​If you're a child of the 90's, or raised children in the 90's, a purple dinosaur probably taught you that 'sharing is caring'. Although he may have been talking about sharing toys, there's something to be said about sharing meals too.
 
To say that Canadians are busy people may be an understatement. When it feels like time is scarce, it can be difficult to make time to connect with family or friends to share a meal. Roughly one-quarter to one-third of families never or seldom eat together as a family. But it's important to share meals. It allows people to connect, to share traditions, learn, communicate, listen and helps us eat a more balanced diet. Sharing meals is an enriching experience for people of all ages-from children to older adults. 

The biggest barriers to eating together are busy schedules like work and evening activities. Balancing a busy schedule certainly takes a little bit of creativity, but everyone benefits when you make the effort to eat in the company of others!

• Children who eat with their families tend to have more nutritious diets, do better in school, have a lower risk of being overweight and less risk of eating disorders.
• Teens who share meals with their families are less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol or get involved in serious fights.
• Adults who eat with family and friends tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI), drink fewer carbonated beverages and eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Older adults who eat as part of a group eat better quality foods and in a greater quantity, helping to improve nutrient intake and lowering the rates of malnourishment.

Now, whether out to dinner with friends or at home around the table with family, we have all experienced "phubbing". What is that you might ask? Phone snubbing, it's when someone ignores their real-life companions in favour of their phones or other devices. A 2015 study found that 46.3% of participants experienced this regularly from their loved ones. As addicting as phone may be, it is possible to have a fun dinner with friends and family without anyone using their devices...I promise!
 
If you've exhausted all your usual topics of conversation and caught up on each other's days, a well-worded question can go a long way. Try and ask questions that require more than a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer.

• If you won $5 million, what's the first thing you would buy?
• If you could eat only one food for an entire year, which one would it be?
• What's the funniest or strangest thing that happened to you today?
• If you could have named yourself, what name would you have picked?
• If you could travel back in time, where would you go?

 
Sharing a family meal doesn't have to only mean dinner! If you have hectic evenings, share breakfast meals instead, or have brunch together on the weekends. Most studies done on the benefits of family meals suggest starting with at least four meals together each week. They all count!
 
Writer: Stephanie MacNeill (RD)

There are a few sporting events I particularity look forward to each year, and March Madness is one of them! I thoroughly enjoy watching this NCAA tournament as it is incredible and awe-inspiring how young and talented these student athletes are. The tournament is nearing the end, and we will see the battle of the Final Four very soon (I am cheering on Kansas!). Who will be the winner?!  
 
I really enjoy working with student athletes because it is an area where Dietitians can have a huge impact. I also get to partake in their journey through their university career, and it is overall a very valuable and rewarding experience. For most college athletes, it is their first time moving away from home and living on their own. This can create various barriers to consuming a healthy diet. Barriers may include cooking skills, nutrition knowledge, limited time, limited selection if living on campus, and financial strains and these can greatly affect a young person’s nutrition intake.
 
Lack of time is likely one of the biggest barriers for college athletes, or everyone for that matter. Athletes spend a tremendous amount of time practicing and completing strength and conditioning plans along with traveling for their sport, going to class, studying, all while trying to maintain a social life. This can be very stressful for an athlete and unfortunately they may neglect to thinking about their nutrition plan. Poor nutrition intake can lead to decreased sleep time/quality, reduced ability to recover from their training, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, increase risk of injury or illness and thus ultimately impair their performance. I believe that providing nutrition support is important for a college athlete’s success, and in the spirit of March Madness, below are a few time and cost saving tips to boost nutrition intake of busy athletes!
 
