The Canada Food Guide recommends that every day we have a balanced diet from the basic food groups: Grain products Vegetables and Fruits Milk and milk products Meat and Alternatives.

Grain Products

Recommended servings: 5-12 per day.

Example serving: one slice of bread, 30g of cereal, 125 ml of cooked pasta or rice

Grain products include the major cereals: wheat, oats, barley. Other Canadian products are corn, durum, buckwheat and wild rice. Most of these grains are grown locally in Saskatchewan and are readily available. Processed grains include: flour (white and whole wheat) hot and cold breakfast cereals (oatmeal, corn flakes) pasta (spaghetti, macaroni) bakery products (bread, bagels, cakes, cookies)

Whole wheat flour is a source of B vitamins, iron and fibre. Canadian white flour is enriched with thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron so that all baked goods contain these nutrients. Pasta and breakfast cereals may be enriched with nutrients. Consumers should look for the word enriched on labels.

Vegetables & Fruit

Recommended servings: 5-10 per day.

Example serving: one medium apple or tomato, 125ml fresh frozen or canned vegetables or fruit, 125ml of juice

The Food Guide promotes Vegetables & Fruit, particularly dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit. Although most of us would prefer fresh produce, this is sometimes difficult to obtain during the winter months when imported fresh produce is expensive. Food processing, however, gives us alternatives; allowing us to enjoy nutritious food throughout the year. Drying, controlled atmosphere storage,canning and freezing are some of the processes designed to preserve our fruits and vegetables. Fresh and processed vegetables are sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Convenience foods offering fruits and vegetables may contain added fat. Consumers can check labels to make lower-fat choices more often.

Milk Products

Recommended servings:

• Children (4-9): 2-3 servings per day
• Youth (10-16): 3-4 servings per day
• Youth (10-16): 3-4 servings per day
• Adults: 2-4 servings per day

Example serving: one 250 ml glass of milk, 50 g cheese, 175 g of yoghurt

The Canadian Milk Industry supplies us with a wide variety of products:

• skim, 1%, 2%, whole and chocolate milk, and buttermilk
• evaporated skim, 2% and whole milk; milk powders and UHT milk
• creams, and regular and light sour cream
• regular and lower-fat yogurts in plain and fruit flavours
• regular and lower-fat cheeses and cheese products (Cheddar and most European-type cheeses such as blue, muenster, brie and feta are made in Canada.)
• ice cream, light ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt and other frozen desserts, some of which are lower fat
• regular and light ready-to-serve puddings

Meat & Alternatives

Recommended servings: 2-3 per day.

Example serving: 50-100g meat, poultry or fish, 1-2 eggs, 125-250 ml of canned beans, 30 ml peanut butter.

Canadians generally eat too much protein and too much fat. The recommended daily allowance for protein is only 40-60 g. Excess protein is converted to fat or excreted in the urine. Modern livestock breeding and meat processing has encouraged the production of lean meats. Sources of good quality meats and alternatives are available in grocery stores throughout the year:

• Beef, pork, veal and poultry are available all year. Lamb is most plentiful from September to December. Look for lean ground meat and smaller less fatty cuts.
• Eggs make a quick, economical meal.
• There are regular and lower-fat processed meats, such as deli meats, wieners and sausage.
• There is access to over 100 species of fish and shellfish.
• Meat, poultry, egg and seafood products are available in canned, frozen, ready-to-heat/serve and microwaveable forms. Consumers can check the label for fat content.
• Beans, peas and lentils are economical low-fat/high-carbohydrate and fibre choices. They are sold dried, canned, and in prepared soups, salad toppings and snack foods.

Source of Foods

Canadian foods are some of the best quality foods in the world. A rigorous inspection program guarantees that health risks from our produce is minimised. It is good advice to know where your food is coming from and what it contains. Read the label!

To Identify Canadian Foods:

• Check for Country of Origin information, Product of Canada, or the Canada Grade name on signs and product labels.
• Check labels for the name and address of a Canadian manufacturer or processor.
• If consumers are unsure whether a product is Canadian, their retailer may be able to provide the information on request. This will also let the store know its customers want to buy Canadian.

Age, Exercise and Relaxation

The amount and kind of food we need varies as we grow and age. Teenagers need extra nutrients to support the adolescent growth spurt, which begins in girls at ages 10 or 11, reaches its peak at age 12 and ends at about age 15. In boys, it begins at 12 or 13 years of age, peaks at 14 and ends at about 19. During this period of rapid growth, adequate amounts of iron and calcium are particularly important. From ages 11 to 24 years, both males and females should consume a calcium-rich diet (1,200 milligrams daily) in order to help ensure adequate calcium deposition in the bones during the age at which peak bone mass is attained. This may help reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in later years.

Teens' caloric needs vary depending on their growth rate, degree of physical maturation, body composition and activity level. Overweight is one of the most serious nutrition problems of adolescents, particularly among Native Americans, Hispanics and low-income African-Americans. .

Get Active! If roller blading is not your choice - try walking. It is one of the safest ways to stay fit. People who walk a lot in the course of their daily lives help to maintain a higher level of fitness than those who are more sedentary. If you can, walk or ride your bicycle rather than drive to school or work.

Then Relax

Getting some "R and R", or rest and relaxation, can significantly lower the stress from work or studies. Surprisingly, the brain uses just as much energy when you are asleep, as when you are awake. But the other systems of the body enjoy a good rest as much as you do.

Some of the physiological effects of relaxation are a slower heart rate,lower blood pressure, slower breathing and a drop in oxygen consumption. Periods of relaxation make people more alert and better able to perform well at work.