More Than Food

March is Nutrition Month. This year’s theme “More than Food” is focused on more than just the foods we eat.

Food choices play an important role in any diet but are eating habits and behaviors such as how, when, where and why we eat and drink is equally important.

Below are some healthy eating habits:

Eat mindfully

• Remember to listen to your body and follow your hunger and satiety signals. Don’t be afraid to take your time when eating to allow yourself to fully appreciate your food.
• Live in the moment and focus on the flavour, texture, temperature, smell and taste to enhance your food experiences.

 

Cook more often

• Cooking your own meals allows you to be in full control. Although it may be tempting to grab a fast burger or to enjoy the pleasures of a sit-down restaurant, aim to cook from home most frequently. This allows you to be more mindful of the foods you consume and for the selection of healthier food options.

 

Enjoy your food and eat with others

• Food is about way more than the physical items themselves. Make your cultural food items and enjoy your food traditions to get the most out of your eating experiences.
• Eat your meals with other to promote a social environment and to enhance your meals

 

Looking for some easy recipe ideas to help you with these eating habits, check out this recipe eBook at:

https://www.dietitians.ca/DietitiansOfCanada/media/Documents/Resources/Recipe-ebook-Nutrition-Month-2020.pdf?ext=.pdf

 

For more information, visit Canada’s Food Guide: https://foodguide.canada.ca/en/ and www.nutritionmonth2020.ca

 

Unlocking the Potential of Food

March is nutrition month and since nutrition and healthy eating are core components of HANS KAI, our dieticians have provided some tips for healthy eating

 

THE POTENTIAL TO FUEL:

Stay energized by planning nutritious snacks into your day. Nutritious snacks, in the right portion sizes, can be part of a healthy eating plan. Almost half of all Canadians say that eating a balanced diet is challenging for them because they are so busy. They often skip meals, and close to 30 per cent of Canadians say they snack to stay fueled in a busy day.

FIVE TIPS FOR HEALTHY SNACKS

Snacks are foods or drinks that are consumed between meals. When you’re on-the-run during a busy day, think of snacks as mini-meals that offer some nutritional value and an energy boost. These are different than treats, such as cookies, chocolate and chips, which are not nourishing. Here are five helpful snacking tips:

 

1. Plan ahead. Keep a variety of healthy, ready-to-eat snacks on hand for when you get hungry. Being prepared helps you avoid less-healthy treats.
2. Be aware of portion sizes. Instead of snacking from a large bag or box, take a portion and put it on a plate or bowl.
3. Listen to your hunger cues. Ask yourself: am I truly hungry, or am I eating because I am bored, tired or stressed?
4. Skip distracted snacking! Avoid munching while looking at a screen, driving or working. You may eat more than you need if you’re distracted from your feeling of fullness.5.Snack on vegetables! About half of all Canadians don’t eat enough vegetables or fruit. Snacking on them between meals is a great way to add more.

HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS

Look for snacks with some protein and fiber. Here are 11 great ideas!

1. Carrots and peppers with hummus
2. Almond butter on banana slices
3. Greek yogurt topped with berries
4. Whole grain toast with peanut butter
5. Cheddar cheese and apple slices
6. Small handful of trail mix made with nuts, seeds and raisins*
7. Roasted chickpeas and popcorn mix*
8. Whole grain cereal with milk
9. Sliced vegetables with yogurt dip
10. Tuna on crackers
11. Whole grain toast with avocado and sesame seeds

 

THE POTENTIALTO DISCOVER:

Foster healthy eating habits in children by teaching them to shop and cook. Starting from a young age, inspiring children to shop, cook and prepare food can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. Yet, a recent survey found that 38 per cent of parents rarely or never let their child prepare a meal or snack.

FIVE TIPS FOR COOKING WITH KIDS

1. Pick a recipe and shop together: Children need to be part of the plan from the beginning, and it helps if they choose and prepare something that they love to eat.
2. Incorporate learning: Build on lessons they learn in school, such as math, social studies, media literacy, spelling, science and reading. Younger children can practice fine motor skills.
3. Keep it fun! Imaginative play helps children get deeply involved. Make a theme night or turn your kitchen into a restaurant.
4. Be a role model: If you’re excited, they will be too. Try a new food, describe the flavour and be adventurous to inspire your kids to do the same.
5. Be cool about the mess: Spills and accidental messes happen, and it’s important to remain calm

WHAT CAN MY CHILD DO?

Here’s a guideline of kitchen skills based on age:

• 2-3 year olds can wash vegetables and fruit or tear lettuce and salad greens
• 3-4 year olds can mash potatoes and bananas or mix together batters
• 4-6 year olds can measure dry and liquid ingredients or set the table
• 6-8 year olds can toss salad ingredients together or make a simple breakfast
• 8-12 year olds can make their own school lunch or help to plan meals
• Teens can follow more complicated recipes or assemble and mix most ingredients. They can also be in charge of making one meal per week in addition to making their lunch.

