Cultural cuisine

If you enjoy East Asian cuisine – delicious dumplings, stir-fried vegetables, savoury soups, barbecued meats and so on – these tips can help you modify your meal planning for healthier eating.

CHOOSE MORE

Fibre rich foods

Vegetables
(mushroom, bok choy, gai lan, broccoli, corn, lotus root, sweet potato, taro, water chestnut, squash, snow pea, baby corn)
Fruits
(apple, banana, durian, berries, mandarin, grapes, guava, longan, lychee, mango, melon, persimmon, pear)
Grains
(rice and noodles made from whole grain whole wheat or brown rice)
Legumes
(dried mung beans, adzuki beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, lentils, peas, soybeans [edamame])
Nuts and seeds
(almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds)

Lean animal proteins

Lean meat, fresh fish, skinless poultry

Vegetable proteins

Tofu, tempeh, seitan, legumes

CHOOSE LESS

Sugary + high-fat items

Sweets
(jam, sugar, honey)
Desserts
(sesame pastry, sweet buns, egg tarts, glutinous rice balls, ice cream – green tea, red bean, sesame)
Deep fried foods
(egg rolls, spring rolls, fried wontons, fried fish, fried noodles)
Deep fried snacks
(shrimp chips, wasabi peas)
Sweet sauces
(honey garlic, sweet & sour plum sauce)
Sweetened mung bean soup and red bean soup

High-sodium sauces

Soy sauce, miso paste/soybean paste, fish sauce/fish paste, teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, black bean sauce

Sample East Asian dinner

Portion	Meal idea
¼ PLATE GRAINS & STARCHES	Brown rice – ½ cup
½ PLATE VEGETABLES	Bok choy + mushrooms – 1 cup
¼ PLATE PROTEIN	Mapo tofu* – ½ cup * This dish (with main ingredients being firm tofu and ground pork loin) contains soy sauce and oyster sauce. Try to find reduced sodium varieties.
Round out your meal with…	Dragon fruit – ½ of fruit

Adapted from EatRight Ontario, 2012.

If you enjoy South Asian cuisine – spicy curries, rich rice dishes, stewed meats and so on – these tips can help you modify your meal planning for healthier eating.

CHOOSE MORE

Fibre rich foods

Vegetables
(snake gourd, plantain, cauliflower, spinach, corn, sweet potato, green bean, broccoli, mustard green, carrot)
Fruits
(plantain, apple, banana, berries, mango, papaya, pineapple, guava, melon, pomegranate)
Grains
(use whole grain wheat, besan, brown rice, millet or sorghum to make roti, dosa, adai, appam, puttu, upma, venpongal)
Legumes
(lentils, dried beans and peas)
Nuts and seeds
(almonds, cashews, pistachios)

Lean animal proteins

Fish, lean meats, skinless poultry, low-fat cheese, paneer, eggs

Vegetable proteins

Tofu, dhal

CHOOSE LESS

Sugary + high-fat items

Sweets
(jam, sugar, jaggery, honey)
Desserts
(ladoo, jalebi, halwa, adhirasam, gulab jamoon and so on)
Deep fried foods
(pakora, bhaji, medu vada)
Chips
(banana, plantain, potato, jackfruit, tapioca)
Saturated fats
(ghee, butter, cream, lard, shortening, coconut oil)
Payasam
Coconut
Murukku and papadums
Samosa

Sample South Asian dinner

Portion	Meal idea
¼ PLATE GRAINS & STARCHES	Rice (basmati or brown)– ½ cup OR Roti – ½ piece
½ PLATE VEGETABLES	Tomato salad (with cucumber + mint + chickpeas + onion) – as much as you want
¼ PLATE PROTEIN	*Saag with tofu – 1 cup Dhal** – ½ cup * This dish combines different greens (e.g., spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.) with garlic, peppers and spices; it can be prepared in a variety of ways.
Round out your meal with…	Melon – ½ cup

Adapted from Diabetes Canada, 2018 & EatRight Ontario, 2012.

If you enjoy Mediterranean cuisine – beautiful breads, tangy tomatoes, fresh seafood, meaty olives and so on – these tips can help you modify your meal planning for healthier eating.

CHOOSE MORE

Fibre rich foods

Vegetables
(tomato, pepper, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, onion, olive, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber)
Fruits
(citrus, grapes, fig, pomegranate, date, apricot)
Grains
(whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, oats, barley, couscous, brown rice)
Legumes
(chickpeas, peas, lentils, cannellini beans)
Nuts and seeds
(almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts)

Lean animal proteins

Fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), chicken, turkey, rabbit, eggs

Healthy fats

Olive oil, olive oil margarine

CHOOSE LESS

Sugary + high-fat items

Sweets
(candies, pastries, desserts and sweetened pop and/or juice)
Refined carbohydrates
(white flour-based bread, pizza dough, pasta)
High-sodium antipasto foods
(cured meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables and so on)
Red meat
Breaded, deep fried meat/fish
Breaded, deep fried vegetable dishes
Creamy sauces

Sample Mediterranean dinner

Portion	Meal idea
¼ PLATE GRAINS & STARCHES	Whole wheat couscous salad (add vegetables of your choice, with olive oil and vinegar) – up to 1 cup
½ PLATE VEGETABLES	Steamed broccoli – as much as you want
¼ PLATE PROTEIN	*Salmon (baked)** – 2 ½ ounces * Season with dill, sea salt, garlic, pepper and garnish with a slice of lemon.
Round out your meal with…	Orange – 1 medium

Adapted from Dietitians of Canada, 2017.

If you enjoy Caribbean & African cuisine – spicy stews, rich curries, marinated meats, succulent fruit and so on – these tips can help you modify your meal planning for healthier eating.

CHOOSE MORE

Fibre rich foods

Vegetables
(okra, eggplant, carrot, broccoli, leafy greens such as callaloo, kale, collards, spinach, Swiss chard)
Fruits
(guava, sapodilla, pomegranate, orange, mango, banana, papaya, pineapple, apple, melon, berries)
Grains
(oats, millet, teff, barley, brown rice, maize, whole wheat)
Legumes
(kidney beans, lentils, pigeon peas, chickpeas, cowpeas)
Nuts and seeds
(almonds, walnuts, peanuts, flax seeds and cashews)

Lean animal proteins

Fresh fish, skinless poultry, low-fat milk products

Healthy fats

Oils (olive, canola, sunflower), nuts and seeds, avocado, oily fish

CHOOSE LESS

Sugary + high-fat items

Sweets
(fruit juice and nectars, jam, candy, pop, baked goods such as pastries, tarts)
Fried snack foods
(plantain chips, mandazi, vetkoek, puff puff, dumplings)
Saturated fats
(butter, lard, shortening, palm oil, coconut oil)
High-fat meats
(chicken wings, sausage, spareribs, chicken, cow or pig feet, cow tongue, pig or ox tail)

Sample Caribbean & African dinner

Portion	Meal idea
¼ PLATE GRAINS & STARCHES	Small, whole grain roll
½ PLATE VEGETABLES	Collard greens – 1 cup
¼ PLATE PROTEIN	Roasted (jerk) chicken* – 2 ½ ounces * Season with jerk marinade – combo of green onion, scotch bonnet pepper, water, garlic, lime juice, ginger, allspice, thyme, salt, cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg – or whichever flavours you prefer.
Round out your meal with…	Mango – ½ cup

Adapted from Dietitians of Canada, 2020.

If you enjoy Latin American cuisine – fiery salsas, fragrant fish, hearty bean stews and so on – these tips can help you modify your meal planning for healthier eating.

CHOOSE MORE

Fibre rich foods

Vegetables
(Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, auyama [pumpkin], nopal [cactus pad], artichoke, peppers, zucchini, tomatillo, broccoli, cassava, corn, plantain, sweet potato, yam, winter squash, carrot, cauliflower)
Fruits
(fig, mango, papaya, orange, cherimoya, prickly pear, guava, banana, soursop, dragon fruit, apple, melon, berries)
Grains
(whole wheat, maize, oats, quinoa, tapioca, mote, barley, brown rice)
Legumes
(pinto beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils)
Nuts and seeds
(Brazil nuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews)

Lean animal proteins

Fresh fish, skinless poultry, low-fat milk products

Healthy fats

Oils (olive, canola, sunflower), nuts and seeds, avocado, oily fish

CHOOSE LESS

Sugary + high-fat items

Sweets
(jam, dulce de leche [caramel], candy, baked goods, pop)
Deep fried foods
(fritters, fried tortillas, churros, pork skins, dumplings, beef or chicken turnovers, plantain chips)
Saturated fats
(butter, lard, shortening, palm oil, coconut oil)
Refined flour*
(arepas, empanadas, tamales, tortillas)
* Substitute with 100% whole grain whole wheat flour or whole grain corn flour instead.

Sample Latin American dinner

Portion	Meal idea
¼ PLATE GRAINS & STARCHES	Rice (brown) – ½ cup
½ PLATE VEGETABLES	Swiss chard (sauté in olive oil with your choice of seasoning) – 1 cup
¼ PLATE PROTEIN	Chicken* – 2 ½ ounces * Arroz con pollo – cook rice and chicken in a tomato-based stock, with onion and garlic
Round out your meal with…	Prickly pear – ½ of fruit