Small steps to eating healthy when managing food costs…

A message from your Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Kyle

March is Nutrition Month! Dietitians of Canada have been celebrating this campaign for over 40 years to raise awareness about the food we eat, and to encourage individuals to develop healthy eating habits. The month of March is a great time to reflect on your food choices and how these choices can impact your health.

Healthy eating is different for everyone and can depend largely on an individual’s cultural background, food traditions, personal circumstances, and nutritional needs. The food we eat can improve our overall health and well-being and can help to prevent long-term diseases.

We recognize it may be difficult to know what healthy food choices to make; remember that Canada’s Food Guide can be your go-to online resource to help guide your decisions. Information in Canada’s Food Guide can help you with choices to meet your vitamin, mineral, and other nutrient needs. The guide also provides details on how to lower your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and osteoporosis.

While making healthy food choices in the current economy can be challenging, there are small steps that can be made to support eating healthy in a more affordable way. Some tips to consider around your dinner table include:

• Preparing and cooking food at home.
• Planning meals ahead of time and trying to incorporate the food you have on hand with healthy items that are on sale.
• Looking for ways to use leftovers and reducing food waste.
• Using frozen vegetables or fruit when fresh are out of season.
• Exploring new ways to enjoy cost friendly nutritious foods, such as beans or lentils.
• Eating with others to enjoy your food and share meal ideas.
• Learning a new food skill.

For more information and resources on healthy eating, shopping and cooking, food safety and more, I encourage you to check out durham.ca/FoodAndEating, your access point to all things food and eating in Durham Region. Here you can find important healthy eating strategies, cooking videos, cost-friendly meal ideas, food storage tips and much more. There is also information on food and eating at various stages in life, including during pregnancy and infancy.

If you're looking to access food programs in Durham Region, check out Durham 211 which can help you locate local community and government services. Bon Appetit!