THE POTENTIALTO PREVENT:

Understand how food can help prevent chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Lifestyle factors, including what we eat, can influence our health. A nutritious diet can help prevent illness and can lower the risk of developing chronic diseases.

BUILD A BALANCED DIET

There are many diets or “eating patterns,” and some are healthier than others. The best eating pattern is one that you enjoy and can stick with. The eating patterns that have been the most researched for their health benefits include the Mediterranean, DASH and MIND diets. The foods that are recommended on these patterns can help prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia and some types of cancer.

Here are some foods that are common to all of them:

• Vegetables and fruit
• Whole grains
• Legumes like beans and lentils
• Nuts and seeds
• Milk, cheese and yogurt
• Fish, seafood and poultry
• Healthy oils like canola and olive

 

These nourishing foods are the basic ingredients that form the diet for disease prevention. You may also notice what’s missing from these eating patterns. They don’t contain highly processed products, like cake, chips, cookies and sugary drinks that are high in added sugar, salt and Trans fat. Almost 80 per cent of premature stroke and heart disease can be prevented through healthy lifestyle behaviors. These include eating healthy, being active and living smoke-free. The journey toward wellbeing begins with how we eat and dietitians have the knowledge, compassion and flexibility to help you achieve.

 

THE POTENTIAL TO BRING US TOGETHER:

Enjoy the benefits of bringing families and friends together with food. Canadians are busy! In a recent 30 per cent of Canadians said it’s challenging to find time to eat meals with friends and family. It’s an enriching experience for people of all ages to share meals.

WHY SHARE MEALS WITH OTHERS?

 

The biggest barriers to eating together are busy schedules like work and evening activities. It’s worth the effort because everyone benefits when you eat in the company of others!

 

• Children who eat with their family have more nutritious diets, better academic performance, a lower risk for being overweight and less risk of eating disorders. Plus, children tend to have increased intake of vegetables and fruit, and a decreased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Teens who share family meals get better grades, and are less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol, or to participate in serious fights.
• Adults who eat with friends and family tend to eat more vegetables and fruits, drink less pop, eat fewer meals at fast food restaurants, and have lower body mass indexes.
• Older adults who eat as part of a group have better diets, improved nutrient intake and lower rates of malnutrition.
• People who come together in communities can eat together at community kitchens, where they learn to cook, share meals, try new foods, have fun and learn about nutrition.

 

Check out 10 recipes for Nutrition Month at:

 

https://www.dietitians.ca/Downloads/Public/07—Nutrition-Month-2019/Recipes-2019-Nutrition-Month/10-Feature-Recipes-English.aspx

 

Top 5 Things To Do This Summer Both Fun and Healthy!

It’s summer and the sun is shining, the air is warm and we want to make the most of it. HANS KAI is all about improving our health or maintaining it and there are small things we can do in summer to help us keep on track.

1. Go for a walk. It is nice out and walking is easier in the summer if you live in a climate that has 4 distinct seasons. So take advantage of the nice long days and walk. Walking in the-surrounding parks makes it even nicer.  Just make sure to take a water bottle.
   

   
2. Visit a Farmers Market. Ah summer when both fruits and veggies are plentiful and fresh. Why not check out a market? Most farmers markets run through the summer. As a bonus they are usually less expensive than the grocery store. Some do stop for the winter. NorWest in Winnipeg offers 2 markets year round at our Community Food Centre 103-61 Tyndall and Blake Gardens 331 Blake St . Both are Thursday afternoons.
   

   

   
3. Walk to the grocery store or for errands. Unless you are doing a massive grocery shop, walking to the store even even the mall for errands is not only a great way to get healthy, it reduces your carbon footprint. Check out this article from Prevention Magazine on the others benefits to walking. https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20485587/benefits-from-walking-every-day/
4. Check out your community’s local events. Summer is festival time. Even the smallest towns often have festivals or free events. Check out your local city or town’s website and enjoy! It’s a great way to get involved and have fun!
5. Eat more fruits and veggies. Like we said, most fruits and vegetables are in season in the summer so why not enjoy them at their freshest? Epicurious and genius kitchen are excellent resources for easy to follow and low cost fruit and veggie recipes. Also the dieticians of Canada offesr lots of tips, recipes, and resources.

https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-Month/Recipe-Ideas.aspx

https://www.epicurious.com/

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/

So take advantage of the warm weather, fresh food and festivities and enjoy your summer. Most importantly, you get to stay healthy while you are doing it!

Healthy Breakfast Ideas Easy and Fun!

