse under water before using Canned vegetables are already cooked, they just need heating Frozen vegetables are ready to cook
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Tips for using canned fruit: Select canned fruit packed in juice for less sugar If canned fruit is packed in syrup, drain before using
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Takes too long to prepare Try these time-saving tips: Buy prewashed bags of salads, spinach or baby carrots Keep washed, sliced vegetables in the fridge Make a large salad to last a few days
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Takes too long to prepare Try these time-saving tips: Use a chopper to cut up large amounts of vegetables for soups and stews Ask other family members to help with picking, washing and chopping vegetables
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Takes too long to prepare Try these time-saving tips: Use frozen and canned vegetables and fruit they are quick and easy Keep canned fruit for a quick dessert, snack or to pack in lunches
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Takes too long to prepare Try these time-saving tips: Roast a whole pan of vegetables to eat with several meals Puree extra cooked vegetables, and freeze to add to soups later Try cauliflower, green beans, peas, carrots
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Vitamins are lost when I cook vegetables Limit vitamin loss with these tips: Cut vegetables into larger chunks Steam, microwave, and grill vegetables to preserve nutrients
What Keeps Us From Getting Enough? Barrier: Vitamins are lost when I cook vegetables Limit vitamin loss with these tips: Cook in a covered pot to shorten cooking time Use as little water as possible Use vegetable cooking water in soups, stews and sauces
Make the healthy choice the easy choice Keep a colourful fruit bowl on the table to make it easy to grab Stock a variety of vegetables and fruit Limit the competition! buy fewer packaged snacks
Setting SMART Goals Specific: I will eat one serving of fruit at breakfast. Measurable: I will mark down the days that I eat a fruit at breakfast this week. Attainable: I will buy some oranges and strawberries for breakfast this week. Rewarding: Adding fruit to my breakfast is delicious and good for me too. Timely: I will follow my plan for breakfast this week and review how it went.
Summary Eating enough vegetables and fruit can reduce my risk for some diseases Filling half my plate with vegetables and fruit every day will help me get the recommended CFG servings
Summary Using a variety of fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and fruit will increase my choices year round Setting a SMART goal can help me overcome barriers to eating enough vegetable and fruit
For More information Tasty recipes and tips: Cookspiration.com Halfyourplate.ca HealthyEatingStartsHere.ca
Questions?