healthy

Eating healthy is the main goal for most students across Canada. We provide a diverse and nutritionally-balanced menu developed on-site by our Chef in consultation with our Registered Dietitian to ensure the availability of a wide variety of healthy choices.

If you have an allergy or question about the ingredients, please ask your culinary team about it, because they have the answers. That is a key benefit of our cooking from scratch philosophy since they know exactly what ingredients were used.

Our made from scratch approach, includes roasting deli meats on-site and preparing soups fresh daily using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. We do not use pre-packaged or processed entrées which avoids unnecessary preservatives. We never use canned, freeze-dried or bagged soup. This helps ensure the availability of a wide variety of healthy choices every day.

Student guide to healthy eating! Every month we publish healthy eating tips, see what’s being talked about this month!

healthy bites

Great Reasons To Eat Fruit

  • Provides excellent sources of fibre, potassium, vitamin C and folate
  • Gives energy in the form of naturally occurring carbohydrate
  • Naturally nutrient rich, low in sodium and mostly fat free
  • Diets high in fruit may help reduce the rates of heart disease, eye diseases and type 2 diabetes

Add Fruit To Your Day

  • Aim for 3-4 servings of fruit or about 500 ml (2 cups) per day
  • At breakfast add berries to cereal, yogurt, smoothies, waffles or pancakes
  • Top salads with cut up fresh fruit or sprinkle on unsweetened dried fruit
  • At the Deli Bar layer sandwiches with tomato and avocado slices
  • For a healthy snack reach for whole fruits or frozen unsweetened fruits: already washed, peeled and pre-cut
  • Limit fruit juice to 1 serving per day

What is One Food Guide Serving Size?

  • 1 medium fresh fruit
  • 125 mL (1/2 cup) fresh cut, frozen or canned unsweetened fruits
  • 60 mL (1/4 cup) of dried unsweetened fruits
  • 125 mL (1/2 cup) 100% fruit juice

Feeling Rushed in the Morning?

Grab a breakfast sandwich at work.

Choose whole grain bread, select eggs for protein and add a side of seasonal fruit.

Get the Most out of Your Meetings

Choose the HealthWise Choices items from the catering menu.

Order lightly dressed salads, wraps filled with veggies or chicken and a side of seasonal fresh fruit or yogurt.

Get Re-Energized in the Afternoon and Grab a Healthy Snack in the Café

Choose fresh fruit, a handful of heart healthy nuts, homemade soup or apple slices with peanut butter.

Bottom Line
Take steps towards being active and embrace healthier eating habits everyday.

Start the day with “breaking” the fast

  • Studies show we are more alert after we have eaten breakfast
  • Include protein such as eggs, nut butters, yogurt
  • Top whole grain cereals or yogurt with fresh fruit

Build healthy meals

  • Include foods from at least 3 food groups at each meal
  • Choose whole grain wraps with veggies and lean meat
  • Ask for smaller portion sizes or save ½ for later

Take food breaks “away” from your desk

  • Take the time to eat a meal in the café for a needed break
  • If pressed for time choose healthy items from the fresh and fast section

Use hunger and fullness cues to decide when and how much to eat

  • Be mindful to eat slowly, enjoy different tastes and textures
  • Keep track of what you eat each day

Carbs Are An Essential Nutrient

  • Provides the brain & body with needed glucose that’s converted into energy for activity
  • Gives us starch and fibre found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans and takes longer to break down into glucose
  • Also found in fruits and milk products as naturally occurring sugars
  • Whole grains and fibre may reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and are essential for good digestive health
  • 45 to 65% of total daily calories should come from a variety of nutrient-rich carbohydrates

Limit Added Sugars

  • Foods with added sugars have fewer nutrients than foods with naturally occurring sugars
  • Reset the taste buds: cut added sugar in half
  • Replace sugary drinks with water, milk, unsweetened tea and coffee

Choose Veggies and Fruits

  • Naturally low in fat and high in fibre
  • Snack on veggies with dip or fresh fruits

Go for Whole Grains

  • Choose cereals with 4 grams of fibre per serving
  • Select breads with at least 2 grams of fibre per slice
  • Add sides of whole grain pasta, rice or quinoa
  • Try our Farm to Table popcorn snack

Bring on the Legumes

  • Choose bean, lentil and pea soups at lunch
  • Top salads with chickpeas and kidney beans

Did You Know?

  • 100% of our Pork, including Bacon and Sausages are Canadian
  • 100% of our Chicken is locally sourced
  • Over 80% of our fresh food products are either grown or produced in CanadaWe source fresh produce from the Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association in order to offer local Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers for 10 months of the year!
  • We practice “Eating with the Seasons” in our cafés to provide fresh and local items

Discover Local Foods

  • Locally grown food is fresh and full of flavour
  • Crops are picked when ripe versus early harvest
  • Nutrient values are higher as there is less travel time between field to table
  • Look beyond fruits and vegetables: buy local meats, fish and grocery items
  • Purchasing locally grown food helps to maintain farmland in our communities

How to Eat Local

  • Ask our chefs how they feature local food on the menu
  • Learn what’s in season and savour the great fresh flavour
  • Shop at farmer’s market events or visit a pick your own farm
  • Buy smaller portions to make it economical
  • Replace one store bought product each month with a local product

Breakfast

  • Choose a wholegrain egg white sandwich instead of traditional eggs & bacon
  • Swap pastries or croissants for yogurt & granola with fresh fruit

Lunch

  • At the deli bar, have ½ a sandwich and wrap the other half to go
  • Add sides of mixed greens or grilled vegetables instead of french fries
  • Try lettuce wraps in place of traditional tortilla wraps

Salads

  • Choose lightly marinated vegetables and swap out creamy salads
  • Top salads with roasted sunflower seeds instead of croutons
  • Dress salads with balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Beverages

  • Quench your thirst with water & citrus slices
  • Reach for unsweetened ice teas or iced coffees

Snacks

  • Switch out chocolate bars for a small handful of nuts
  • Drop the chips and choose hummus and veggies
  • Indulge your sweet tooth with fresh fruit, flavoured yogurt or fruit smoothies

Bottom Line

Think it through and fine-tune your food choices one food at a time

What Are Antioxidants?