HANS participants Like so many of us hey a are busy  and often don’t have time to eat properly or make sure they have breakfast. Asa result, quick, easy , and on the go foods are often easy to grab and eat during a busy day. These food aren’t always the healthiest and as part of the HANS KAI health school, the nutrition session includes how to prepare quick, easy healthy food. Breakfast foods in particular are a favourite topic for many HANS groups so we have included some tips and favourite recipes in this week’s blog from our Dietician Tammy Nasuti

Tips for a Healthy Breakfast

Include protein

What you eat for breakfast matters and research shows it should be including more protein. Adding protein-rich foods to breakfast (think Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, eggs, lentils, or lean meat or fish) has been shown to help reduce hunger and calories consumed throughout the day. Protein slows digestion and helps curb hunger because the body has to work harder to break it down. Aim for 20-25 grams of protein at breakfast

Go for whole grains

Including whole grain foods at breakfast helps increase your intake of fibre, along with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Foods such as whole grain cereals, whole grain breads and oatmeal are some easy examples to start with.

Be sure to read ingredient lists on cereals, and breads and choose products that list a whole grain first such as whole grain whole wheat flour or oats. Try to choose a breakfast cereal that provides 5 grams of fibre per serving and breads that have 2 to 3 grams per slice.

Limit refined sugars

Look for cold and hot breakfast cereals with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving (no more than 6 grams of sugar is an even better choice). Also watch out for flavored yogurts, choosing plain yogurts that say unsweetened or no sugar added are better choices. If plain yogurt

Get organized

To save time on busy mornings, organize for breakfast in advance:

• Get lunch items ready the night before, just after dinner is best
  • Cut up fruit so it’s ready for a smoothie or to top cereal
• On the weekend prep ahead, make a batch of whole grain muffins or hard boil eggs for quick breakfasts during the week
• Stock easy to pack breakfast items like whole grain cereal bars, apples, oranges, bananas, whole grain breads, and yogurt tubes for mornings when you need to send kids to school with a quick breakfast to eat on the go

Take it to go

If mornings are still a struggle for time, have grab and go breakfast foods on head.  Whole grain cereal bars, homemade frozen breakfast burritos, whole grain crackers, yogurts, part skim cheese strings, hard boiled eggs, and fresh fruit are all easy to take with you.

Adapted from: https://lesliebeck.com/articl

Here are a couple recipes to get you started with your breakfast success:

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

https://www.smartnutrition.ca/recipes/freezer-breakfast-burritos-vegetarian/

Description

Keep these breakfast burritos in the freezer for a quick, filling, and nutritious breakfast! 20g of protein in each burrito!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup salsa *see note
• 8 slices cheese
• 8 whole grain wraps

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan.
2. Peel and dice the onion. Remove the core from the red pepper and dice.
3. Saute the onion and red pepper until soft.
4. Remove to a bowl.
5. Place the eggs,  salt, and milk in a blender. Turn on low then slowly up to high.
6. Blend for 30 seconds. Pour eggs in pan and scrambled fry until cooked.
7. Place 1/4 cup egg mixture, 3 tbsp red pepper mixture, 2 tbsp black beans, 2 tbsp salsa, and 1 slice of cheese in each of the 8 wraps.
8. Fold burrito style.
9. Wrap each burrito in aluminum foil (if you plan on reheating in oven) or plastic wrap (if you plan on reheating in microwave).
10. Place in a plastic zip bag and freeze.

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Helpful Tips

To make the burritos less “juicy” and drippy, strain some of the liquid from the salsa by placing it in a fine mesh colander. Then use the thickened salsa to fill the burritos.

Notes

To make the burritos less “juicy” and drippy, strain some of the liquid from the salsa by placing it in a fine mesh colander. Then use the thickened salsa to fill the burritos

CopyCat Egg McMuffins

• https://www.smartnutrition.ca/recipes/healthy-egg-mcmuffin-copycat/

Keep these healthy egg mcmuffin copycats in your freezer for a quick go-to meal that’s much faster and cheaper than pulling through the drive-thru!

Ingredients

• 12 eggs
• provincial herb blend
• 12 English muffins, whole wheat or whole grain
• 12 slices turkey breast
• 12 slices cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Grease lightly.
• Crack four eggs into the pan (one in each “corner”).
• Using a flipper spatula, gently break the yolks.
• Sprinkle some provincial herbs on top.
• When the eggs are cooked enough to flip without falling apart, flip them! The eggs will probably have spread and are touching each other. Simply cut them with the spatula in order to flip.
• When they’re fully cooked, remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 8 eggs.
• While you are batch cooking the eggs, you can start to assemble the sandwiches.
• On the bottom half of an English muffin place an egg. You may need to fold it a bit for it to fit on the muffin without a lot of it hanging over.
• Fold the slice of turkey breast so that there isn’t much hanging over the sides.
• Do the same with the slice of cheddar cheese.
• Place the top half of the muffin on top.
• Using a panini press, grill until cheese is melted and the sandwich squishes down. If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a frying pan and press down with a pot.
• Allow the sandwiches to cool slightly. Wrap in tin foil or plastic wrap. Place in freezer.
• When it’s time to eat, remove the wrapping and re-wrap in a sheet of paper towel. Microwave at 30 second intervals, flipping each time, until your sandwich is nice and hot!

For some more recipe prep ideas visit https://www.smartnutrition.ca/recipes/prep-21-days-breakfast/

https://www.dietitians.ca/