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The Nutritious Food Basket

With the release of the new food guide to healthy eating, Louisa Lee, a community dietitian for the South Riverdale Community Health Centre, said she hopes the government will now increase the amount it gives to welfare recipients.

The Nutritious Food Basket is a guide used to price how much it costs to eat well. Developed by the Ontario Ministry of Health, more than 60 items from the Food Guide are purchased at large chain grocery stores. The collected data is used by the government to establish how much money individual, couple and families on welfare will receive.

Marketing needed

Now that the food guide is out, Lee said what's needed is a good marketing campaign.

The reason why diet books are so successful is because they know how to market their product, Lee said. The food guide requires the same marketing. While the 30-second advertisements now airing on TV (including during the recent Oscar show) are a start, more should be done.

Copies of the guide

The guide can be downloaded, ordered online or over the phone. Visit www.canadasfoodguide.net for details about the guide and ordering information. The guide is available on audiotape and in braille. Lee said she hopes the government will translate it in other languages.

A guide is just a guide

While Lee said the food guide is a great tool to figure out what you should be eating, it is still only a guide

People who are quite active may need to eat more than the food guide recommends. For people like that, Lee suggested people visit eatracker.ca, created by Canada's dieticians.

Eatracker.ca allows people to keep a food journal where they can input their activity, along with exactly what they have eaten and the website tells them what else they need for a healthy diet. The service is free.

Weight loss

For people who are trying to lose weight, the guide may look terrifying. Lee said people should increase their physical activity and then look for foods that cross into other categories. For example, a couple cups of dark, leafy green vegetables can be part of the vegetable and fruit category as well as the milk and alternative category.

Time is also important

When you eat is just as important as what you eat

"You should eat at leisure throughout the day," Lee said.

People should avoid eating big meals at night and should always eat breakfast in the morning.