According to Canada’s Food Price Report 2023, produced by Dalhousie University, consumers can expect a five to seven percent increase in the price of food this year – with items such as vegetables, dairy and meat seeing the biggest hikes.

That means that this year, an average family of four is expected to spend as much as $16,288 per year on food – about $1,065 more than what they spent in 2022.

Food inflation is a stark reality that can make eating healthy and nutritious meals that align with Canada’s Food Guide more challenging than ever, especially for people living on low or fixed incomes.

At the latest Sunnybrook Speaker Series, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Karen Fung discussed ways to cope.

Menu planning, budget-conscious shopping and preparing ingredients and dishes in advance can help people save money, reduce waste and get more bang for their buck from their food.

One strategy Karen advised is to plan out three to five recipes a week, ideally ones that use locally available and seasonal vegetables and fruits. These tend to be less expensive, tastier and more nutritious than imported produce.

At the same time, she said, it is important to consume a variety of different-coloured foods – to “eat the rainbow” – and given Canada’s climate, this sometimes means relying on imported produce. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great, budget-friendly option in this case.

Karen also shared tips for stocking up on pantry items such as whole-grain pasta, lentils, beans, canned tomatoes or broths – items that can easily be combined with vegetables on hand (including frozen) or leftovers for a quick soup or stew.

Keeping an eye on grocery stores’ weekly sale items or using apps that list flyer deals is a good place to start, she said. Many stores also have price match policies or offer rain checks when sale items are out of stock – both useful ways to save some money at the checkout aisle.

Noting an item’s unit price (the price per standard unit of measurement) as opposed to its sticker price when deciding between similar products in different size packages can be helpful too.

And don’t forget to arrive at the grocery store with a shopping list in hand and a full stomach, Karen said, as these will help to avoid overspending on unhealthy snacks or pricey items.

And what about once you’re home from the store?

Karen said batch cooking is a great way to ensure you have leftovers you can turn to later on. One-pot casseroles and sheet pan recipes save on preparation and cleaning time.

And labelling and freezing perishable items so they’re ready when you need them at a future date is a tried but true technique as well. Most items can be safely stored in the freezer for three to six months.

» Check out more tips from Karen Fung

The post How to meal plan amid food inflation appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Learn more from Sunnybrook’s dietitians about their education, how you can access a dietitian’s services and how a dietitian might be able to support you.

“Ingredients” of a Dietitian

In order to become a registered dietitian in Canada, an individual will first finish a four-year accredited Bachelor’s degree, typically in Nutrition and Dietetics, followed by an accredited dietetic internship or an integrated Master’s program, which includes a practicum component.

During their dietetic internship or as part of an integrated Master’s degree, dietitians complete a minimum of 1250 hours of supervised practical training. The practical training provides a variety of rotations in clinical, community and food service settings that allows students to meet the requirements for their dietetic education and practice. Students learn from RDs working in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings where they become a part of the interprofessional team gaining the hands-on experience and skills needed to provide competent patient centered care.

After completing their post-graduate internship or Master’s degree, students must pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam before they officially receive their independent practice license as a registered dietitian. In Ontario, they must also pass the Jurisprudence Knowledge and Awareness Test at graduation and every 7 years. Every year, RDs must file a “self-directed learning tool” and provide evidence of ongoing learning to maintain their registration with the College of Dietitians of Ontario.

The pathway for internationally trained dietitians can be found here: https://www.collegeofdietitians.org/applicants/internationally-educated.aspx

What can a dietitian do for me?

Registered Dietitians are food and nutrition experts. There are many different ways that an RD can help support you in your health and nutrition goals. Some examples include:

• Healthy eating for health promotion and disease prevention
• Chronic disease management (diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, cancer care, gastrointestinal disorders, and more
• Nutrition for different stages of life from prenatal nutrition to infancy and childhood, through to older adults and palliative care
• Food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities
• Eating disorders and disordered eating
• Sports nutrition

In a hospital setting, clinical RDs provide medical nutrition therapy for a variety of inpatient and outpatient medical conditions. RDs might screen patients for nutritional risk, provide nutritional assessments and develop nutrition care plans. They assess for nutrition therapy provided orally, through enteral feeding tubes and via IV. They also provide nutrition education for patients and families. 

Accessing a dietitian

Outside of the hospital setting, you may wish with work with a dietitian to learn about how to make the most of your food and nutrition.

