As a dietitian who is a visible minority with a diverse background, one of my main goals is to help others eat healthy without eliminating their cultural foods. As a Canadian, I love that we celebrate diversity. However, I don’t see the diversity reflected on the new food guide.

This post is sponsored by Halal Living SPC. As always, all opinions are my own.

When starting to work towards a healthier lifestyle, many people get overwhelmed by the amount of information regarding health. A simple question can lead someone to multiple tabs open on their browser, left with even more unanswered questions. This sense of overwhelm often turns people away from healthy eating because it feels too complicated to even start.

One of those questions is often which vitamins you should be taking. Today, I wanted to go over some simple guidelines to help you determine if you should be taking vitamin supplementation. Here are 5 guidelines to help you decide which vitamin supplements you should be taking:

1. Review Your Current Food Intake

Before adding any supplementation, you should first review your current food intake. If you aren’t eating optimally to begin with, adding vitamins will not provide you with the energy and optimal health that you are looking for. Ideally, you can spe...

Whether you eat it as a sandwich or as toast for breakfast, bread is staple in almost all households. You may eat bread almost every day and with so many different types of bread available today, it can be hard to choose a healthy one. Many breads may seem like they are healthy with lots of seeds and grains but that is not always the case. The bread aisle in the grocery store is HUGE and can be very overwhelming. This edition of “Simple Swaps” will show you how to choose the healthiest bread and what to look for next time you are at the grocery store. 

Nutrition Benefits of Bread

You may think bread is bad for you because carbs are bad for you, right? Wrong. If you want to eat a healthy, balanced diet, carbs better be on your plate. To get the lowdown on carbs, check out my previous post here. If you choose the right type of bread, you can enjoy it as a part of a healthy, balanced diet especially since it is high in:

• Fibre

• B vitamins

• Minerals

• Essential Fats

• Pr...

Eating healthy doesn’t always have to consist of salad, dry chicken breast, or plain steamed veggies. In fact, healthy food doesn’t have to be bland, flavourless, or boring! As a Registered Dietitian, I know the importance and benefits of a healthy meal. As a Masalamomma, I definitely know the importance of a delicious meal infused with South Asian flavour!

The good news is, if you are trying to eat healthier, you don’t have to pass on the classic South Asian flavour you have grown up loving. Head over to Masalamommas for a list of 6 healthy recipes packed with South Asian flavour you HAVE to try! 

This article features recipes for:

• Beef Kababs

• Curried Root Vegetable "Scrapple"

• Kachumber Salad

• Quick Sardine Curry

• Indian Spiced Chicken

• Curry Chicken Salad

I don't know about you, but this is making me hungry! Click here for healthy recipes that don't compromise on South Asian flavour.

Want to be healthier and more energized? The Muslimah’s Meal Plan is a 4 week...

When you think of eating healthy, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably salad right? Well, what's salad without salad dressing? Just raw, boring vegetables, if you ask me! (OK fine you got me, I love eating raw veggies on their own too, I can't help the dietitian in me!) Regardless, I still think that the right salad dressing can make or break a salad.

That doesn't necessarily mean you should pick up any salad dressing while you are at the grocery store. While salad dressings may be disguised as a healthy condiment, they can quickly rack up on calories, fat, and sugar. Not to mention, a long list of ingredients you can't pronounce. Before you know it, your colourful salad isn't the healthiest option on your plate. 

Now you might be thinking, hey! I'll just pick up a low-fat or fat free salad dressing to avoid the extra calories and fat. Here's my dietitian tip for you: when an item is labelled as "fat-free" or "low fat", the fat is usually replaced with something else so th...

Planning and preparing for iftar everyday can be a daunting task, especially if you are juggling the everyday responsibilities of motherhood while fasting. However, making iftar does not have to be a labour intensive task. Consider simplifying iftar preparations by offering healthy options that are easy to make. Whether you are preparing iftar for guests or your own family, these hacks will save you time, pack in the nutrition, and wow everyone at the table.

To get the full list of 7 healthy hacks to simplify and amp up the nutrition at your next iftar, click here. 

Let me know how you will be making iftar healthier this Ramadan for your family by tagging me @NutritionbyNaz on Instagram and Twitter!

Want to be healthier and more energized? The Muslimah’s Meal Plan is a 4 week step by step guide to help you get started!