Good eating habits are important to help us feel our best. Canada's Food Guide, displayed below, recommends that we:

• eat a variety of foods from the four food groups every day (Grain Products, Vegetables and Fruit, Milk Products and Meat and Alternatives)
• eat an amount of food to suit our age, sex, body size and activity level.

Where do you start?

Ask yourself - are you eating a healthy diet now?

• Do you eat the variety and amount of food recommended in Canada's Food Guide?
• Could your eating habits be contributing to health problems? Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stress on joints can often be helped by eating a diet that follows Canada's Food Guide. If you have health or weight concerns, be sure to talk to your doctor before making any major changes to your diet.
• Are you a healthy weight? We all come in different shapes and sizes - that's why the Body Mass Index (BMI) shows a healthy range of weight for every height. To check your BMI, talk to a registered dietician or public health nurse. You can calculate your own with a BMI chart available from local organizations like the Heart and Stroke Foundation or on the Health Canada Web site at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/nutrition/bmi.

What can you do to change your eating habits:

• Get information. Check your local library and bookstores for up-to-date books, newspapers and magazines with healthy eating tips and recipes. Find out which food stores in your area offer in-store demonstrations or provide information about preparing different foods. Many of the larger food stores have registered dieticians to help shoppers.
• Adjust your food habits over time. Begin with making small changes, introducing new and healthy foods gradually. Give yourself time to get used to different tastes.
• Make a meal plan. Plan your meals one week at a time, listing three healthy meals to eat each day. Include your family in this activity and be sure to follow Canada's Food Guide.
• Use your meal plan to make a grocery list. Try not to shop on an empty stomach. It will help you avoid temptations.

Ideas for healthy eating:

• Drink plenty of water - especially in warm weather or when you are active.
• Cut down on sugar, salt, alcohol and caffeine. (Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, colas and foods containing cocoa.)
• Learn to read food labels to check the sugar, salt and fat content of food.
• Keep nutritious food at the front of the refrigerator so you can reach for it easily.
• Keep cut up fruit and vegetables on hand for snacks.
• Be physically active.Walking or other physical activity will help you manage your weight and stay healthy.
• If you are trying to lose weight, write down what and when you eat. It'll help you see where to make changes.
• Avoid eating when you are feeling stressed. Find other ways to deal with stress.
• Enjoy meals in the company of family and friends on a regular basis.

Make healthy eating part of your life. You are worth it!