Module 1: Foundations of a Healthy Diet
Introduction
As the saying goes, we are what we eat. The foods we put into our bodies impact our ability to do the things we love, regulate our moods from day to day, and reduce our risks of disease in the long-term (Cena, H., & Calder, P. C., 2020). But how do we know if we are making good dietary choices?
In this unit, we will explore what it means to eat healthy. Are there foods we should eat more of or ones we should avoid? Rather than looking for “miracle foods” or aiming for a perfect diet, learn about ways to create balance in your meals. Improve your eating patterns by making small changes that you can stick to over time.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand that variety and balance are vital to healthy eating.
- Apply this understanding to make healthful personal choices.
Why should we be concerned about what we eat?
When we think about what increases our chances of developing diseases, many of us think of things like genetics and smoking. Watch the video below to find out what has a much bigger impact.
In the above video (Mayo Clinic, 2022), Dr. Stephen Kopecky, M.D. tells us that the number one cause in the world of early disease and early death is nutrition. Many of the calories consumed in the United States are from ultra-processed foods, which are tasty and convenient. But, ultra-processed foods are inflammatory and can cause a variety of health problems. Making changes to your eating habits by substituting with healthy choices, on the other hand, can actually lower your risk of disease.
What are healthy food choices?
Look at this picture from Canada’s Food Guide.
What do you notice about the types of foods in the photograph? What about the colours? Are there just a couple of foods or are there many?
Now, look at the slides below to learn more about ways to create a healthy meal.
Click below to watch the video from slide 4.
Explore the Food Guide Snapshot page from Canada’s Food Guide for more tips on how to eat in a healthy way.
Get healthier!
In this assignment, you will put what you have learned to work. Partner with someone else taking this course. You will help each other improve your diets by making changes you can do right now.
Think about a usual dinner you might eat. Are there vegetables, fruits, proteins, and whole grains? Are the amounts similar to the plate you saw from Canada’s Food Guide in slide 2 above? Do you use sauces, syrups, or highly processed foods? Do you buy your foods ready-made, eat at a restaurant, or cook it yourself? Now, consider if you could enjoy this same dinner, but with a few improvements to its healthfulness. Let your partner make some suggestions for you. (Full assignment at the end of this section.)
This assignment is meant to take several stages to complete: make your suggestions, give them to your partner for feedback, and use the feedback to make better suggestions. Repeat this process until you each have a meal plan you are happy with. Submit your completed work to your instructor through email.
Example: Jack and Ria are partners for this assignment.
Jack likes to eat instant noodles for weekday dinners. He cooks it at home and adds a cup of char siu. For more vitamins, he drinks orange juice.
Ria’s suggestion: “You cook at home, which gives you much more control over your choices – that’s great. What if you traded the instant noodles for store-bought dried noodles and miso paste? You could also add 2 cups of bok choy for more vegetables. Maybe sometimes, you can swap the char siu for grilled chicken or fish?”
Jack: “Those sound like good ideas that are more healthy and delicious. It’s a lot of change though, and I don’t know if I can do everything. Using miso paste sounds hard, and I don’t know how to cook bok choy or meat or fish.”
Ria: “Okay. What about using broccoli, which can be eaten raw if you like? You could also buy pre-cooked chicken or fish.”
Jack: “And then I just need to learn how to use miso paste. Yes, I think I can do that. Let’s write it down!”
Next, they will look at one of Ria’s favourite late-workday dinners: paratha with spiced potatoes and a few pieces of okra.
Before continuing, review the Feedback Guide.
Click here for the link to the assignment.
Click here for the marking rubric.
References
Canada’s Food Guide. (2024, January 4). Diets and food trends. https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/diets-food-trends/
Cena, H., & Calder, P. C. (2020). Defining a healthy diet: Evidence for the role of contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. Nutrients, 12(2), 334. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020334
CES Warren. (2024, November 19). Ultra-Processed Foods. YouTube. https://youtu.be/n-CASBg3T_o?si=RjKcGNnMbFjCmyVX