After years of recommending a diet low in saturated fat or salt and suggesting that margarine is a healthy alternative to butter the Heart and Stroke Foundation has finally got it right.
This CBC article pretty much captured it all in the title: “‘Cut the crap,’ get back to nutritional basics, Heart and Stroke Foundation advises”
It’s great to see the news spread about not avoiding specific types of fats or different parts of food, but instead focusing on eating a WHOLE food diet.
What does that mean? It means focusing on the quality of what you’re eating–eating real, unprocessed foods like veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, dairy, eggs, lean meat, chicken and fish.
What’s processed? Sugary drinks, chips, snacks, processed meats, processed sauces, low-fat products, and all the “crap” that is passed off as food.
Some ideas to eat right from the Heart and Stroke Foundation:
- Cook from scratch at home as much as possible using whole ingredients. (Check out this great video of author Michael Pollan for inspiration)
- Teach children and young people how to cook.
- Pay attention to portion sizes.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet with a variety of natural and whole foods.
- Eat fewer highly processed foods with many ingredients, additives and preservatives.
Here is a great website of 31 crockpot meals that you can make ahead of time, put in the freezer and take out everyday to have a healthy, home cooked meal–easy, yummy and wholesome. Great for those times when you know the end-of-the-day-I-just-want-to-order-takeout days will overwhelm you!