  • Naturally occurring compounds in food also known as phytochemicals from the Greek word “phyto” meaning plant
  • May protect body cells from damage by pollutants such as unhealthy diets, normal aging or cigarette smoke
  • Antioxidant supplements are not recommended and can be harmful at high dosages

Where to Find Antioxidants in Food

  • Found in fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, herbs & spices
  • Foods rich in colour and taste: Deep red, orange, yellow, blue & dark green
  • Foods high in vitamins C, E, fibre and selenium

Include Antioxidant Rich Foods in Your Diet

  • Top cereals, yogurt and salads with seasonal fresh berries
  • Choose orange veggies: carrots, sweet potatoes, orange peppers
  • Add broccoli, kale and spinach to salads or stir fries
  • Include protein at meals: beans, lentils, meats or fish
  • Think pasta sauce and salsas: cooked tomato products are rich in antioxidants
  • Choose red grapes, cherries, or a small handful of nuts for a snack

Bottom Line

  • Build a healthy and balanced diet daily by including a wide variety of antioxidant rich foods

Who says following a ‘heart healthy’ diet has to be boring? Let’s focus on a healthy eating pattern that includes a variety of delicious whole foods that happen to be healthy. Start with vegetables, fruit and whole grains and add legumes, nuts, seeds, seafood, healthy fats, herbs and spices.

Satisfying Heart Healthy Tips:

  1. Add a small amount of unsaturated fat to healthy ingredients. Add up to 45 mL (3 tablespoons) per day* to get the fat you need. Use healthy oils in spreads, dressings or marinades or when sautéing or stir frying.
  2. Add plenty of herbs, spices and citrus but reduce the salt.
  3. Add avocado, nuts and seeds. Try mashed avocado on a sandwich instead of butter or margarine.
  4. Sneak in more plants. Try adding chopped mushrooms, vegetables or lentils to ground meats to boost flavour and nutrition..
  5. Choose wisely. A small amount of bacon, cheese or dark chocolate can be okay as part of a healthy eating pattern that is lower in saturated fat, sugar and sodium.

* Individual requirements will vary depending on age, activity level and gender.

Join fellow Canadians on a 100 meal journey to a healthy eating pattern.

Visit www.NutritionMonth2016.ca during the month of March for great tips and support from Dietitians of Canada to help you make your goal(s) a reality! Start with small changes to meals that can become lifelong healthy habits.
Try adding an extra serving of vegetables, reducing your portion size, or eating a legume every day. Here are other steps you can take.

Steps to Long Term Healthy Habits:

  1. Focus on small changes as your goal.
  2. Make your goal SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and
    in-clude a Time frame.
  3. Share your goal with family and friends. Take it a step further and make a pledge: www.NutritionMonth2016.ca.
  4. Get daily support and inspiration with these apps: eaTipster, eaTracker and Cookspiration.
  5. Get help from a Dietitian. Ask your doctor, workplace wellness team or visit

Stick with it, one meal at a time!

Good for you, good for your wallet and good for the planet!

Pulses (dried seeds of legumes including lentils, chick-peas, dried peas and edible beans) are very good for us. They are a great source of protein, fibre, iron, potassium and folate. In honour of earth month in April, we encourage you to add a 1/2 cup of cooked Canadian grown pulses to your menu every day.

Pulses are very sustainable, versatile and nutritious! Here are 4 ways to love pulses:

1. Add cooked pulses to a smoothie, soup, omelette, green salad, pasta sauce or whole grains to increase protein and fibre.
2. Add puréed cooked pulses to meatloaf and reduce the amount of ground meat to boost fibre and reduce saturated fat.
3. Mix pulses with herbs and spices and use as a sandwich spread or dip.
4. Replace half the amount of butter or oil when baking with puréed pulses to add fibre and lower the fat.

On average, Canadians eat about 26 teaspoons (110 g) of sugar each day from a variety of sources – both ‘natural’ sugars in foods, such as fruit, grains and white milk and ‘added’ sugars, such as brown sugar and honey. Ideally, lower your total intake of sugar by focusing on eating less added sugar. Aim to eat less than 12 teaspoons (48 g) of added sugar per day.

Here are some tips to reduce your sugar intake:

  • Swap your regular soft drink, sweetened ice tea, fruit juice or energy drink for fruit or vegetable infused water or ice tea.
  • Swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate and enjoy 15-30 g dark chocolate with a healthy meal or snack.
  • Sweeten your smoothies with a dried date instead of added sugar. Bonus – extra fibre!
  • Add cinnamon to enhance the ‘sweetness’ of food.
  • Compare labels to see how much sugar is in different brands of foods. Choose foods with less added sugar or eat a smaller portion.