Making healthier eating choices a continued focus for Humber

Humber’s Centre for Healthy Living (CHL) is glad to see that Canada’s new food guide is serving up healthy choices.

“The new food guide is more reflective to what the students have been learning in the [Nutrition and Lifestyle] program.  They are able to continue on this by looking at the client as a whole and assisting in dietary changes” said Registered Dietitian and CHL coordinator Lori Short-Zamudio in an email.

The Centre for Healthy Living operates within the School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism. In 2018, Humber opened a new building for the school which gives students the chance to gain practical experience in wellness, fitness and nutrition. The centre also partners with the grocery chain Longo’s.

One of the programs includes a Nutrition and Lifestyle Promotion Program where students help other students and clients “find an eating pattern that works for them and their lifestyle goals,” according to the website.

The Federal Government introduced a new food guide, replacing the previous 2007 guide, earlier this month. The new guide promotes healthier food choices including eating more vegetables and protein as well as swapping juice, coffee, and tea for water. There is less emphasis on dairy products as well as the removal of food group categories altogether.

“The new food guide emphasizes eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low fat proteins and whole grains which will continue to be the message from the CHL,” said Short-Zamudio in an email.

According to Health Canada the 2019 food guide comes after “reviewing evidence” on factors including: “the scientific link between food, nutrients and health, what Canadians eat and where they live”, as well as existing dietary guidelines and consultations”

Registered Dietitian, Weiler Nutritions Communications President and faculty member for Humber College’s School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism, Lucia Weiler says she “loves the new food guide.”

“I think it’s great,” said Weiler. “I think it’s very easy for people to look at the images of the new food guide like you look at your plate or your recipe and basically we’re saying have plenty of vegetables and fruit. That would be my first tip for Humber students is to have half your plate of vegetables and maybe some fruit and the protein foods.”

When asked how students can eat the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables given their financial situations, Weiler replied, “Food security is a huge issue for many Canadians and stretching the dollar as far as it can go. Getting plenty of vegetables–frozen, canned so many ways to purchase vegetables that have already been  partially prepared which may even ease the convenience of using vegetables.”

Weiler also recommends buying colourful fruits and vegetables such as “carrots, turnips and broccoli”, and buying staples that are less expensive.

“It doesn’t have to be about the price. It’s choosing the vegetables in the grocery store that are the most convenient and affordable there.”