Eating on a dime downtown

Cost-cutting ways to keep with a healthier diet
in downtown Edmonton

By Danielle Selbee

“2019 Canada Food Guide” (Canadian Food Guide)

‘HEALTHY EATING is more than the foods you eat,” says the Canada Food Guide website, and that means you should enjoy your food, cook at home more often and eat meals with others.

Dietitian Katrina DuBois says she likes the new plate format (see image at right) for the emphasis on plants, and such plant-based protein alternatives as nuts and seeds.

“The plate is more visually appealing. It’s easier to understand at a glance.”

With the increase in food and costs, though, eating healthy can be expensive.

“A look into the increase of food in Canada by category” (Canada’s Food Report by Dollhousie University)

According to Canada’s Food Price Report from Halifax’s Dalhousie University, the cost of food in Canada is expected to increase two to four per cent for 2020. This means the average Canadian family is expected to spend $487 a month, or $12, 667 a year, on groceries. This is an increase of $76 a month over 2019.

To cut costs, DuBois recommends avoiding the centre area of the grocery store. Find whole foods on the outer edges, and if you need to buy canned or frozen vegetable products read the nutrition facts and look for items that are below five per cent in sodium.

“Look for more plant-based protein options, meat can get really expensive,” DuBois says. “A can of beans or chickpeas is a dollar, or tofu is really cheap, and you can make four or five meals out of it.”

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