Hepatitis C: Nutrition Care
Canadian Guidelines for Health Care Providers

Appendix G
Healthy Eating - Planning Tips

A. Set a Food Budget

• Determine how much money is available to spend on food for the month.

• Look for ways to save money on other non-essential expenses in the household to leave enough money for food.

B. Plan Meals

• Plan the meals for the week.
  Make sure to plan at least the minimum number of servings from each food group every day.
  Include 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. Include foods from at least 3 of the 4 food groups at each meal.

• Balance your meals.
  Grain Products and Vegetables & Fruit should cover about two thirds of your plate.
  High-protein foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs) should cover the other third of the plate.

• Think about variety and moderation.
  Variety will ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need.
  Choose lower fat and higher fibre foods from each food group more often.
  Choose Other Foods that are lower in sugar and fat less often.

• Organize menu ideas.
  Make a written list of menu items to refer to when you are out of ideas or thinking of something to make with food items that are on special.
  Keep well stocked with food basics such as vegetables, soups, canned fish, rice, pasta and baked beans.

• Make a shopping list.
  Keep a running tab of foods as you run out of them.
  Find out what foods are on special and pull out any coupons you have.
  Organize the list by food group (Grain Products; Vegetables & Fruit; Milk Products; Meat & Alternatives; Other Foods) or by the layout of the grocery store you use most often.

C. Shop Carefully

• Use the shopping list.
  Avoid buying things you do not need, missing items and making extra shopping trips.
  Be flexible enough to adjust the list and menu plan if you discover something is more expensive than you thought or notice something else on special.

• Look for low-cost nutritious choices (see Appendix H).

• Compare prices.
  No-name or store brands may be better buys.
  
  Larger sizes are not always cheaper. They are a bargain only if you can use that amount or have a place to freeze or store the food properly.
  
  Take time to compare fresh, frozen and canned foods to see which is cheapest. Buy what is on special and what is in season.
  
  Look for the unit price to compare similar foods.

• Stick to the outer aisles, and bend and stretch.
  The outer aisles are where you will find basic foods from the four food groups.
  Bargains are often found on the top and bottom shelves.

• Eat before you shop.
  If you are hungry, you may be tempted to buy snack foods (chips, pop, chocolate bars, cookies) and other foods that are not on your list.

• Check the "Nutrition Facts" labels on foods.
  With the "Nutrition Facts" information, you can compare similar foods and make healthier food choices.
  Choose foods that have less fat and sodium, and more vitamins, minerals and fibre.

• Stock up on sale items.
  Buy as many as you can afford and can use before they are no longer safe or good to eat.

• Pick up refrigerated and frozen foods last.
  Make the grocery trip the last on your list of errands. Then go directly home to store the food properly.

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