Making healthier choices when eating in CAF dining facilities

June 15, 2022 -  Defence Stories

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Have plenty of fruits and vegetable, Eat protein foods, Make water your drink of choice, Choose whole grain foods

This is the first article in a series to highlight CAF Food Svcs Standards to help you make healthier food choices in CAF dining facilities

Eating well at work can give you the energy you need to stay alert, stay productive, boost your overall health, and decrease your risk of chronic disease.

Did you know CAF Food Services has standards that ensure all units offer choices that contribute to a well-balanced diet? These standards ensure healthier options are available to assist you in eating well.

Canada’s Food Guide (2019) recommends eating plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grain foods and protein foods. The food guide also recommends to choose protein foods that come from plants more often.

To support increasing vegetable and fruit intake CAF Food Svcs standards requires:

• Six to eight varieties of fruit at every meal;
• Two cooked vegetables at lunch and supper; and
• A variety of fresh vegetables on the salad bar.

Whole grain foods (i.e. whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, wild rice, quinoa, brown rice) are good sources of fibre which is a nutrient that can help lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colorectal cancers. CAF Food Svcs standards require that all dining facilities provide:

• At least 50% of the bread products as whole grain products;
• Whole grain starch choices available at each meal with entrées;  
• Four varieties of cold cereals are offered at breakfast that must have a minimum of 3 g of fibre; and
• Whole grain bread choices are also available at the sandwich bar.

Canada’s Food Guide (2019) also encourages Canadians to choose plant-based protein foods more often to increase fibre and reduce saturated intake. You don’t need to eat large amounts of protein foods to meet your nutritional needs. CAF Food Svcs standards offer a vegetarian healthy choice entrée at each meal.

Healthy eating is about more than just the foods you eat: it is also about where; how; and why you are eating. This involves being mindful about how we are eating: recognizing hunger and fullness; taking time to eat; and eating with others. CAF Food Svcs is committed to optimizing the nutrition health of CAF members.

Send questions or feedback to Strat J4 Food Svcs on our Facebook page at 'CAF Food Svcs NSCM // MCNN des Svc Alim des FAC.'  (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website)