Nutrition FTW!

Lots of things happen in March — like St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of Spring. But of course, you know it’s also NUTRITION MONTH!

As a track and field athlete, fueling my body is the key to achieving my personal best. But, nutrition is important all of the time, for everyone. Sometimes it’s easy to slip off track. Which is maybe why nutrition experts have devoted an entire month to awareness about eating healthy. (I can always use a reminder…)

Every year, I make up some nutritional goals, especially as we head into track and field season (melt, snow, melt!) This year, I’m taking stock of where I’m at and what I can do to improve. Here’s my breakdown:

Protein — I almost always choose lean poultry, beef or pork, but this year, I’ve started eating a little bit of tofu, as well. Mom says when you cook it right, you can barely tell the difference. I don’t know about that…

Fruits and Veggies — I’ve got this down pat. Sure, I like my fruits a little more, but I’ve started packing carrot sticks in my lunch kit now. In the summer, I love snap peas, but they’re pretty expensive at the grocery store. For fruits, berries are my favourite. I can hardly wait for strawberry season!

Carbohydrates — Okay. Maybe I go a little overboard on these, but Coach Taylor says they’re important for training. Most days I’m pretty good about choosing baked potatoes over fries, but, I admit, I have a weakness for Poutine. (Don’t pretend you don’t love it, too!) My goal this year is to only have it once a month. I’ll also try and choose multi-grain bread and brown rice when possible.

Fats — Well, obviously I know all about the importance of HEALTHY fats. My whole family cooks with canola oil. Enough said.

Dairy — Mom introduced me to Greek yogurt. It took a bit to get used to, but when you eat it with berries (have I mentioned how much I love berries?), it’s pretty delicious. I also eat a lot of lower-fat cheese. Okay, maybe I need to cut back on the cheese.

Looks like I’m doing pretty good, right? Okay—time to come clean. I have a weakness for ice cream. My current favourite is plain old vanilla topped with raspberries. Mom says that isn’t so bad if I limit my portion sizes and save it for a treat every once in a while. I’m lobbying for once a week. Don’t judge! One step at a time, right?

Have you set some nutritional goals this March? To see what you SHOULD be eating, check out Canada’s Food Guide: http://hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy

PS — next month, the SIXTH book in the Chase Duffy adventure series, Cut! To the Chase… launches in Calgary. Guess what the theme is? NUTRITION! Yeah, you’re going to love it.