Time saving tips

1. Batch cooking: Make a point to cook extra food for left overs or be able to pop an extra meal in the freezer for busier times (like exam season, which is fast approaching). Cooking parts of meals ahead of time so it is ready for the week might also be helpful. For example cooking hard boiled eggs to grab for breakfast or snack, or cooking a large pot of rice or quinoa or cooking multiple baked/roasted potatoes to use during the week can cut down on cooking time.
2. Meal exchange with teammates: If cooking is new for you or you want to batch cook but get bored of eating the same meal all week, it might be nice to do a meal exchange with your teammates or roommates. Get a groups of 5 people together, each cook 1 meal making 5 portions, and then exchange with your teammates. This way you cook one meal, but end up with 5 different dishes! This might help to motivate you and your teammates to cook and eat healthier meals because now you aren’t just cooking for yourself!
3. Choose vegetables that need little prep: baby carrots, cucumber, sugar snap peas, peppers or cherry tomatoes can be packed with very little prep. Other options include asparagus and brussel sprouts which cooks very quick if roasted in the oven, beans steamed on the stove, frozen peas and corn or even bagged salad.

 
Cost saving tips

1. Determine accurate protein needs: Some athletes may be over consuming protein and be forgetting about other nutrients like carbohydrates, healthy fats or fresh vegetables. Protein needs vary between athletes but it is very unlikely we need to eat 10oz steaks multiple times a day, no matter how delicious that sounds. Knowing personal portion sizes for protein, as determined by a dietitian, could cut your meat consumption down and save you a lot of money.
2. Include vegetarian meals: Beans and lentils are a very cheap way to get protein into the diet. They also are rich in fibre and carbohydrates and other micronutrients and are low in fat.
3. Dairy: Milk is always a good option to have on hand to add a little extra protein to your meals. Greek yogurt is quite expensive, so look for it on sale or branch out and try cottage cheese. Cottage cheese can be eaten plain, with crackers, pita or fruit, or you could also mix in some taco seasoning and dip your vegetables in it. Two of my personal favourite ways of using cottage cheese include cottage cheese egg muffins, and high protein pancakes.  
4. Cheap Carbs: Potatoes are packed with complex carbohydrates and they are often super cheap. Don’t underestimate the power of the potato!
5. Frozen vegetables: Frozen vegetables may be the way to go if you find you can’t use it up before it goes bad. They are also usually quick cooking and precut so it’s super easy and convenient to get in some vegetables.
6. Shop those sales: Don’t be afraid to shop the sales, I stock up on expensive items when they go on sale, especially chicken, cheese and chocolate milk!

Writer: Stephanie Boville MSc, RD
Registered Dietitian and sport nutritionist with ESN and Athlete’s Care Yorkville. stephaniemboville@gmail.com
 
Stephanie is passionate about helping athletes of all ages reach their athletic goals through nutritional means. She is very interested in nutrition interventions for concussion management and joint health as these two areas are very important in sport. 

​Injuries are an unfortunate and sometimes unavoidable aspect of participation in sport and exercise. Treatment options for injury often include rest, ice massage, manual therapy, heat, electrical stimulation and acupuncture. An often overlooked intervention is nutrition.
 
To understand the potential of food to help in the healing process, we first need to understand a little bit about the stages of injury.
 
Most exercise-related injuries go through three main stages in the recovery process. In the first stage, which lasts anywhere from 1-7 days, pain, swelling, redness and heat draws chemicals to the injured area to start the healing process and increase blood flow to the area. In the second stage which can start as early as day 4 and last about 6 weeks, inflammation begins to settle down and the body starts to repair the damaged tissue by laying down collagen. These new collagen fibres are put down in a in the form of scar tissue, which is weaker and less flexible than normal tissues. In the third stage which starts around 2-3 weeks post injury, healing continues to progress and the collagen fibres improve in quality, organization and strength.
 
Nutrition plays an important role in each of these stages. 

Stage 1
Although inflammation is a critical part of triggering the repair process, too much may cause more damage. During this phase, try to include more anti-inflammatory fats in your diet. These include:

• Olive oil
• Avocado
• Ground flax seeds
• Mixed nuts and seeds
• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines

Herbs and spices like garlic, ginger and tumeric may also be beneficial to help you control inflammation.

