Many Canadians lack essential nutrients, with 46% of calories sourced from highly processed, nutrient-poor foods. This shortfall impacts intake of vital nutrients like iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, thiamine, vitamins A, C, D, B6, and B12. Beef emerges as a nutrient-rich protein that can help address these shortfalls.
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Canada Beef conducted a research review to examine the role of beef in the diets of Canadian school-aged children. This review, presented in the form of a user-friendly toolkit, identifies significant diet quality issues among this demographic that have relevance to school food programs, and kids’ diet patterns overall. Among the many findings was that diets of Canadian school-aged kids and teens are generally poor and iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 remain nutrients of concern.
Canadian Beef is a nutritional superstar that contributes to health and wellness across the lifespan and benefits the body in many ways. It’s also a delicious staple in the homes of many people around the world.
Entrusting me to be the voice of nutrition for the beef in Canada is a privilege and honour I don’t take lightly. But it’s also a job I could not be more proud to do.
My career as a Registered Dietitian started in 1995 (I suggest you don’t do the math!). Along the way, I worked in a variety of roles including hospital food service, patient counselling, and teaching nutrition.
Nevertheless, working for our beef farmers and ranchers since 2010 has been the highlight.
They say that if you love your job, it never feels like work. I definitely love my job. Although it definitely also feels like work some days 🙂 Nutrition is a complex science that is always evolving, never black and white and riddled with regulatory guidance that we have as our framework.
Key to my role as a Regulated Health Professional is that everything I say must be evidence-based and backed by science. This ensures we at Canada Beef are credible and can stand by our statements and facts with confidence. Luckily I am blessed with a network of amazing independent dietitians that I call on to support me. This group, which we formalized into an “Expert Advisory” some years ago, is made up of dietitians with specialized skill sets in areas like pediatrics, aging, regulatory compliance, nutrition research to name a few. I know when I ask for their opinion on something I am going to get a LOT of feedback!
I am blessed with amazing colleagues at Canada Beef who share my passion and commitment. I think it’s fair to say we never forget we are speaking on behalf of the fine ranchers and farmers who are ultimately responsible for our amazing protein. I serve beef with pride to my family and recommend it with confidence in my work.
Delicious and nutritious, beef is a meal maker and nutrition A-lister. Discover beef’s often untold nutrition story in this upbeat and lively look at what beef delivers.
Many Canadians aren’t getting enough of the essential nutrients they need. Research shows that almost half (46%) of the calories in our diets comes from nutrient-poor highly processed foods, so it’s not surprising that many of us aren’t meeting our daily nutrient needs for iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, thiamine, vitamins A, C, D, B6 and B12.
Beef is a naturally nutrient-dense single ingredient protein food that contains a number of the nutrients of concern that many Canadians need more of in their diets.
When you’re pressed for time (and who isn’t), it’s a challenge to get wholesome meals on the table night after night.
Tackle dinner dilemmas with tips, tricks and strategies that will make it more efficient and less stressful to pull nourishing meals together.
Let’s get started…
1) Start your shopping at home. Check what foods are on hand (fridge, pantry, freezer) and make note of foods that need to be eaten soon.
2) Make a list of meals you can make that include the foods you have on hand. Include some cook-ahead or make once, eat twice ideas to keep meal prep-time manageable. Ask the family for input of what they have a craving for.
3) Make a list of extra items you will need to round out the meals to ensure they are balanced with veggies, fruits, whole grains and protein. Check for store specials you can take advantage of. To save time at the store, sort the list according to grocery store layout – deli, frozen, dairy, meat, etc.
4) In-store, look for discounted items close to expiry to take advantage of some deep discounts. Buy only items that you can cook or use for meals right away to manage food waste. Once cooked, meats can keep refrigerated for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
5) Meal kits just might be the answer when pressed for time, but if you can prep your own meal kits at home, it helps manage the budget and reduce packaging waste. Some meal kits are just a recipe and portioned-out pasta, meat and veggies. You can do this!
5) Consider online grocery shopping if time is tight.
Having balanced meals is important but it can be tricky to implement. Follow this healthy plate approach as a guide to proper proportions of wholesome foods.
Reality check: Canadians are getting close to half their calories from ultra processed foods from such as: doughnuts, pop, salty snacks, candy bars, ice cream, French fries and frozen pizza. For children ages 9 to 13 years of age, that number rises to 57%. These startling numbers can lead to having too much sodium and added sugar in our diets, and falling short of key nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins.
1. THE BOOKLET
Check out our strategies here in this booklet Cook Smart Strategies. You can view the eBook here.
2. THE VIDEOS
Check out two Cook Smart Kitchen videos: How to Make the Perfect Grilled Southwestern Beef Steak with Succotash Sauté and
ThinkBeef.ca is dedicated to spreading the word about the taste, nutrition and goodness of beef. ThinkBeef.ca is funded by import levy fees. Import levy funds are collected on all beef and beef products imported into Canada. The import levy is collected by the Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency.
