EAT WELL. LIVE LONGER.

Simple steps to making healthy choices

EAT WELL.
LIVE LONGER.
Simple steps to making
healthy choices

Table of contents:

Eating well with Canadas Food Guide

The goodness of vegetables and fruit

Dietary fat and cholesterol

Healthy snacking

10

Fast foods and dining out

12

Food labelling

16

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Eating well with Canadas Food Guide

By following the recommendations in Canadas Food Guide, you can be
assured youll meet your daily requirements for vitamins, minerals and
other nutrients, helping you to achieve overall health and vitality. Youll
also reduce your risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease.

Canadas Food Guide recommendations

Eating plenty of vegetables and fruit. Every day, include a dark green
(such as broccoli, asparagus and romaine lettuce) and an orange
(such as carrots and sweet potato) vegetable.
Making half of your grain products whole grain (such as brown and wild
rice, bulgur, quinoa and oatmeal) each day.
Serving fish twice a week (such as rainbow trout, salmon and sardines).
Including beans, lentils and tofu more often in your diet.
Drinking lower fat milk and milk alternatives such as fortified soy
beverages. Be aware that other fortified drinks such as orange juice, rice,
almond and potato do not contain the same level of protein found in
milk or soy.
Using unsaturated oils such as canola, olive, and soybean as well as nonhydrogenated margarines (no more than 25 to 45 mL/2 to 3 tbsp a day).
Taking a Vitamin D supplement if you are over the age of 50. If you are
planning on becoming pregnant, take a multivitamin that contains folic
acid. Once pregnant, your supplements should also contain iron.
Being active for 30 to 60 minutes every day, most days of the week.
Children need physical activity for 60 to 90 minutes every day.

Eat well. Live longer.

Canadas Food Guide recommends limiting

Foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt
Saturated fats from fatty meats, butter, lard, ghee, shortening and hard
margarines
Trans fats in such foods as convenience and deep-fried foods as well as
baked goods such as doughnuts, cookies, tortillas, parathas, steamed
buns, pies and tarts.
Salt (sodium)
Sugar in such items as soft drinks and desserts
Canadas Food Guide also outlines the number of servings we should eat
from each of the Four Food Groups and provides guidance on portion
sizes. The recommended number of serving sizes is based on age and
gender. Look at the chart below to find your recommended number of
Food Guide servings per day. Remember that it is just the average amount
that people should try to eat each day.

Recommended number of Food Guide servings per day

Children
Age in Years
Sex

2-3

Teens

4-8 9-13

Girls and Boys

Adults

14-18

19-50

51+

Females Males Females Males Females Males

Vegetables
and Fruit

7-8

8-10

Grain
Products

6-7

3-4

3-4

3-4

Milk and
Alternatives
Meat and
Alternatives

3-4 3-4 3-4

1

1 1-2

The eating pattern also includes a small amount (30 to 45 mL or about 2 to 3 tablespoons) of unsaturated fat
each day.

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

What does one Food Guide serving look like?

Vegetables
and fruit

Grain
products

Milk and
alternatives

Meat and
alternatives

Eat well. Live longer.

1 cup (250 mL)

raw lettuce or spinach

1/2 cup (125 mL)

frozen or canned vegetables

or fruit

1 medium

piece of fresh fruit or vegetable

1/2 cup (125 mL)

100% fruit or vegetable juice

1 slice

bread

1/2 piece

bagel, pita or flat breads

1/2 cup (125 mL)

cooked rice, couscous or pasta

3/4 cup (175 mL)

hot cereal

1 oz (30 g)

cold cereal

1 cup (250 mL)

milk or fortified soy beverages

3/4 cup (175 mL)

yogurt or kefir

1.5 oz (50 g)

cheese

2.5 oz (75 g) or
1/2 cup (125mL)

cooked fish, shellfish, poultry

or lean meat

3/4 cup (175 mL)

cooked legumes (navy beans,

lentils, chickpeas)

3/4 cup (175 mL)

tofu

Eggs

2 tbsp (30 mL)

peanut or nut butters

1/4 cup (60 mL)

shelled nuts or seeds

The goodness of vegetables and fruit

Aim for 4 to 10 servings a day
You know that vegetables and fruit are good for you, but have you ever
wondered just how good? Research shows that eating vegetables and fruit,
especially dark green and orange ones, can help reduce your risk of heart
disease, stroke and diabetes. Along with their great taste and versatility,
vegetables and fruit provide nutrients that are important for health. Here
are a few great reasons to eat veggies and fruit often.
They are packed with important vitamins and minerals, especially
antioxidants like vitamin C and Beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A).
Virtually all vegetables and fruit are low in fat and low in calories. Olives
and avocados are the exceptions, so enjoy them in moderation.
Vegetables and fruit are a delicious way to get dietary fibre. Soluble
fibre, found in apples, strawberries and citrus fruit, helps to reduce the
bad LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol, especially if it is high. It
is recommended an adult should consume between 21 g to 38 g of fibre
a day from a variety of sources.
It really doesnt matter whether you eat fresh, frozen or canned vegetables
or fruit, or whether they are organic or not. They all have about the same
nutritional value. What is important is that you eat a variety of colourful
vegetables and fruit at every meal and snack. When using canned vegetables,
rinse them with water or buy ones with no added salt.

