5 Tips to Stay Energized and Eat Healthy Throughout the Year

HOW TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH HEALTHY EATING

Most people are in for a big adjustment as they transition into a busy fall routine. After summer vacations and back-to-school preparations, it’s important to get back on track with everyday healthy eating habits. To keep you and your family energized throughout the year and powered up to tackle the day, Halifax-based Dietitian Coleen Nolan shares her top five healthy-eating tips:

1. BREAK THE FAST. Fuel your engine by eating a nutritious breakfast that provides energy and essential nutrients for healthy growth and development, maintains healthy body weights and improves focus. Skip the sweet cereals and go for higher fibre varieties (more than 4g per serving) with less sugar (less than 10g per serving), or try smoothies. For something different, go for soaked oats.

TIP: The night before, combine steel-cut oats, protein powder or skim milk powder, hemp hearts, with boiling water, stir, top with nut butter, berries, cover and chill. It’s loaded with tasty and healthy fuel to start your day off right. It’s delicious!

2. SWAP OUT SUGAR. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that less than 10 per cent of daily calories come from added sugars. For a typical 2,000 calories per day diet, this is less than 12 teaspoons per day maximum in added sugars. In fact, one can of soda pop may contain 10 teaspoons of sugar. Yikes! Try flavouring plain or mineral water with fruit, veggies, or herbs, cucumber and fresh mint, or lemon, lime and oranges – it’s super refreshing!

TIP: Got juice lovers at home? Mix fruit juices with water and ice to reduce the amount of sugar over time. It’s easier than cutting it out all together and works great with chocolate milk and plain milk, too. Also, try switching from flavoured yogurts to plain yogurts and simply add fresh or frozen fruit with drizzle of honey or maple syrup. How to Swap when Baking? Try substituting one-third of the sugar in recipes with skim milk powder to decrease the sugar.

3. GRAB’N GO SNACKS FOR SUPERMOMS AND DADS. With hectic schedules, busy work days, and after-school activities, grown-ups need all the energy they can get. Too busy to cook from scratch or tempted by sugar-and-fat-laden treats? Look for nutritious, convenient and portable snacks at your grocery store. For example, Snack’n Go Salads are made with superfood ingredients including wholesome grains, fresh vegetables, and healthy plant-based protein and fibre to keep you satisfied longer between meals (which can help promote healthy weight). Plus, they are vegetarian, contain less than 200 calories, less than 10g of fat, with no added preservatives, and no added sugar. They come in a convenient 115g snack-size bowl with a handy snap-off spoon.

TIP: Snack’n Go salads are great on their own, as an energizing snack between meals or a post-workout boost, or as a protein topping on green salads, or a healthy side to any meal. Need a little more protein? Add a small handful of nuts, cheese, or a hard-boiled egg to any of the Snack’n Go Salads.

4. POWER UP YOUR SNACKING ON-THE-GO! Be sure to add a source of protein and fibre into snacks to carry you through until your next meal. Try a power smoothie made with plain Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, spinach or kale.

TIP: Set up handy, easy-to-grab snack bins in the cupboard and fridge. Once a week, replenish the bins with fruits, nuts, cheese, vegetables and hummus.

5. MEAL AND SNACK PLANNING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Try setting up a menu for the week and get input from the family. Before supper, or the night before, veggies can be washed and cut for the next day. Building basic life skills in the kitchen will come in handy when your kids are grown up and will help save time for busy parents.

TIP: Studies have shown that kids who grew up eating together as family tend to have healthier eating habits as adults.


Snack’n Go Salads are made with superfood ingredients including wholesome grains, fresh vegetables, and healthy plant-based protein and fibre to keep you satisfied longer between meals (which can help promote healthy weight). Plus, they are vegetarian, contain less than 200 calories, less than 10g of fat, with no added preservatives, and no added sugar. They come in a convenient 115g snack-size bowl with a handy snap-off spoon.

Summer Fresh Snack ‘n Go Salads come in 5 delicious flavours including:

Five Bean – Super Charge: Super charge your fibre intake with this fresh and zesty protein packed Five Bean salad including chickpeas, black-eyed peas, navy, red and black beans in a honey cider vinaigrette.

Multi-grain Quinoa – Energy: An energizing blend of quinoa, bulgar and pearl barley fused with sweet apricots and raisons tossed in an apple vinaigrette

Nine-Grain – Balance: A balancing blend of nine wholesome grains including lentils, wheatberry, rice, couscous, mung beans mixed in a light vinaigrette.

Power Grain – Boost: Boost your iron intake with this vitamin-rich medley of farro, pearl barley, beans, slices of Kalamata olives, feta cheese and gourmet rice tossed in a lemon vinaigrette

Tabouleh – Detox: A delicious detoxing blend of kale, parsley, bulgar and tomatoes in a light citrus vinaigrette