At the same time, try to limit pro-inflammatory foods like:

• Processed foods high in saturated fat (hot dogs, bacon, some lunch meats)
• Vegetable oils like corn, sunflower and soybean
• Food with trans fats (biscuits, cakes, pies, cookies, cream filled candies)

Stage 2 and 3
In these stages, metabolism may increase anywhere from 15-50% to support new tissue growth. So you'll need more calories than when you are sedentary, but fewer than when you are training and exercising regularly.  Over the course of the day:

• Eat adequate protein: choose minimally processed meats, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs and plant-based proteins.
• Eat the rainbow: include a mix of different fruits and vegetables.
• Eat enough carbohydrate: choose minimally processed carbohydrates like whole oats, whole grain rice, whole grain bread, freekeh, barley and quinoa.

Unlock Foods Potential to Heal
Next time you find yourself sidelined with an injury, consider adding a registered dietitian to your treatment team to help ensure that you are getting the right nutrients to support your body in healing. 


​Writer: Stephanie MacNeill (RD)

We all know how Easter and the Easter Bunny can get the better our sweet tooth. It’s a time of chocolate, candy, and all things sweet, but it doesn’t have put our pancreas into overdrive. This year, try switching up your Easter treats to be a little more balanced. Here are a few unconventional Easter treats that can be put in your kids’ Easter basket or your own:

1. Dark Chocolate
Instead of filling your Easter basket with milk chocolate, switch it out for some dark chocolate that’s 80-90% cocoa. Dark chocolate contains a much less sugar and saturated fat than milk chocolate and has some benefits to our cardiovascular system along with containing antioxidants. One little square is often enough to satisfy those chocolate cravings and the strong flavour will grow on you!

2. Herbal Tea
There are so many unique tea flavours out there that you can find teas that taste just like desserts! Herbal teas don’t contain any caffeine which children should only consume in small amounts. Find a few fun tea flavours to put in your kids’ Easter baskets for a fun new twist on Easter treats.

3. Arts and Crafts
Who says the Easter Bunny only brings chocolate and candy? Why not fill your Easter baskets with some fun arts and craft supplies to keep your kids (or yourself) busy and exploring their creativity? Colouring books, pencil crayons, markers, paint by number, water colours, and sidewalk chalk are all fun supplies to get their creativity flowing.

4. Chocolate Covered Fruit/Nuts
Chocolate covered fruit and nuts (provided there aren’t any allergies in your home) are great little treats and include more nutrients and fiber than plain old chocolate would. Fiber helps to keep you full longer, meaning you’re less likely to eat more than a handful because they’re so filling. Dark chocolate varieties are also available and will contain less sugar than their milk chocolate counter parts.

5. Lip Balm
Who doesn’t have dry lips after the long Winter months? Adding some lip balm to your Easter Basket creation can help ease those chapped lips. You can even go with some shimmery lip gloss to add some fun colour.

6. Reusable Water Bottle
A fun reusable water bottle can help people stay hydrated throughout the day and is great for people on the go. An insulated one will help keep your water cold for most of the day. Natural flavours can be added to your water with the use of a water bottle that has an infuser like berries, lemon, lime, or cucumbers.

7. Jump Rope
Since the weather will be getting warmer, some equipment to help the whole family get outside and get active is a great idea. A jump rope, sidewalk chalk, or a new basketball are all great options to persuade the whole family to get outside and enjoy the warming temperatures.

8. Sunscreen
To protect everyone in your house from the increased amount of UV rays while they’re enjoying the warm weather, throw some sunscreen into their Easter Basket. There are so many different varieties nowadays to keep everyone happy. An SPF between 30 to 50 and any sunscreen medium (lotion, dry-spray, etc.) will do the trick. 
Although Easter is traditionally a time of chocolate filled Easter Baskets that often lasts for weeks, non-food items can become a new tradition. But don’t get me wrong, if you feel like enjoying some chocolate or sweets, allow yourself to enjoy those foods in moderation and not feel guilty about it. Foods that are solely eaten for pleasure are an important part of our diet and allow us to feel satisfied and not deprived. All foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle. Allow yourself to listen to your body and how it’s feeling, it can tell you a lot. Happy eating and healthy Easter!

Writer: Jessica Salomon, MAN, RD
​nutritionbyjessicard.com

​Lifestyle factors, including good nutrition and adequate exercise, have the potential to influence our health. A nutritious diet can help prevent illness and can help lower the risk of developing chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia and certain types of cancer. In fact, almost 80 per cent of premature stroke and heart disease can be prevented through healthy lifestyle behaviours (such as eating healthy, being active and living smoke free).
 