 There are dietitians who work for public health units, diabetes education centres, community health centres and with family health teams. In some of these cases, they may accept self-referrals (e.g. this is the case for the Sunnybrook diabetes education centre), while other clinics may require a referral from your doctor. You may also be able to access a dietitian through long-term care homes or home care service agencies.

Some extended health care plans cover private dietitian services. In order to access a dietitian who works in private practice, you may be required to have a referral from your physician in order for insurance to cover their services, so check with your insurance company before booking an appointment.

You can find a dietitian in your area by visiting the Dietitians of Canada website and clicking on “Find a Dietitian.”

Finally, you can visit Health Connect Ontario’s website to speak with a local registered dietitian. This service is free and does not require a doctor’s referral. It can be a great starting point for anyone looking to speak with a dietitian since it is free for the public, and there are translators available for more than 100 languages. Dietitians at Health Connect can address many concerns related to chronic diseases and can assist in offering resources if they are not equipped to speak to a specific concern.

The post An introduction to dietitians and how they can support your nutrition goals appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Jill Zweig is a Registered Dietitian, Diabetes Educator, Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team.

What’s your earliest memory of food?

My mom was a great cook and I grew up in a house where we ate dinner together every night. My dad got home from work by 6:30, so dinner was a big part of our day. It was a healthy, balanced meal but never to an extreme. It’s not like we didn’t have cookies in the house.

So, you’ve always had a healthy relationship with food?

I’ve always had a healthy relationship with food and exercise, and they go hand in hand. I’m an extremely active person, and now that my kids are in their twenties, they are following my example and incorporating good habits in their own lives. I believe everything in moderation.

Even though you are a dietitian, are there temptations you deal with?

For sure. That stretch between 3 p.m. to dinner time is the toughest for me in terms of getting hungry and craving snacks. I try to reach for an apple when that happens, but I’m human and not perfect. I love chocolate so I may grab some chocolate chips or some chocolate covered almonds. As a family, we love dessert. When I make cookies or cake though, I don’t try to find a “low-fat” version. Make the real thing, but have one piece or two. As a family, we have a good sense of portions.

What’s your daily food routine?

A typical breakfast includes bran buds with blueberries and skim milk. I try not to snack between breakfast and lunch, but if I’m really hungry, I’ll reach for some almonds or dates.

Lunch can vary a bit, as I tend to go through phases. Right now, I’m having a small tortilla wrap, with cheese and veggies, as well as some plain yogurt with fruit and maybe nuts. If I’m going to work, I always pack a bag of veggies to munch on.

Today, as an adult with my own grown family, carrying on that tradition of sitting down to a family meal is really important to me. I cook dinner on most nights and really enjoy the process. My cooking isn’t fancy, but I love tasty food and have some simple recipes that I go back to a lot. Finding a balance with healthier foods — meaning including a protein, veggies and avoiding fried foods — is key. We’re not much for snacking after dinner.

How do you stay inspired in the kitchen?

It can be hard. I have to think about meal planning in advance, so I often ask my kids for ideas. Sometimes I just read through cookbooks for inspiration. I tend to shop seasonally as well, to change things up, especially with veggies. I like to start my grocery shopping in the produce aisle to see what’s on sale and in season. In the summer, we’ll BBQ a lot.

Are there any food limits in your home?

My philosophy is all about moderation. We live in a world that promotes a lot of unhealthy foods, so I’ve always felt it was important to give my kids the tools to navigate that in a healthy context. So we do keep snacks, like cookies and chips, around the house.

What’s your favourite meal?

I love Asian. Chinese and Thai food. We order it in about once every two weeks. I love the crunchy veggies and combination of sweet and savoury!

Do you see food more as utility of pleasure?

Food is pleasure, but sometimes utility. I don’t like to waste for sure.

So, what’s your best nutrition tip?

Enjoy the food you eat, choose healthier foods more often and include small portions of your favourite foods — such as chocolate cake — occasionally.

The post How to Live Like the Experts: Registered Dietitian Jill Zweig opens up about what’s on her plate appeared first on Your Health Matters.

But, I do at the very least try to stay up-to-date about the latest in nutrition information.

Lately, though, I’ve been a more confused than ever about healthy foods. Between news stories about sugar and fats, a new Canada Food Guide, and a bunch of Netflix documentaries each claiming some kind of food group is the devil, I’m not too sure what I should be focusing my attention on and keeping off my plate.

I spoke with registered dietitian Daphna Steinberg at Sunnybrook for some help: What’s the worst for me? Sugar, salt or fat?

