The basic principles of healthy eating

Healthy eating is one of the most important things you can do to improve your family’s general health.

Nutritious, balanced meals and healthy snacks will help your family increase their intake of heart-healthy nutrients. It will also help your children learn healthy habits for a lifetime.

A healthy eating plan for your entire family may also boost their overall feeling of well-being, giving them more energy and vitality.

How to make heart-healthy choices

With the vast array of food choices available today, it’s may be a challenge to know where to begin. You may wish to start by aiming to include items from the four food groups: whole-grain products, vegetables and fruit, lower-fat milk products, and lower-fat meat and alternatives. It’s easier than ever to plan your family’s meals and snacks around a wide variety of delicious, heart-healthy foods. Reading the Nutrition Facts table on food products will help you make smart choices.

When you’re grocery shopping, look for the Health Check™ symbol on food packaging, the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s food information program, based on Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating, your assurance that the product contributes to an overall healthy diet. There are now more than 700 Health Check products available.

To assess your eating habits, feel free to use the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Healthy Eating Tools.

For heart-healthy recipes and recipes for kids, please see our recipe file.

Last reviewed January 2007.