At home
Energize yourself with 1/2 cup
(125 mL) of your favourite 100%
fruit or vegetable juice with your
breakfast.
Top off your breakfast cereal with
sliced bananas or fresh berries.
Put a bowl filled with washed
fruit on the top shelf of the
refrigerator so it will be the first
thing you see.
Keep a bag of pre-cut vegetables
in the refrigerator with some
low-fat dip for easy snacking
anytime.

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

At work
Change your midday coffee break to a
juice break. Make it 100% fruit juice.
Round out your lunch with a tossed
salad, side order of vegetables or fresh
fruit for dessert when eating at a
restaurant.
Have a handful of unsalted nuts with
dried apricots or cranberries to satisfy
afternoon munchies.

Cooking tips
Steam or cook vegetables in just a
small amount of water to avoid losing
nutrients.
Add a dab of soft, non-hydrogenated
margarine or drizzle balsamic vinegar
to enhance the flavour of vegetables.
Save time by using pre-washed,
bagged salads, pre-sliced mushrooms,
and pre-cut squash.
Cut up extra vegetables when preparing
dinner. Toss the extras in tomorrow
nights casserole, chili or stir-fry.

Storage tips
Use separate crisper drawers for
vegetables and fruit. Most fruit
naturally give off a harmless gas called
ethylene that will make the vegetables
spoil faster.
Keep pears, peaches, plums, tomatoes
and cantaloupe at room temperature
to help them ripen faster.
Store apples in the fridge. They soften
10 times faster at room temperature.
Freeze bananas that are overripe.
Theyre fantastic in shakes and in
homemade banana bread or muffins.

Eat well. Live longer.

Dietary fat and cholesterol

The link
Unhealthy blood cholesterol contributes to heart-related problems including:
Heart attack
Stroke
Clogging of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
High blood pressure
The liver makes about 80% of the cholesterol in your body. The other 20%
comes from the foods you eat. The foods that raise your blood cholesterol
the most are saturated fat and trans fat in such foods as fatty meat and
whole fat dairy products, snack foods and ready prepared foods.
Foods that have high levels of dietary cholesterol include egg yolks, organ
meats, shrimp, squid and fatty meats. Dietary cholesterol only has an effect
in some people.

Blood cholesterol: whats healthy, whats not

There are different types of cholesterol in your blood. Some types are
good for health, some are bad. Cholesterol becomes unhealthy when the
different types are unbalanced.
HDL-Cholesterol: (High Density Lipoprotein) This is a good type of
cholesterol linked to heart health.
LDL-Cholesterol: (Low Density Lipoprotein) This is a bad type of cholesterol
strongly associated with heart disease.
Triglycerides: This is another type of fat found in the body. The fats you
eat also affect blood triglyceride levels and high triglyceride levels are also
linked to heart disease.

Fats and healthy eating

There are different types of fat in food. Some raise LDL-cholesterol, while
others help to keep blood cholesterol levels healthy. For healthy eating,
choose lower-fat foods more often and choose your fats wisely. Aim for
more poly- and monounsaturated fat, and less trans and saturated fat.
8

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

How much fat should I eat each day?

A healthy eating pattern includes between 20% to 35% of your days calories
from fat.
For a woman this means about 45 to 75 grams of fat a day
For a man this means about 60 to 105 grams of fat a day
Use these numbers as a guideline to compare how much fat is in a food or
recipe with how much fat you should eat each day. Include a small amount
2 to 3 tablespoons (25 to 45 mL) of unsaturated fat each day. This includes
oil used for cooking, salad dressings, margarine and mayonnaise.

