Content provided by: Alberta Health Services Dietetic Interns and Registered Dietitians
Eating a balanced diet can help us feel good, maintain our health, and give us nutrition.
A Balanced Diet
Canada’s food guide helps us choose foods to live a healthy and active life. Enjoy a variety of foods each day, including:
- Lots of vegetables and fruits
- Protein foods like meat, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes, and nuts
- Grains like whole grain pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, and wild rice
The picture below shows us how to build a balanced meal.
Seasons of Food
How do the seasons impact what we eat? In Canada, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each season has different weather and temperatures. This affects the types of food that can be grown and harvested in Canada. When vegetables and fruits are at their peak freshness, they are ‘in season’.
Click here to see when vegetables and fruits are in season in Canada!
When vegetables and fruits are not in season in Canada, you might still see them in the grocery store. This is because they come from other parts of the world that can grow them.
Canned and frozen vegetables and fruits are healthy choices to enjoy all year round. They are picked at the peak of their freshness and preserved right away. These foods are nutritious, cost less, and can be used to prepare balanced meals. Check the food labels and choose ones without added salt or sugar.
There are also many different types of protein foods and whole grain foods to choose from. In Canada, protein foods and whole grain foods are available to purchase all year round.
Grocery Shopping
Culture and food traditions are also an important part of healthy eating. Vegetables and fruits can be purchased at grocery stores, farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and U-pick farms during the summer months.
If you are looking for specific foods from other parts of the world, here are some examples of grocery stores with more international food selections in the Calgary area.
Examples (for informational purposes only):
- H-Mart: Korean cuisine
- T&T Supermarket: Asian cuisine
- The Italian Centre: Italian/European cuisine
- Basha Foods: South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine
- Kalamata Grocery Store: Mediterranean cuisine
- Joycee’s Caribbean Food & Takeout: Caribbean/Jamaican cuisine
There are many other stores in Calgary that have a selection of international foods. Most of the larger grocery stores in Calgary have an international section with foods from a variety of cuisines.
Balanced Meal Ideas
Here are some examples of balanced meals that include vegetables and fruits, protein foods, and whole grains that you can enjoy all year round.
