Guideline No. 2
Emphasize Cereals, Breads, other Grain products, Vegetables and Fruits

The underlying message in this guideline is to "shift" the balance of your diet away from a traditional diet that favors a lot of protein-rich, higher fat foods to one that contains more fruits, vegetables and grain foods.

Why Fruits, Vegetables and Grains are Important?

There is growing evidence that diets rich in fruits, vegetables and grain foods are healthier. At this time we don't know exactly why these foods help to reduce the risk of diseases like cancer; it is thought that these foods may make diets healthier by:

Contributing more starch and fiber (complex carbohydrates) and very little fat to the diet. Higher fat diets are linked to several common diseases like heart disease and certain cancers.

Contributing generous amounts of certain vitamins, minerals and other food components like dietary fiber that may protect against the development of cancer.

What about Dietary Fiber?

Fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods are sources of dietary fiber. In the last decade, the benefits of dietary fiber have been widely publicized. it is generally accepted that Canadians would enjoy health benefits from eating more High Fiber foods.

While the connection between fiber and cancer is still the subject of much debate, diets higher in dietary fiber are often linked to lower risks of colon cancer.

By law, foods claiming to be sources of fiber must meet minimum standards. To be called a "source" of fiber a serving of a food must contain at least 2g fiber; a "high source" of fiber must contain at least 4g fiber; a "very high source" of fiber must contain at least 6g fiber.
Fiber is a positive feature of food so it is no wonder that food manufacturers emphasize the fiber content of a product. However, be wary if fiber content is the only nutrient information on the label and information on other nutrients like fat and sugar is missing. Some products, like an oatmeal cookie may be high in fiber but also high in fat too! The healthiest sources of fiber with be low in fat too....like a piece of fruit, a cereal or legumes.

Info obtained from the Healthy Eating published by the Canadian Cancer Society

Nutrition & Health

Heart Smart Diet
Cancer Diet
Gout Diet
Acid Reflux
High Cholesterol
Diabetes Diet
Diverticulitis Diet
Lactose Intolerance
IBD Diet
Gluten-Free Diet
ADHD Diet

Women's Nutrition

Menopause Diet
Osteoporosis
Anemia
Breast Cancer Diet
Pregnancy Nutrition

Weight Loss Nutrition

Am I Overweight?
Free Diet Profile
BMI Calculator
Waist-to-Hip Ratio