Tips for Healthy Eating for Young Canadians

OK, you may not have liked cafeteria meals during the school year or you may not want to drag your lunch around in a brown paper bag, but just because you have the summer off doesn’t mean you should eat junk food all the time!

You’re probably going to be doing a lot of running around over your summer holidays enjoying your favorite outdoor activities, like swimming, inline skating, biking, or playing sports. That means you’re going to need energy for all that fun, and the best source of energy comes from eating nutritious foods.

Healthy eating is a great way to:

• have energy all day long;
  
• get the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs;
  
• stay strong for sports or other summer activities;
  
• reach your maximum height (if you are still growing);
  
• maintain a healthy weight; and
• prevent unhealthy eating habits, like skipping meals and feeling overly hungry at the next meal.

Eating healthy stuff doesn’t have to be boring. Here are a few tips to help you choose foods that are both tasty and good for you:

• A piece of fruit and a handful of nuts are easy to put in your pocket when you’re on the go and need a quick snack.
  
• Craving a sub sandwich? Try whole-wheat bread and go easy on the cheese and mayo. Also, adding extra veggies like shredded carrots, romaine lettuce, and peppers adds both crunch and flavour.
  
• If you really want pizza, no problem, just choose a kind that has more veggies and less meat or cheese.
  
• Skip the pop and choose something without all that sugar and caffeine. Water, milk (skim, 1%, or 2%), or 100% juice can be just as delicious and thirst-quenching.
  
• Need something you can pop into your gym bag for a nibble after the game? Try some low-fat cheese strings or yogurt tubes.
  
• Other quick healthy snacks include air-popped popcorn, low-fat granola, veggies with low-fat salad dressing dip, cottage cheese with fruit, celery sticks with peanut butter and fruit with yogurt dip.
  
• Racing out the door and don’t have timefor breakfast? Try grabbing a small, low-fat bran muffin or whipping up a smoothie to go by tossing a frozen banana, some peanut butter and some low-fat milk in the blender.
  
• Instead of a hamburger and fries, try a grilled chicken burger and side salad–it’s tasty and it fills you up.
  
• If you really feel you must have a food that you know is high in fat and calories, have the small size instead of a large or ‘super-size’ portion so at least you will limit the amount you are eating. Then try to choose healthy foods for your next meal.

For more tips and information on healthy eating, visit Health Canada’s Food Guide online at www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide.