The Beginner’s Guide to Nutrition

Not sure where to start when it comes to understanding nutrition? We’ve got you covered.

You may find the science behind nutrition to be intimidating with terms like ‘macronutrients’ or complicated nutrition content claims. Don’t be afraid! Eating more healthful foods isn’t an all or nothing game – you don’t need to have your nutrition dialed in to the gram to have a positive affect on your health.

To help you on your journey to nourish your body, we’ve rounded up a few resources we know will be helpful to you as you learn more about nutrition. Celebrate Nutrition Month 2021 by learning more from science-backed, reputable sources like the four we’ve gathered below.

The theme guiding Nutrition Month in 2021 centres around the idea that healthy eating looks different for everyone. According to Dietitians of Canada, the goal is to “push back against simplified notions of ‘a healthy meal’ and ‘rules’ and share examples of how culture, food traditions, health conditions and personal circumstances influence what healthy eating can look like.” This theme takes an inclusive look at nutrition and acknowledges that ‘healthy’ looks different for everyone. If you’re interested in learning more and exploring how personal circumstances and the circumstances of others may impact what nutrition looks like, download their Activity Guide here.

The Government of Canada’s interactive Food Guide is a great resource to learn more about healthy eating. The Guide allows you to click on any of the elements of a balanced meal to learn more, and includes helpful tips around food choices, eating habits, recipes, and other resources. Learn more about the nutrients your body needs to maintain health, preparation tips, ideas for new ingredients to try, and tips for choosing the healthiest options.

One of our favorite tips: Give plant-based protein a try! You can find a healthy source of protein in many nuts and seeds, beans, peas, and lentils. Check out the interactive Food Guide here.

Decoding the Nutrition Facts Table

Ever take a look at the Nutrition Facts on a package of food and feel like you’re reading another language? The Government of Canada provides another great resource to help you decode the Nutrition Facts table, including what’s included on the table, information about foods that don’t have nutrition facts, and how to read a table. There’s also an interactive Nutrition Facts table – click on elements in the table to learn more about the different components. Click here to view the webpage.

Understanding Food Labels

Last but not least, our final resource recommendation is the Understanding Food Labels page from Canada.ca. This page provides links to resources including the nutrition facts tables linked above, in addition to information about ingredients lists, nutrients, percent daily value, serving size, nutrition claims, nutrient content claims, and general information about what has to be included on food labels. Visit this website to see a wealth of easy-to-digest information about nutrition and much more.

Other Resources

There are thousands of other nutrition resources out there for you! Take a look at YouTube or do a Google search for blogs or healthy recipes to try. A small word of caution: beware of misinformation that could be published by untrustworthy sources. Before reading or sharing the information, verify that the content you’re consuming is from a reputable creator. Look for content that is created by certified dietitians or nutritionists to ensure that the information you’re getting is backed by science.