What's Best?
There are many diets or eating patterns, some healthier than others. So you may be wondering, which eating pattern is best?
 
The reality is that there is no one absolutely, positively best diet for everyone. Everyone differs in terms of their:

• Dietary preferences and exclusions: some have food allergies, intolerances and food beliefs that influence their food choices.
• Budget: some have a limited food budget, while for others it may be unlimited.
• Cooking and nutrition knowledge:
• Time: some have lots of free time to devote to proper eating and adequate exercise, while others have limited time.

So the best eating pattern is one that you enjoy and can stick to even on your worst days-not just your best. Dietitians can help you follow a healthy eating pattern suited to your individual needs and health goals. 

Building a Balanced Diet
A basic healthy diet for disease prevention includes the following foods:

• Vegetables and fruit
• Whole grains
• Legumes (beans and lentils)
• Nuts and seeds
• Milk, cheese and yogurt
• Fish, seafood and poultry
• Healthy oils like canola and olive oil

Notice anything missing from these basic ingredients? They don't contain a lot of highly processed foods with a lot of added sugar, salt and trans fat.
 
Work With a Dietitian
Consider working with a dietitian if you have health goals or concerns about your risk of chronic disease. We will work with you to embrace food, understand it and to enjoy it while considering your overall objectives, needs and challenges. As dietitians, we look beyond fads and gimmicks to deliver reliable, life-changing advice.

Writer: Stephanie MacNeill (RD)

In this, the second week of Nutrition Month, I'm going to discuss foods potential to discover: Foster healthy eating habits in children by teaching them to shop and cook.
 
In a culture that is increasingly relying on heavily processed, packaged and take-out foods, many children are growing up lacking basic food skills, including how to shop, cook and build a balanced meal. Teaching children from a young age, how to shop for and prepare healthy meals can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. 

​Cooking is also a great way to spend some extra time with your children or to reconnect after a long day apart at work and school. You can also use it as an opportunity to keep your cultural roots alive by teaching your children some of your favourite traditional family recipes.
 
Getting children involved in meal preparation is fun and rewarding! For an easy school lunch that you and your child can make together, give this Rockin' Ranch Roll Up a try!

Makes: 1 serving
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 10inch whole wheat flour tortilla
2 tsp light ranch style dressing (or honey mustard)
2 slices deli turkey, chicken or ham
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1 large leaf of iceberg, Romaine or Bibb lettuce
2 slices of tomato
 
Instructions
1. Spread ranch dressing on tortilla.
2. Top one half of the tortilla with meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
3. Starting with the meat/cheese edge of the tortilla, roll up and enjoy!
 
Notes: serve with a side of baby carrots and cucumber slices
 
Visit Cookspiration or download the app for more great recipe ideas!

Writer: Stephanie MacNeill (RD) 

​That's what you may be saying to yourself if you've seen the news recently. Cricket powder has gone mainstream as it hit Canadian shelves this week.
 
The idea of eating bugs may be new to you, but entomophagy (the consumption of insects) is actually a common practice that has been taking place for tens of thousands of years! It's estimated that insects are part of the traditional diets of around 2 billion people. There are more than 1,900 edible insect species and the most commonly eaten bugs are beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers and you guessed it, cricket.
 
If you really think about it, it's not even that big of a stretch. Bugs are arthropods (they don't have an internal skeleton) and are closely related to crustaceans* like shrimp, crab, crawfish and lobster. So crustaceans are really just bugs of the ocean. Also, consider the fact that honey only becomes honey after nectar from the flowers is passed mouth-to-mouth from bee to bee. So if you really think about it, you've been an entomophagist most of your life. 

But seriously, what's so great about cricket powder?

Crickets have a myriad of health and performance benefits, while also being eco-friendly.  Let's first look at some of the health and performance benefits:

• A source of complete protein, which pound for pound contains 2 times more protein than beef.

