Ultra-processed food make up half our calories: Dietician

There’s nothing wrong with eating processed foods, but they should be an occasional treat instead of the bulk of our meals.

That’s according to registered dietician Carol Harrison, who joined John Gormley Live prior to her appearance as a speaker at the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association’s meeting in Moose Jaw next week.

Harrison said the ideal plate for all three meals consists of 50 per cent fruits and vegetables, 25 per cent healthy protein and 25 per cent whole grains.

“If Canadians did that, we would be knocking it out of the park in terms of enhancing our nutritional well-being,” Harrison said. “A lot of diets are really based on trying to get back to whole, naturally nutrient-rich foods, and that’s what’s really important.”

According to Harrison, 50 per cent of the calories in Canadians’ diets come from things like pop, chips, frozen pizza, hot dogs, crackers and other foods that are heavily processed. Time and financial pressures are seen as a big barrier for some, she said, but with practice and education it’s not very costly or time-consuming to create healthy, delicious meals using whole ingredients.

Harrison said it’s ultra-processed foods that really wreak havoc on Canadians’ health (and waistlines), but she acknowledged that – even as a nutrition expert – she can sometimes reach for the easier options in the grocery store.

“I don’t like to think that people are lazy,” Harrison said. “I’d like to think we’ve all got good intentions, but the pressures of life take over. I’ve got three kids – I know how busy it can be, even as a dietician.”

Harrison said it’s not sustainable to make big changes in your diet overnight, but it’s easy to make small changes and improve eating habits gradually by swapping out unhealthy foods and snacks for healthier choices.

A simple way to think of it is the “80-20 rule,” Harrison said. If you make healthy choices for 80 per cent of your meals, she said you’ll have enough flexibility left to include the occasional processed meal without feeling guilty or sacrificing your health.

Harrison said plant-based protein, which has been in the news since the updated Canada Food Guide was unveiled in January, is an excellent option, but it doesn’t always contain all the nutrients found in animal-based protein. For example, beef contains huge amounts of iron and fish contains omega 3 fatty acids – both of which the body requires.

“It’s not just how much you eat,” she said. “It’s the quality.”