by Danielle Labonte, MAN, RD,
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
All Foods Fit
All foods can be part of a healthy eating pattern, provided you don’t have a health condition that affects what you eat. The key to “all foods fitting” is moderation. It is important to include colourful vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and protein foods such as lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, peas, lentils, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and lower fat milk, yogurt and cheese every day. This helps us get the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that we need to be healthy. Foods that are higher in salt, sugar and fat like candies, pastries, chips, chocolate, etc. can also be included as part of a healthy diet, in moderation.
When it comes to all food fitting, it is recommended to avoid referring to foods as “good” or “bad”, as this can link emotions to food and may create guilty feelings for eating certain foods. It also goes against the concept that all foods fit by implying that bad foods shouldn’t be eaten. It’s especially important to be aware of how we refer to foods around children. We want to make sure children aren’t eating certain foods to be “good” or to avoid being “bad”.
For more information, visit www.healthunit.org, connect with us on Twitter and Facebook, or call 1-800-660-5853.
