Frequently Asked Questions
Beth Mansfield - Nutritionist

healthy weights | nutrition | vegetarian | fasting | eating disorders |

HEALTHY WEIGHTS

Here is a Guide to Food Intake for Weight Loss

(1) Use Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating to ensure that each meal is balanced, that is, plan to include an item from each of the four food groups in every meal. Planning ahead is a great way to ensure you have a healthy meal;

(2)EMPHASIS on COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES i.e. breads, cereals, fruit & vegetables, to increase the energy level (calories) of the diet. A plain baked potato, vegetables, fruit, rice, bread and pasta are all sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Soups and salads make for great accompaniments;

(3) MEATS: Choose lean meat, poultry and fish more often than red meats. Use cooking methods that do not emphasize use of fats and oils, i.e. avoid fried foods and choose baked, poached, grilled, roasted, steamed and boiled foods instead;

(4)BEVERAGES: Consume real fruit juices rather than pop. Low fat milk is a great source of protein, vitamins and calcium and including a cup at each meal/snack is an excellent way to meet your calcium needs.

(5) FRUIT: fresh fruit is a delicious and healthy way to end your meal as well as being handy to carry around for snacking on. They are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and fiber.

(6) VEGETABLES: vegetables (cooked or fresh) are generally low calorie foods that you can fill up on to your heart's content! They are also an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and fiber.

(7) Choose more snacks on those days that you feel more hungry and/or are exercising more;

(8) The trick to losing weight is to consistently eat fewer and/or smaller portions of lower fat and lower calorie CAAWS, girls body image,where to play sports, girls self-esteem, girls soccer, girls cycling, girls and nutrition, nutrition for active girls, Canadian Association for women and sport, girls@play, snowboarding, skating, boarding, girl site, sports girl, extreme girl, mountain biking, skateboards, surfboards, X Games">

FOODS TO HELP DECREASE CALORIE INTAKE

The following foods can help you healthfully decrease your calorie intake:
  • avoid energy-dense cereals such as granoli, muesli and grape-nuts and choose lighter cereals such as Shredded Wheat, Corn Flakes, Special K, oatmeal or cream of wheat;
  • cook hot cereals in water rather than milk;
  • drink orange/grapefruit juices rather than apple, cranberry, cranapple, grape pineapple and apricot juices;
  • eat fresh rather than dried fruits;
  • drink low fat milk (skim or 1%) instead of homogenized and use low fat dairy products;
  • select hearty, dense breads instead of crackers;
  • choose lean cuts of meat with little marbling of fat, trim all visible fat and remove skin from poultry;
  • when choosing canned fish, select those that are canned in water or broth rather than in oil;
  • reduce intake of gravy and sauces, cut back on dressings, margarines, butter & mayonnaise;
  • use smaller amounts of natural peanut butter;
  • peas, corn, carrots, winter squash and beets have more calories than the watery vegetables so eat these types less often;
  • choose healthful snacks such as low fat yoghourts, muffins, fresh fruit & vegetables;
  • drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water EVERY DAY.

AVOID FAST FOOD JOINTS


Please note that this information is intended to provide general information on common nutrition/physical activity/medical topics. It is not a comprehensive medical review and does not include all the potential medical conditions, issues, or considerations. Therefore it cannot and should not be relied upon as a substitute for seeing an appropriate health care professional (who can provide individualized and comprehensive assessment and advice).

 

 

 

 

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