“This is a complicated question,” she said, kind of as I expected. “Each has it’s issues.”

Here’s what else she had to say to help us understand each of these offending groups.

What’s the issue with eating too much salt?

About 50 per cent of Canadians are what’s called “sodium sensitive”. This means that eating too much salt will raise their blood pressure, which can put them at risk of developing heart disease or strokes.

What’s the issue with eating too much sugar?

Eating too much sugar can increase your risk for developing obesity and diabetes.

What’s the issue with eating too much fat?

Fat has a lot of calories, so eating too much total fat can lead to obesity. The challenge with choosing low fat versions of foods such as yogurts or peanut butters, among other things, is that the fat is often replaced with sugar or cornstarch to maintain the texture of the foods. So just switching to low fat isn’t a great option. Another challenge with fats is the type of fat: not all fats are created equal.

Can you remind us what’s the difference between saturated, unsaturated fats, and trans fats, please?

Saturated fats (those that are solid at room temperature) are found in foods like butter, coconut oil and meat. These increase unhealthy cholesterol.

Trans fats are made from hydrogenated vegetable oils and are found in things like packaged baked goods, hard margarine and snack foods. Trans fats not only increase unhealthy cholesterol but can actually cause heart disease.

Most unsaturated fats (those that are liquid at room temperature) like olive or canola oil are healthy and may actually improve cholesterol levels.

What’s the fat in fish? That’s a good fat too, right?

Yes, that’s another healthy fat: omega-3 fat. It is an essential fat, meaning that our bodies can’t produce it so we must get it from food. We know that omega-3 fat helps to decrease a fat in blood called triglycerides and improve blood pressure. It’s found in fatty fish like salmon or trout, and also in nuts and seeds such as chia or flax.

Where can we go to find good, reliable info about this kind of stuff? I feel like every time I read an article, it says the opposite!

The mainstream news can be confusing when it comes to reports on nutritional studies. Speaking to a registered dietitian is your best, most reliable source of information for nutrition information, as we know how to interpret the science and take more than the latest headlines, but the whole body of research into account in our recommendation and make them apply to foods that individuals eat. On Eat Right Ontario and you can email a registered dietitian for free. Or, visit Dietitians of Canada for more info.

Are there any good “rules of thumb” so to speak about salt, sugar or fat?

This rule may be disappointing for some, as it’s likely what you’ve heard since you were a child: moderation in all things.

The post Sugar and salt and fats — oh my appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Myth 1: You can never get enough folic acid in pregnancy

“Only women who have added risk factors for neural tube defects will need to take 5mg per day of folic acid in the first trimester,” says Steinberg. Otherwise, most women only need 1mg per day of folic acid. Ideally, all women of childbearing age should be taking folic acid even before they are pregnant.

Myth 2: I should limit my salt intake to prevent high blood pressure

Restricting your salt intake any more than before you became pregnant doesn’t seem to have any impact on your blood pressure. Instead, “focus on getting enough calcium and vitamin D,” says Steinberg. Milk products include both of these, and you should aim to have 3-4 servings every day. Another good source of calcium is your prenatal multivitamin.

Myth 3: Honey is a good substitute for sugar

If you are looking to cut down the amount of sugar you eat, honey is not a good substitute, especially during pregnancy. “Honey has just as much sugar in it as sugar. Plus, honey is not always pasteurized, and pregnant women should avoid eating unpasteurized foods,” says Steinberg. Instead, use an artificial sweetener. Always be sure to check the label though, as not all sweeteners are safe for consumption during pregnancy. The Canadian Diabetes Association has a comprehensive list of sweeteners.

Myth 4: I’m eating for two

It turns out this old saying is, well, outdated. “You should be eating twice as healthy, not twice as much,” says Steinberg. Too much weight gain can lead to a big baby, and a vaginal delivery can cause trauma (like shoulder fractures and nerve damage) to a big baby.

Myth 5: I shouldn’t eat any fish

Not all fish is bad in pregnancy- in fact, it’s a great source of protein and omega-3’s. “The fish you want to avoid is raw or undercooked fish, like sushi, and fish that is high in mercury,” Steinberg says. Types of fish that are high in mercury (and therefore should be avoided) include:

• Fresh/frozen tuna
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Escolar
• King mackerel
• Tilefish

Additionally, you should limit your intake of albacore “white” tuna to no more than 300 grams (6 ounces) per week.

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