Know your fats

Choose healthy fats more often (such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fats)
Types of fat

Major food sources

Quality of choice

Healthy fats
Monounsaturated
fat/
Monounsaturates
Polyunsaturated fat/
Polyunsaturates
Omega-6 fat

Omega-3 fat

Olive, canola and peanut oils,

non-hydrogenated margarines,
nuts, seeds and avocados

Good

Safflower, sunflower and corn

oils, non-hydrogenated margarines,
nuts and seeds

Good

Fattier fish such as mackerel,

herring, trout, salmon, swordfish,
cod and bluefish
Canola and soybean oils, flax
seed, omega-3 eggs, walnuts,
pecans and pine nuts

Good

Unhealthy fats
Saturated fat/
Saturates

Fatty meats, full-fat milk products,

butter, lard, coconut, palm and
palm kernel oils, fast foods, snack
foods, many ready-prepared
foods and those made with
hydrogenated vegetable oil

Trans fat

All foods made with shortening or

partially hydrogenated vegetable
oil, snack foods, fast foods and
many ready-prepared foods

Eat well. Live longer.

Poor

Poor

Healthy snacking
Health experts recommend eating three small meals plus a couple of
nutritious snacks throughout the day. Healthy snacking is for everyone,
especially children. Small meals and frequent snacks are important to keep
kids active, alert and growing. Less active adults and seniors may also feel
more comfortable eating smaller, more frequent meals.

Here are a few great reasons to snack

Snacking keeps you feeling energized during your busy day and helps
you beat afternoon fatigue.
It also is a way that you can get all of the nutrients your body needs to
stay healthy and protect you from heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Healthy snacking is a good way to manage your hunger. It prevents you
from overeating at the next meal and can help you control your weight.

A healthy snack is one that has

Fibre, which will make you feel full, helping you to resist higher fat and
higher calorie temptations. Snacks with high fibre include plain, low-fat
popcorn and whole-grain cereal.
Carbohydrates, which will
give you quick energy. They
include whole-wheat crackers,
vegetables and fruit.
Protein, which will provide
sustained energy. Choices
include lower-fat cheese, roasted
soybeans and unsalted nuts.
Watch the portion size. A snack
is meant to be a mini-meal to
tide you over until the next time
you eat. Avoid processed snack
foods such as doughnuts,
cookies and other baked goods
that often contain saturated fat
and trans fat.

10

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Choose these healthier foods

instead of

Whole-grain crackers, muffins and breads

Doughnuts or danishes

Fresh or dried fruit

Fruit leathers

100% fruit or vegetable juice or lower-fat milk

Fruit drinks or soda

pop

Plain, low-fat popcorn

Buttered or
sugar-coated popcorn

Baked tortilla chips

Potato chips or
cheesies

Angel food cake

Cheesecake

Whole-grain or oatmeal granola bars

Chocolate bars

Lower-salt or unsalted pretzels

Regular pretzels

Frozen yogurt or low-fat fruit yogurt

Ice cream

Arrowroot, digestive or other plain cookies, ginger

snaps, fig bars

Chocolate or cream
filled cookies

Trail mix with whole-grain cereal, nuts and seeds

Candy

Veggies and low fat dip

Potato chips and dip

The scoop on sodium

Salt is made up of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. When we talk
about salt, we usually mean sodium. Processed foods make up about half
of the sodium in our diets. Since the average North American diet contains
too much sodium, its wise to cut back on the amount of salt you eat.
Limit your daily intake of sodium to 2,300 mg (1 tsp/5 mL of salt) total
from processed foods, cooking and at the table. When you see
sodium-free on a food label, it means that the food has less than
5 mg of sodium in the serving.
Choose unsalted or lower-salt versions of foods when possible.
Add less salt when cooking; use herbs and spices to flavour foods
instead.

Eat well. Live longer.

11

Fast food and dining out

Fast foods are typically high in fat, calories and sodium. Eating too much
fat, especially too much saturated and trans fat, can raise your blood
cholesterol levels and put you at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and
diabetes. In some people, a high sodium intake is associated with high
blood pressure.
Meals eaten away from home tend to be low in vegetables, fruit and milk
products and therefore low in important nutrients such as vitamin A, C, D,
calcium and fibre. Try these tips to help round out your meals.
If you know you will be eating a meal out, then plan to eat vegetables,
fruit, whole grains and lower-fat milk products throughout the rest of
the day.
Choose lower-fat milk or 100% fruit juice instead of pop. Whether they
are diet or regular versions, soft drinks offer no nutrition.
Start off with a mixed green salad or head to the salad counter and fill
your plate with dark-green lettuce, broccoli, carrot sticks and fresh fruit.
Have lower-fat salad dressings such as balsamic vinaigrette and always
order dressings and dips on the side.
Beware of super-sized items and combination meals that offer more food
than you would normally eat. Dont feel obligated to clean your plate.
Take home leftovers instead of overeating.
Eating out is OK. But if youre a regular at fast food chains and take-out
counters, then try to make nutritious choices as often as possible.

