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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 whole grains 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 antioxdiants and phytonutrients that may protect against the development of cancer.
If vitamins,
minerals and fiber are the keys to good health,
should I take supplements?
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| NO. Vitamin/mineral pills and fiber
supplements are not the answer. The evidence to date is with
foods, not any one nutrient or food component. it just might
be that other components in the food are the protective factors
and not the particular vitamin or fiber at all. That's why FOOD,
not supplements, is emphasized. |
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.
 Further Reading:
Info obtained from the Healthy Eating published by the Canadian Cancer Society
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