Planning and preparation key to healthy eating

To the editor, March is Nutrition Month and doctors in the province are encouraging Nova Scotians to make healthy eating a priority. Nova Scotia has among the highest rates of physical inactivity, inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, and obesity in Canada. Unhealthy eating patterns and physical inactivity can lead to a variety of health problems including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. The key to eating healthy is planning for it. A great place to start is creating a grocery list and sticking to it. Too often, we enter the grocery store and wander each isle reaching for food that might not be the healthy option. Save time and money by shopping with a list and ensure your list consists mostly of healthy whole foods. Eating healthy when you get home is a lot easier when the food you’re making is the right choice in the first place. Next time you’re grocery shopping, try to shop the peripheries of the store and avoid the middle isles as much as possible. Fresh products like fruits, vegetables, and fish are usually kept on the periphery, while packaged and junk foods are usually in the middle aisles. Small changes make all the difference when it comes to eating healthy. Have fun with it and include the whole family by picking All material in this publication is the property of the Transcontinental Nova Scotia Media Group Inc., and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for statements or claims by advertisers or letter writers. The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement or for omitting to publish an advertisement. Liability is strictly limited to the publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for that advertisement. out new recipes together. For more information about nutrition and how to eat healthier, visit www. dietitians. ca online and cooking