1. Enjoy a variety of foods.
Scientists continue to uncover information about the health benefits of many different components found in foods, such as vitamins, minerals and a wide array of other disease-fighting plant chemicals. If you eat a range of foods, you'll have more chances to consume a wide variety of these healthful nutrients!
2. Fill up on fruits and vegetables.
Studies keep confirming the health benefits of these foods, and your best bets are the most colourful. Think orange (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and apricots), red (tomatoes, strawberries and red peppers), blue (berries and grapes), green (broccoli, spinach and leafy greens) and yellow (corn and bananas). Vitamin C-rich foods include oranges, grapefruits, melons, mangoes, berries, kiwifruits and papayas. Foods from the cruciferous family, including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, are packed with nutrients, too. Eat them raw or cooked, or in sauces, soups and stir-fries.
3. Eat fish regularly.
Fatty fish – salmon, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines and more – are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower your risk of heart disease. Lean fish, such as sole and flounder, are low in fat and high in protein.
4. Get enough calcium.
This mineral helps keep bones healthy and may help you lose weight, too. Adding dietary calcium to a low-calorie diet helps your body mobilize and break down stored fat. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight. The best food sources are milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products; fortified soy beverages; fortified orange juice; tofu made with calcium; canned salmon with the bones; sardines; and leafy green vegetables.
5. Include iron-rich foods.
Iron-deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies among Canadian women. The best food sources are red meat, liver, clams, eggs, lentils and other legumes, dried fruits and iron- enriched cereals and pasta. To make non-meat iron easier to absorb, combine it with a good source of vitamin C, such as citrus fruit or juice, berries or melons.
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