‘Why is nutrition so confusing?’ is a common lament, but the truth is out there. Forget fad diets and media hype. It’s time to harness the power of science to create a healthy and sustainable diet.
The effectiveness of healthy-eating nudges increases as their focus shifts from thinking, to feeling, to doing.
Most consumers are unaware that the Health Star Rating system is compensatory, and that one negative nutritional attribute, such as high sugar, can be cancelled out by a positive attribute like fibre.
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Jessica C Lai, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Alana Harrison, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Hongzhi Gao, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Samuel Becher, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
A food heath labelling system Australia and New Zealand introduced five years ago is under review and needs a significant overhaul to make it useful for consumers looking for healthy options.
Kids are exposed to junk foods often, but encouraging healthy foods at home can make a difference.
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Although it’s not possible for parents to completely shield their kids from screens and junk food, in the home they have a unique opportunity to establish healthy behaviours.
Modifying the types of food available to young adults can impact on their dietary behaviour.
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Rajshri Roy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Students gain up to 4kg in their first year at university and all the junk food on campus doesn’t help. Universities have a responsibility to make healthier foods available to students.
Research with Canadian families found that modelling of healthy food intake by fathers, but not by mothers, was associated with a healthier diet among their children.
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Most Canadian children spend too much time on screens and don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. Fathers can help by modelling healthy behaviours and getting involved in research.
Canada’s Food Guide makes nutrition recommendations. But the revamped guide does much more. It directs us to consider the broader set of circumstances —the social determinants —of how we eat.
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, right, and nutritionist Jessica Cole look over samples of some of the food groups at the unveiling of Canada’s new Food Guide, January 22, 2019 in Montréal.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Canada’s Food Guide is a political document. It does not represent those who are poor, culturally marginalized and most at risk for food insecurity.
Reading recipes enhances vocabulary. Baking involves measurement, addition and subtraction. Slicing your personal pizza is a great way to explain fractions to your child.
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Research shows that cooking with your kids helps them try more foods, eat more healthily and waste less food. It also offers opportunities to practise math and bond as a family.
The practise of ‘mindful eating’ can help you maximize the pleasure from rich holiday foods, without eating too much.
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From going out dancing to choosing smaller plates, two nutrition researchers offer some tips for reaping the fun of the holidays without destroying your health.
Recent studies have shown that we may be able to train ourselves to become more sensitive to certain tastes, which leads to feeling more full and satisfied after eating a meal.
Mushrooms for many are just an addition to a slice of pizza, but the fungi are now gaining a reputation for their nutrients.
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Mushrooms, long popular on pizza and in cooking, are getting more attention for their health benefits. Here are some reasons you might want to add them to your grocery list and not just your pizza.
Alternatives such as dates have the same number of kilojoules as sugar.
Artur Rutkowski
Quitting sugar is unlikely to improve your health any more than cutting down on ultra-processed foods, eating more vegetables and cooking food from scratch.