12

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Choose these healthier foods

instead of

At the coffee shop or breakfast shop

Low-fat whole grain muffin

Danish, doughnut

Whole-grain bagel with a small

Bagel loaded with cream cheese

amount of light cream cheese, peanut

butter or lower-fat cheese
Poached egg or plain omelette with

Fried egg sandwich with sausage

unbuttered whole-grain toast

or bacon, cheese omelet with hash

browns

Coffee or tea with milk

Coffee or tea with cream with sugar

At the deli or sandwich counter

Whole-grain bread or bun

White bread, croissant

Lean meat such as ham, chicken, turkey,

Higher fat options such as salami,

roast beef

pepperoni, bologna, bacon, meat

balls, egg salad, tuna salad, salmon
salad

Veggie dog

Hot dog

Green salad, fruit salad, bean salad

Caesar, potato salad or macaroni

salad

Unsweetened 100% fruit juice, lower-fat

Fruit drink, soft drink

milk

At the burger place

Plain or child-size hamburger on a
whole-grain bun

Double or triple-decker burger

with cheese

Grilled chicken sandwich, veggie burger

Deep-fried chicken or fish sandwiches

Baked potato with either chili or lower

fat sour cream

French fries with gravy, baked potato

with cheese and sour cream

Salad, dressing on the side

Super-sized combo meals

Frozen yogurt cones

Ice cream, cookies, pies

Lower-fat milk, unsweetened 100% fruit juice Milkshake, soft drinks

Eat well. Live longer.

13

Choose these healthier foods

instead of

At the Asian restaurant

Steamed dumplings, steamed buns

Deep-fried chicken balls, sweet and

sour pork

Grilled, steamed or stir-fried veggies

Deep-fried veggies like tempura

Fresh spring rolls, sushi, cucumber salad

Deep-fried egg rolls

Steamed rice, noodles in soup

Fried rice, fried noodles, chow mein

Low-sodium soy sauce, no MSG

Regular soy sauce, salt, MSG

At the chicken eatery

Barbecued, baked, grilled or stir-fried

Battered deep-fried chicken fingers

chicken with skin removed

or nuggets, chicken wings

Grilled chicken sandwich or fajita

Chicken salad sandwich made with

mayonnaise

Rice, baked potato with lower fat sour

French fries, onion rings

cream or yogurt
Chicken soup with whole-grain crackers

Chicken pot pie

or whole-wheat roll
Green salad with lower-fat dressing

14

Creamy coleslaw

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Choose these healthier foods

instead of

At the pizza parlour

Thin whole-wheat or other types of

Thick white crust

whole-grain crust
Vegetarian or Hawaiian pizza

Pizza with the works

Lower-fat toppings such as ham, chicken,

Higher-fat toppings like bacon,

mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini,

sausage, salami, pepperoni, olives,

eggplant, artichokes, lower-fat cheese

extra cheese

At the Italian eatery

Broiled, baked, grilled or poached fish,

Breaded, fried or deep-fried fish,

chicken or veal

chicken or veal

Pasta with vegetables in tomato sauce

Lasagna, pasta in cream sauce

sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

Coffee with milk, caf latt or cappuccino

Coffee with cream

made with lower-fat milk

Fresh fruit, fruit crisp

Eat well. Live longer.

Tiramisu, pastries

15

Nutrition labelling
Check the Nutrition Facts table on packages
Food manufacturers are required to put certain information about their
product on the label. The nutrition label gives you a snapshot of the foods
nutrition value based on a diet of 2,000 calories. It helps you compare
similar products and make informed choices about the foods you buy.

Key pieces of information to look for on the food label include:

The ingredient list this is a list of all the ingredients found in the
product beginning with the ingredient used most.
Tips for reading the ingredient list
Fats: can be listed as fat, lard, shortening, oils (palm, coconut,
hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable, ghee,
vegetable ghee), monoglycerides, diglycerides or tallow.
Salt: can be listed as salt, MSG, sodium, baking soda, baking
powder, brine, kelp or soy sauce.
Quantity: The ingredient list does not provide amounts, so look
for the Nutrition Facts table for more details.

