What is Nutrition? Making the best food choices

Canada Food Guide Balanced meals Grains: Carbohydrates Meat and alternatives and dairy: Proteins Fruits and vegetables and dairy: Vitamins, Minerals Water Oil, butter: Fats

Canada’s Food Guide also Recommends: –Satisfying your thirst with water –Enjoying a variety of foods from the four food groups

One Food Guide Serving of Vegetables and Fruit is: 125 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned vegetable or fruit or 100% juice 250 mL (1 cup) leafy raw vegetables or salad 1 fruit

Vegetables and Fruit Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice

One Food Guide Serving of Grain Products is: 1 slice (35 g) bread or ½ bagel (45 g) ½ pita (35 g) or ½ tortilla (35 g) 125 mL (½ cup) cooked rice, pasta, or couscous 30 g cold cereal 175 mL (¾ cup) hot cereal

Grain Products Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar or salt

One Food Guide Serving of Milk and Alternatives is: 250 mL (1 cup) milk or fortified soy beverage 175 g (¾ cup) yogurt 50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese

Milk and Alternatives Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day  Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk Select lower fat milk alternatives

One Food Guide Serving of Meat and Alternatives is: 75 g (2 ½ oz.) or 125 mL (½ cup) cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat 175 mL (¾ cup) cooked beans 2 eggs 30 mL (2 Tbsp) peanut butter

Meat and Alternatives Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt

Count the Food Guide Servings in this Meal 125 mL (½ cup) fresh bean sprouts (1 cup) carrot, cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, onion 125 mL (1/2 cup) green and red pepper 15 mL (1 Tbsp) peanut oil 3 servings of fruit and vegetables, 1 serving meat and alternatives and part of oils and fats Stir Fry

Read the Label Compare the Nutrition Facts table on food labels to choose products that contain less fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium Keep in mind that the calories and nutrients listed are for the amount of food found at the top of the Nutrition Facts table

A Tale of Two Burgers Nutrition Facts Bacon Cheeseburger Takeout serving size120g Calories 330 Fats (mg ) 14 22% DV Saturated fats (mg) 6 Transfats (mg) % Cholesterol (mg) 45 Sodium (mg) % Carbohydrates (g) 34 11% Fiber 9 g) 2 8% Sugar (g) 8 Protein ( g) 18 Vitamin A % daily value 8 Vitamin C % daily value 6 Calcium % daily value 20 Iron % daily value 20 Nutrition Facts Bacon Cheeseburger at home Amount per Serving Calories 545 Calories from Fat 30 6% Daily Value * Total Fat 34g 52% Saturated Fat 16g 80% Cholesterol 114mg 38% Sodium 970mg 40% Total Carbohydrate 29g 10% Dietary Fiber 1.6g 6% Sugars 4g Protein 36g 72% Vitamin A 15% Vitamin C 25% Calcium 25% Iron 29% Doesn’t look like they are very different

Ingredient Control McDonalds Bacon Strips Beef Patty Grill Seasoning Ketchup Mustard Onions (dehyrdated) Pickle Slices Processed Cheese Slice Regular Bun Bacon Strips: Pork, water, salt, sugar, natural hickory smoke flavouring, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, smoke. Beef Patty: 100% pure beef Grill Seasoning: Salt, spice, sunflower oil Onions (dehyrdated): 100% onions. Processed Cheese Slice: Cheese (milk, modified milk ingredients, bacterial culture, salt, calcium chloride, microbial enzyme, lipase), modified milk ingredients, water, sodium citrate and/or sodium phosphate, salt, potassium sorbate, citric acid, colour, soy lecithin. Regular Bun: wheat starch, ammonium phosphate, calcium peroxide, wheat gluten, ethanol, sorbitol, polysorbate 20, sodium propionate, enzymes, dextrin, corn starch, wheat starch, cellulose gum, ammonium sulfate, malt, calcium carbonate, sesameRegular Bun: Enriched wheat flour, water, sugar and/or glucose-fructose, yeast, vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), salt, calcium sulphate, ammonium sulfate, malt, calcium carbonate, sesame Home made 100 % beef 1 egg Salt free spices: onion, garlic, pepper, oregano Homemade Whole wheat bun no additives/preservatives Cheddar/colby cheese Ketchup Mustard Tomaot Lettuce Bacon strip omit to avoid sulfates and phosphates Simply comparing the nutrition labels does not tell the whole story when comparing restaurant /fast food with homemade. Look at the additives in the ingredients.

Points to consider when preparing a menu Entrée or full meal has representatives from each component of the Canada Food Guide Each item of your menu has a descriptive paragraph listing the ingredients Research various restaurant menus on the internet to look at categories, listings, ingredients Many restaurants now carry nutritional information on their websites