Cricket proteins are complete, which means that they contain all 9 essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.  Protein contributes some energy during exercise but it's main function lies in supporting repair, maintenance and growth of tissue as well as supporting the immune system.

• A source of iron

Iron is required for the production of red blood cells and for the transportation of oxygen throughout the body. It is therefore of particular importance for athletes.

• High in vitamin B12

A 2.5Tbsp serving of cricket powder provides 100% of the average persons daily requirement. Vitamin B12 plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system and in the formation of blood cells. 

• High in Omega-3's, which gram for gram contains almost 2 times more Omega-3's than salmon

Omega-3 fats may help lower your risk of heart disease and they can help muscles recover from a workout by reducing inflammation.
 
Consuming insects is also more environmentally friendly. The resources required to produce 10 grams of cricket powder are 12 times less than the resources needed to produce 10 grams of beef protein. Crickets also require less land and water and produce fewer green house gas emissions than traditionally farmed animals. Over the span of a year, if a family of four ate one meal a week using cricket (or insect) protein, they would save the earth 650,000 litres of fresh water.
 
I'm sure what you're really wondering though, is how they taste. Well, I haven't actually summoned up the courage to try cricket powder myself (although it is on my to-do list). I'm told that  cricket powder adds a subtle nutty/earthy flavour...so maybe if someone just told me it was a nut I wouldn't even think twice.  
 
So, what do you think? Can you get behind these bugs in the grocery aisle?
 
* A word of caution, people who are allergic to crustaceans and shellfish may have an allergic reaction to crickets. Additionally, if you have a pre-disposed allergy to insect bites or stings you should proceed with caution.

Writer: 
​Writer: ​Stephanie MacNeill (RD)

2017 was a monumental and widely publicized year for feminism with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Making this year’s International Women’s Day theme that much more fitting: #PressforProgress. This year’s theme is aimed at striving for gender parity within society. Although gender parity is a very important aspect of equality and women’s rights, it’s only one aspect. There are many areas we can Press for Progress, within society as a whole and within our personal lives.

International Women’s Day should mark the beginning of a year full of pushing for progress for yourself and women everywhere. I challenge you to spend the year following Women’s Day learning to love yourself and your body. Feminism, by definition, is an act of rebellion. It’s the act of rebelling against current societal and patriarchal norms for gender equality. What’s more rebellious than going against everything society tells us about our bodies, and loving who we are? 

I know firsthand how disheartening looking at any form of media can be to your self-esteem. There are articles and ads everywhere about how to get ready for bikini season, how to make yourself as thin as possible, and how being anything other than in impeccable shape is viewed, each alongside images of scantily clad, unrealistically super fit, modelesque women. On top of it all, cosmetic, supplement, and fitness companies profit from our feelings of poor self-worth. It is in their best interest for us to feel poorly about ourselves. This deserves to change.
Here are 4 rebellious acts you can do to Push for Progress and learn to love yourself this Women’s Day:

1. Change how you talk about yourself
As women, we have a terrible habit of talking poorly about ourselves and our bodies. We are our own worst critics and we would never say the things we say about ourselves to our friends. They would probably punch us for it. To truly change how we see ourselves, a great first step is to cut out all that negative self-talk. It’s damaging and not beneficial to our self-esteem. Instead, replace those negative comments with things you are proud of doing or skills you possess.
 
2. Unfollow social media accounts that damage your self-confidence
Social media has become a huge part of our lives. We passively consume so much information and images throughout the day because of the amount of time we spend on social media. Because of this, we’re bound to come across accounts or posts that aren’t beneficial to our self-esteem. Whether it be a celebrity that is always posting about the latest diet to lose those extra 5lbs or an account that shames people for being anything other than perfect, you don’t need that in your life. Cut that garbage out of your life and don’t look back.
 
3. Embrace self-care
In the last year, there has been a huge boom for self-care and it’s amazing. Nothing screams love for ourselves and rebellion like providing ourselves with the self-care we deserve. Carve out time in your schedule to unwind and relax by reading, having a bath, knitting, preparing your favourite meal, or ensuring you get enough sleep. Self-care is individualized and non-prescriptive and should include something that’s important to you. Self-care should be a regular part of your lifestyle to help you feel grounded and to realize all you’ve accomplished in a day is worth celebrating.
 