16

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Nutrition Facts table information about the nutritional content

of the product must be included on most pre-packaged foods including
calories and 13 core nutrients. Some food and beverages such as fresh fruit,
vegetables and single ingredient meat and poultry (that are not ground)
do not have this information.
Tips for reading the Nutrition Facts table
Servings: The table provides information about nutritional content,
which is based on a very specific amount of food. Be sure to check
the serving size since it can differ from product to product and
compare it to the amount you eat.
Nutrient values: Values listed for the 13 nutrients are for the
amount of the nutrient in the specified quantity of food.
% daily values: They are based on recommendations for a healthy
diet. It will help you understand what the nutrient values mean. If
a food contains 240 mg of sodium and the daily value for sodium
is 2,400 mg, then this food is providing 10% of this amount.
More or less of a nutrient: Use the table as a guide for nutrients
you are trying to increase (such as fibre, vitamin A and C, calcium,
iron) or trying to decrease (such as saturated and trans fat,
cholesterol, sodium).

Nutrient content claims a claim highlights a nutrition feature of a

product. For example, excellent source of fibre.
Tips for understanding nutrient content claims
Nutrient content claims on a food package: If you see a claim
on a food package, remember to also look at the Nutrition Facts
table. These claims usually only highlight one nutrient of a food,
and are optional. Popular claims include: low, less, reduced or
lower, more, very, high, light/lite, source of, good or high source
of, excellent or very high source of.

Health claims a claim highlighting a relationship between diet and

certain disease, often used alongside a products nutrient content claim.
For example, A diet low in saturated and trans fat reduces the risk of
heart disease.
Tips for understanding health claims
Health claims on food packages: Food companies can choose
whether or not to include a health claim on their product if it
meets the established criteria, but although a product may have
health benefits, it might not always be the best choice for you.
Remember to look at the Nutrition Facts table to double-check
fat, sodium, sugar and essential nutrient levels.
Eat well. Live longer.

17

Health Check the Heart and Stroke Foundations food information

program. The Health Check symbol on participating products makes it easier
for you to make wise food choices when grocery shopping. Also look for
the Health Check symbol on certain restaurant menu items, which will alert
you to healthier meal options when you are away from home.
Tips for understanding Health Check:
Canadas Food Guide: Health Check is based on Canadas
Food Guide and promotes healthy eating in general, not just
heart-healthy eating.
Displaying the Health Check symbol:
Every food in the program must meet specific nutrition criteria to
be eligible to display the symbol. Every food with a Health Check
symbol also has an explanatory
message telling you how the food
is part of healthy eating and the
Nutrition Facts table, which provides
more detail.
Variety: Look for the Health Check
symbol on a variety of foods from each
food group.

18

HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Getting information from the package can be

easy. Here are a few nutrition labelling tips:
When you compare products, make sure the serving sizes are similar.
If you eat two times the serving size, you will get double the listed
calories and nutrients.
Look for a higher % Daily Value for nutrients such as fibre, vitamin A and
C, calcium and iron.
Look for a lower % Daily Value for fat, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol
and sodium.
Limit the amount of saturated and trans fat you consume.
When you compare products, look for foods with the lower % Daily
Value of fat.
Choose foods with 2 grams or more of fibre per serving. Diets high in
fibre can lower your risk of heart disease.

What the Foundation is doing

to help you eat better
Healthy eating plays a vital role in the prevention
of heart disease and stroke. Thats why the
Heart and Stroke Foundation established
Health Check, a food information program
that helps Canadians identify healthy choices
in grocery stores and restaurants. Foods with
the Health Check symbol have been reviewed
by Foundation dietitians and are part of a
healthy diet. The Foundation acted as a
consultant on the latest edition of Canadas
Food Guide. We are also a partner in the
5 to 10 a Day campaign to promote daily
consumption of vegetables and fruit. The
Foundation helped determine guidelines for
health claims on packaged food and co-chaired
a national task force with Health Canada to
remove unhealthy trans fats from our food
supply. These are just a few of the many ways
the Foundation is working to help Canadians
build and maintain healthy eating habits.

Eat well. Live longer.

19

Thank you to the millions of Canadians who put

their hearts into supporting our vital work.
Because of you, the Foundation has helped reduce the mortality rate from
heart disease and stroke by 70% over the past 50 years. Sadly, still one in
three Canadians deaths are due to heart disease and stroke every year
and millions remain at risk.
More answers are needed to facilitate further medical advances, effect
social change and provide public and professional health education that
save lives today and for generations to come.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation website offers a wealth of information
and tools to help you and your family prevent and manage heart disease
and stroke. On our website you will find:

Delicious heart-healthy recipes

Tips to get and stay active for life
Current heart disease and stroke patient information
Breaking news on Foundation funded research
Free newsletters, Heart&Stroke He@lthline and He@lthline
for Parents
How to get involved and make a difference in your community

PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT.

Learn more at

www.heartandstroke.ca
or call

1-888-HSF-INFO
(1-888-473-4636)

This booklet has been independently researched, written and reviewed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and is based
on scientific evidence.
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