Dietetics:2024 Nutrition Month Workshops

March 6th: Build a Balanced Plate to Promote Healthy Aging and Brain Health

March 6th, 2024 12-1pm

Developed and Delivered by Anna Brisco, RD MEd and Yolanda Nuanyan Wang, RD

Why Building a Balanced Plate matters for healthy aging and brain wellness?

What we eat can make a significant different for healthy aging.

Studies have consistently found that dietary patterns that include

• lean proteins,
• whole grains,
• unsaturated fats, and
• a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, such as Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, etc...

are associated reduced risk of overall mortality, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.

This evidence was brought together in 2015, as the basis for Canada's food guide (2019). Canada's food guide is a web-based resource offering information and tips about foods and eating habits that support health for all Canadians.

Using the balanced plate model to plan your meals and snacks supports nutrition when you cook more often, enjoy your food, and embrace your cultural foods and traditions.

Workshop Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will

1. Appreciate the importance of building a balanced plate using Canada's food guide
2. Feel able to assess your meals and snacks for balanced nutrition
3. Develop confidence to try new recipes and tips to eat a more balanced plate at meals and snacks

Participant Handouts & Recipes

Slides(pdf file):File:March 6th 2024 Wellness Wednesday Slides.pdf Recipes (pdf file):File:March 6th 2024 - Wellness Wednesday Recipes.pdf

March 12th: Cooking for 1 or 2

March 12th, 2024 11am to 12pm

Developed and Delivered by Master of Nutrition & Dietetics Students: Jennifer Appiah, Kiara Gaspari, Kiana Gibson, and Jen Ying.

Why Cooking for 1 or 2 matters for healthy aging and brain wellness?

Balanced and nutritious meals help keep us healthy by giving us energy, decreasing the risk of chronic diseases, as well as increasing our physical and mental health.

As we age, cooking for one or two people can present challenges like taste fatigue, not knowing what to make, or low motivation. However, making large portions to freeze, adding new ingredients, and using simple cooking techniques can help reduce stress and time spent in the kitchen. This can make cooking for one or two a more enjoyable activity that supports a healthy body and mind.

Webinar Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will:

1. Understand how to cook a large batch of 1 meal and freeze leftovers in individual portions for easy reheating.
2. Come up with different ways to repurpose a meal by changing the carbohydrate, incorporating vegetables, or adding different toppings and sauces.
3. Be able to make a single serve fruit-based dessert, breakfast, or snack in the microwave using a bowl or mug.

Participant Handouts & Recipes

Recipes: File:Cooking for One or Two Recipes.pdf

Infographic: File:Cooking For 1 or 2 Infographic.pdf

Powerpoint Slides: File:Cooking for One Two Powerpoint.pdf

Resources for Further Learning

1) A Guide to Healthy Eating for Older Adults

• This handout explains why fruit & vegetables are important, how to include enough protein in your diet, what to do when cooking feels like a chore, and tips for grocery shopping.

• Click here: https://www.niagarahealth.on.ca/files/A-guide-to-healthy-eating-for-older-adults-August-2015.pdf

2) My Plate Recipe Database

• This website allows you to search for recipes based on meal type (ex. breakfast), nutrition focus (ex. eat more vegetables), nutrient focus (ex. reduce sodium), cooking equipment (ex. microwave), and cuisine (ex. Middle Eastern).
• Click here: https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-kitchen/recipes

March 15th: Protective Aging with Protein Foods

March 15th 3-4pm

Developed and Delivered by MND Year 2 Students Jessica Flechner-Klein, Simran Sappal, Kailee Wark

Why Protective Aging and Protein matters for healthy aging and brain wellness?

[Protein is important to healthy aging for a variety of reasons, including strong muscles and bones, balancing blood sugars and energy levels, maintaining immune function, mental health and good mental status, and more! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523662823?via%3Dihub ]

Workshop Learning Outcomes

1. How to estimate your daily protein needs
2. Identify food sources and amounts of protein in foods
3. How to incorporate protein into your diet

Participant Handouts & Recipes

Workshop Handout:File:580 Handout Protein March 2024.pdf

Recipe Handout: File:Easy protein recipes.pdf

External Resources for Further Learning

1. Check on Protein, BCDairy/2021
2. / Canadian Food Guide/2019
3. / Quick Nutrition Check for Protein Sample Menus, HealthLinkBC, 2019

March 22nd: Exploring Plant-Based Meals

March 22nd, 2024 3-4pm

Developed and Delivered by Master of Nutrition & Dietetics Students: Shelby Cender, Tanvir Jassal, and Alicia Walch

Why Exploring Plant-Based Meals matters for healthy aging and brain wellness?

The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) is a dietary pattern strongly linked to the protection of both brain and physical health, especially among older adults. Emphasizing the consumption of a diverse array of plant-based foods such as nuts, olive oil, legumes, dark leafy greens, and whole grains, the MIND dietary pattern is tailored to promote optimal brain health.

Understanding how to incorporate a diverse range of plant-based foods into one's diet and selecting the most suitable options can be a challenge for many individuals. Therefore, this workshop aims to pinpoint plant-based foods rich in essential nutrients crucial for promoting healthy aging, including:

• Calcium
• Iron
• Fibre
• Protein

Consuming a balanced diet rich in a variety of plant-based foods can ensure your body receives all the essential nutrients it needs. It's important to remember that adopting a plant-based diet doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing commitment! Find out what you like, start with small changes, and gradually increase from there.

Workshop Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Identify a number of high protein plant based foods.
2. Compare and critique available foods on their protein content.
3. Build a balanced, high protein meal using available food ingredients.
4. Understand at least 2 benefits of plant-based eating.

Participant Handouts & Recipes

1. Healthy and Balanced Plant-Based Eating Handout: File:Healthy and Balanced Plant-Based Eating.pdf
2. Honey Lemon Vinaigrette & Tahini Sesame Dressing Recipes: File:Salad Dressing Recipes.pdf
3. How to Build a Protein-Packed Bowl: File:Protein-Packed Bowls Plant-Based Edition.pdf

External Resources for Further Learning

1) Canada’s Food Guide - Build a Balanced Plate

• This resource offers a visual guide to how to build your plate or bowl in a balanced way. Additionally, the Tips for Healthy Eating tab provides advice and ideas about meal planning and cooking, making healthier choices, healthy eating anywhere, and how nutrition needs will vary depending on life stage.
• Click here:https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/

2) Unlock Food - What Are the Benefits of Eating More Plant-Based Foods?

• Unlockfood.ca is a website run by the Dietitians of Canada and is a reliable place to source nutrition information. This blog entry details what some of the common benefits are of including more plant-based foods in the diet, and provides a list of foods and recipes to try.
• Click here: https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Cooking-And-Food/Vegetables-and-Fruit/Benefits-of-Eating-Plant-Based

References: