The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
During March, Dietitians of Canada is putting the Spotlight on Food and Nutrition. Many Canadians fall short when it comes to vegetable and fruit intake. In fact, only 20 per cent eat four to five servings of vegetables and fruit a day. The majority of children (70 per cent) aged four to eight years old eat less than the five servings recommended by CanadaÕs Food Guide for their age group. What effects do vegetables and fruit have on health? Evidence shows that losing weight and keeping it off is linked to eating more vegetables and fruit. A diet rich in vegetables and fruit is also linked to improved bone health, blood fat levels, blood pressure and reduced risk of death from heart disease. Vegetables and fruit are packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fibre. They help to meet our dietary needs without large amounts of calories. Eat at least one dark green vegetable a day to get enough folate. Good sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, fresh parsley, green peas, romaine lettuce and spinach. Make sure to also eat at least one orange vegetable daily to get the Vitamin A needed. Our body converts carotenoids, such as beta-carotene found in orange vegetables to vitamin A. Good sources include carrots, pumpkins, orange-coloured squash and sweet potatoes. Some orange-coloured fruits such as apricots, cantaloupe, mango and papaya are also rich in carotenoids but oranges are not. Oranges are rich in vitamin C and folate. Try eating a variety of vegetables and fruit in many forms. They may be fresh, frozen, juiced, canned and dried. Select local and fresh produce in season whenever you can. Take advantage of local Good Food Box programs that may be offered in your community. They usually offer plenty of vegetables and fruit. Canned and frozen varieties may be more accessible during certain seasons or locations. Select fruit preserved in juice or light syrup. Rinse any excess salt found in canned vegetables. Make sure to have vegetables and fruit more often than juice. Read labels carefully. When juice is selected, choose 100 per cent vegetable and fruit juices. Some drinks and beverages only have a small amount of real juice. Some products have vegetable or fruit in their names or on their labels. They may have high amounts of fat, sugar or salt. Vegetable chips, fruit candies and vegetable and fruit drinks do not belong in the Vegetables and Fruit food group. If you or your family is among the many Canadians not getting enough vegetables and fruit in your daily diet, head into spring with some new habits. Start by packing a few apricots or some sliced carrots to eat with lunch or for a snack at school or work. Use canned pumpkin to make a tasty soup. Stir-fry broccoli for dinner. The options are endless. Colour your world with more vegetables and fruit and help celebrate Nutrition Month. For more information contact your local public health nutritionist.
