Basics of Healthy Eating

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (2MB, 2 pages) helps people two years and older make healthy food choices and meet their nutritional needs. Children go through many stages of growth and development. Healthy food choices help fuel their growth.

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide stresses the importance of choosing a variety of foods from four food groups for good nutrition. It is also now easier to use for the different age groups and for males and females. The four food groups include:

1. Vegetables and Fruit

Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. These foods are usually higher in vitamin A and folic acid.

2. Grain Products

Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day. These are foods that contain whole wheat, oats, barley or rye.

3. Milk and Alternatives

Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day to get both calcium and vitamin D. If your kids are
lactose intolerantLactose intolerance is a condition that results from an inability to digest lactose, a natural sugar found in milk products. Some symptoms of intolerance can include bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort and diarrhea. Some people can tolerate small amounts of milk, like 125 mL (1/2 cup) when taken with food. or have a milk allergy, try some milk alternativesMilk beverage alternatives for people who are lactose intolerant include fortified soy or rice beverages and lactose-free milk. Milk beverage alternatives for a milk allergy include fortified soy or rice beverages..

4. Meat and Alternatives

Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as dried peas, beans and lentils more often. Eat at least two servings of fish each week.