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Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Categories
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Active for Health
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Age and Stage
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Being Active
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Getting Started
- Getting Started: Adding More Physical Activity to Your Life
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- Fitness: Adding More Activity To Your Life
- Getting Started With Flexibility and Exercise
- Fitness Machines
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- The Three Types of Physical Activity
- Overcoming Barriers: Adding More Physical Activity to your Life
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Choosing Your Activity
- How to Choose Safe Equipment
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- Quick Tips: Getting in Shape Without Spending Money
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- Exercise and Physical Activity Ideas
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Staying Active
- Fitness: Getting and Staying Active
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- Quick Tips: Having Enough Energy to Stay Active
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Conditions
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Digestive
- Managing Constipation in Adults
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- Lower Fibre Food Choices
- Eating Guidelines For Gallbladder Disease
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Heart
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- DASH Diet Sample Menu
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- Heart-Healthy Eating
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- Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
- High Blood Pressure: Nutrition Tips
- High Cholesterol: How a Dietitian Can Help
- Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet
- Peripheral Arterial Disease and Exercise
- Physical Activity Helps Prevent a Heart Attack and Stroke
- High Blood Pressure: Using the DASH Diet
- Healthy Eating: Eating Heart-Healthy Foods
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- Exercise and Fibromyalgia
- Kidney and Liver
- Lupus: Healthy Eating
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Food and Nutrition
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Eating Habits
- Developing a Plan for Healthy Eating
- Drinking Enough Water
- Emotional Eating
- Food Journaling: How to Keep Track of What You Eat
- Healthy Eating: Getting Support When Changing Your Eating Habits
- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Eat Out
- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Shop
- Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change
- Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change
- Healthy Eating: Staying With Your Plan
- Plant-based Foods
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- Sodium
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Nutrients
- Added Sugars
- Antioxidants and Your Diet
- Choosing a Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides: Eating Fish and Fish Oil
- Comparing Sugar Substitute
- Dietary Fats and Your Health
- Dietary Guidelines for Good Health
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- Eating Protein
- Calcium and Your Health
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- Getting Enough Calcium and Vitamin D
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- Getting Enough Folic Acid
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- Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet
- High Potassium Eating
- Iron and Your Health
- Iron in Foods
- Low-Potassium Foods
- Minerals: Their Functions and Sources
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- Quick Nutrition Check for Protein
- Quick Nutrition Check for Protein: Sample Menus
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Eating Habits
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Healthy Weights
- About Healthy Weights
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- Physical Activity for Weight Loss
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- Exercise Helps Maggie Stay at a Healthy Weight
- Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals
- Hunger, Fullness, and Appetite Signals
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- Maggie's Strategies for Eating Healthy
- Maggie: Making Room for Worth-It Foods
- Maggie's Story: Making Changes for Her Health
- Weight Management Centre
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Policies and Guidelines
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Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Making Bake Sales Delicious and Nutritious
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Boosting the Sales of Nutritious Food in Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Food Fundraiser Ideas for Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Involving Everyone in Implementing the Guidelines
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Selling Food and Beverages at School Sporting Events
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Planning Healthy Cafeteria Menus
- Healthier Choices in Vending Machines
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Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
- Provincial Nutrition Resource Inventory
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Forms and Tools
- Walking Log
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- Par-Q+ and ePARmed-X+
- Target Heart Rate
- Interactive Tool: What is Your Target Heart Rate
- Borg-Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale
- Overview of BC Provincial and Federal Nutrition Benefits Programs
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Body Mass Index (BMI) for Adults
- Interactive Tool: Do Your BMI and Waist Size Increase Your Health Risks?
- Measuring Your Waist
- Body Fat Testing
- Fitness: Using a Pedometer, Step Counter, or Wearable Device
- Email a HealthLinkBC Dietitian
- Email a Qualified Exercise Professional
Topic Contents
Overview
You don't have to abandon all your favourite recipes to eat healthier. Several small changes to your current recipes can often greatly lower the saturated fat and sodium in your diet.
These small changes can make a big difference in the amount of fat and calories in your diet. But they won't make much difference in how your meals taste or how much you enjoy them. Here are some ideas for making heart-healthy changes in your recipes.
Instead of: |
Choose: |
---|---|
1 cup (250 mL) shortening or lard |
¾ cup (175 mL) canola or olive oil |
1 cup (250 mL) whole milk |
1 cup (250 mL) skim milk |
1 cup (250 mL) heavy cream |
1 cup (250 mL) evaporated skim milk |
1 cup (250 mL) sour cream |
1 cup (250 mL) low-fat or fat-free yogurt or sour cream |
1 cup (250 mL) cheddar cheese |
1 cup (250 mL) low-fat cheddar cheese |
225 g (8 oz) cream cheese |
225 g (8 oz) light cream cheese or 110 g (4 oz) skim ricotta and 110 g (4 oz) tofu blended |
1 can cream of chicken soup |
1 can low-fat cream soup |
454 g (1 lb) ground beef |
(454 g) 1 lb ground turkey or (454 g) 1 lb extra-lean ground beef (97% lean) |
6 oz (170 g) tuna in oil |
6 oz (170 g) tuna in water |
1 cup (250 mL) chocolate chips |
½ cup (125 mL) chocolate chips |
To eat less fat and salt, try these tips while you cook.
Instead of: |
Try: |
---|---|
Frying your food |
Baking, broiling, steaming, poaching, or grilling your food. |
Eating convenience foods (canned soups, TV dinners, frozen pizza) |
Eating fresh fish, meats, fruits, and vegetables. Or look for low-salt convenience foods. Then make a balanced meal by adding a fruit, a vegetable, and low-fat or skim milk. |
Using butter or other fats high in saturated fat |
Using products low in saturated fat. Try olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or low-sodium chicken broth. |
Using salt, soy sauce, or barbecue sauce |
Using herbs, spices, or lemon |
Eating all of the meat product |
Eating a 2½ oz (75 g) serving of meat. (This is about the size of a deck of cards.) Trim fat from meat. Remove skin from chicken. |
Related Information
Credits
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology
Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Colleen O'Connor PhD, RD - Registered Dietitian
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Colleen O'Connor PhD, RD - Registered Dietitian
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Learn how we develop our content.
Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Contact Physical Activity Services
If you have questions about physical activity or exercise, call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) toll-free in B.C. Our qualified exercise professionals are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm Pacific Time. You can also leave a message after hours.
Translation services are available in more than 130 languages.
HealthLinkBC’s qualified exercise professionals can also answer your questions by email.
Contact a Dietitian
If you have any questions about healthy eating, food, or nutrition, call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) toll-free in B.C. You can speak to a health service navigator who can connect you with one of our registered dietitians, who are available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. You can also leave a message after hours.
Translations services are available in more than 130 languages.
HealthLinkBC Dietitians can also answer your questions by email.
Find Services and Resources
If you are looking for health services in your community, you can use the HealthLinkBC Directory to find hospitals, clinics, and other resources.