March is nutrition month

Charleswood

Dietitians of Canada celebrates Nutrition Month in March every year, and this year it has decided to continue with the success of last year’s theme – Nourish to flourish.

There are many healthy resources to check out. In Manitoba, Dial a Dietitian is an option for reputable nutrition guidance, and the Dietitians of Canada and Health Canada websites provide nutritional education resources.

Nutritional guidelines have changed over the years. When I was studying, we used to promote diabetic exchanges of foods for people with diabetes – now we use carbohydrate counting and glycemic index principles. We used to recommend that people with diverticulosis shouldn’t eat food with small seeds, such as tomatoes but that recommendation has long since been dropped.

More recent changes are those to the recommendations for kidney failure patients. Most renal patients were given strict guidelines on how many specific fruits and vegetables and dairy products they could have in a day. New research has revealed that these guidelines could be changed.

While it is important to follow your health professionals’ advice for diet planning, such changes can directly affect a patient’s quality of life and compliance rates – the fewer restrictions, the easier life is.

That said, the staples of any healthy diet remain steadfast. High-fibre, low-fat and low-salt foods are always beneficial. Soluble fibre (such as oatmeal and applesauce) and insoluble fibre (like bran cereals) have positive effects on cholesterol, blood pressure and digestion. The use of healthy fats such as avocado, olive and canola oils is recommended.

Watching what you drink is important, as fluid calories and fats are often overlooked. If you fancy gourmet coffees with added flavours and whipped cream, it doesn’t take long to pack extra pounds, as some of these coffees can add up to 300 to 400 extra calories compared to a regular coffee with one per cent milk and a sweetener. Juices and pop are another source of liquid calories, sugar, and potentially caffeine, depending on the product. I often recommend that people hooked on these products try drinking flavoured waters, substitute herbal tea for coffee at midday and /or make a smoothie as a treat or a snack.

If you consume store-bought muffins or other convenience breakfast and snack items, try bringing cereal in a jar instead. Check out the Dairy Farmers of Canada for recipes. It doesn’t take long to add up calories in a day and if you are not physically active, add unwanted pounds.

Here’s a healthy supper recipe for you to try this month:

Buttermilk Chicken

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ cup buttermilk

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp Dijon whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper

Half-cup bread crumbs

Season chicken with garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. Marinate in buttermilk for a few hours. Drain excess buttermilk. Top chicken with whole grain mustard. Cover with breadcrumbs and top with some olive oil. Bake at 375 F until chicken is done.

Happy nutrition month!