4. Be proud of your body
​Our bodies are capable of so many amazing things. It allows us to move the way we want, tells us what it needs, allows us to feel and explore within ourselves, to learn, and our bodies can even bear children. That’s amazing stuff.  How we treat our bodies should be a reflection and celebration of all it’s capable of, not punishment for everything it’s been through. Don’t shame your body for showing its age or the scars it bears. We have such unrealistic expectations of how bodies should look and we will go to great lengths to keep it looking young, scar free, flat, toned, and tanned. Why not just be proud of your body for getting you this far?

As International Women’s Day is here, I challenge us all to be aware and cognizant of how we can make progress. And I challenge you to think differently about yourself and what your body is capable of. Take part in the rebellion and flex those feminism muscles with me. Happy International Women’s Day. #PressforProgress







Jessica Saloman, MAN, RD
Sports Dietitian with ESN and Athlete's Care Yonge and Eglinton and Liberty Village
nutritionbyjessicard.com

Jessica has a unique interest in women’s health, specifically managing hormonal changes, treating PCOS, gut health, and the female athlete triad. She works alongside women to reach their individualized goals in realistic and manageable ways.

I'm so excited to be part of this year's Dietitians of Canada Nutrition Month Campaign! We are celebrating Nutrition Month 2018 by helping Canadians unlock the potential of food to fuel, discover, prevent, heal and bring us together.
 
Dietitians all have one thing in common: we love food! Shocking, right? Whether we are counseling a patient recovering from a heart attack, teaching a cooking class or taking students through a tour of a grocery store, we are all passionate about the potential of food and its connection to health. You will learn so much this month about the amazing potential of food!
 
To kick off Nutrition Month, I'm going to discuss foods potential to fuel.

Almost half of all Canadians say they find it challenging to eat a balanced diet because they are so busy. They often skip meals and close to 30% of Canadians say they eat of lot of snacks to stay fueled throughout a busy day.
 
Snacks sometimes get a bad rap. To some, snacking means eating when you're not hungry and to others it means loading up on unhealthier foods like chips, cookies and candy.  
 
Nutritious snacks, in the right portion sizes can be part of a healthy eating plan and is a great way to get all the nutrients the body needs each day.
 
Five Smart Snacking Tips:
Fueling your body with healthy snacks between meals can help maintain stable blood sugar levels and lead to more consistent energy throughout the day. Snacks can also curb your appetite and prevent overeating at meals. Make snacking a piece of cake (okay, maybe that was the wrong analogy here) with these five tips:

1. Plan ahead. Make yourself a snack bucket at the beginning of the week. Cut up veggies, portion out nuts or cubed cheese. Having read-to-eat snacks on hand for when you get hungry can help you avoid less-healthy treats.
2. Listen to your hunger cues. Ask yourself: Am I really hungry? Or do I just want to eat because I am bored, stressed, tired or upset?
3. Practice portion control. Manage portion size by putting a single portion on a plate instead of eating from a bag or box.
4. Eat mindfully. Avoid snacking when you are reading, working, watching TV or playing on a computer. You may eat more than you need if you are distracted.
5. Find the right 'pear' (see what I did there?) The best type of snacks are those that contain protein and fibre.

Healthy Snack Ideas:
Next time you're looking to fuel up between meals, skip the vending machine or coffee shop and give one of these tasty snack suggestions a try:

1. Raw vegetables (carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes) with hummus.
2. Fresh fruit (banana, apple, pear, orange) with a small handful of unsalted nuts.
3. Hardboiled egg with a handful of grapes.
4. Stalk of celery filled with low fat cottage cheese or peanut butter.
5. Greek yogurt topped with berries.
6. Whole grain crackers with cheese.
7. A bag of homemade trail mix made with dry cereal, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
8. Unsweetened applesauce topped with chopped walnuts.
9. Roasted chickpeas.
10. Cheddar cheese and apple slices.

Visit Cookspiration or download the app for more un'beet'able snack ideas!

Writer: ​Stephanie MacNeill (RD)