Healthy Eating

Healthy eating tips and resources

Canada’s food guide can be used to make healthy food choices. The food guide encourages Canadians to:

Make it a habit to eat a variety of healthy foods each day
Make half of their plate vegetables and fruit at meals and include a vegetable or fruit with every snack
Choose whole grain foods including whole grains like quinoa and brown or wild rice, and whole grain products such as pasta and bread
Eat protein foods such as eggs, lean meat and poultry, nuts and seeds, fish and shellfish, lower-fat unsweetened dairy products, beans, peas and lentils as well as food and beverages made from soy
Make water their drink of choice
Limit highly processed foods that contain added sodium, sugar and saturated fat such as sugary drinks, fast food, fried food, frozen entrées, processed meats, and baked goods such as pastries, muffins, and cakes
Use food labels and be aware of food marketing

Resources

Cookspiration from Dietitians of Canada provides recipes and meal planning resources.
Eat Well Plate is a tool that helps you follow Canada's food guide when planning. The tool shows proportions of food to eat and shows how to create a balanced meal.
Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide - First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
Unlock Food is a website for reliable nutrition information, healthy recipes, and more.

Nutrition referrals and questions

Talk to a Registered Dietitian for free by contacting Health811.
Visit Feeding Your Baby for information on nutrition and food needs for babies and young children.
Paid nutrition and dietetic service providers can be found on Health811's Find a Service database.
Medical nutrition therapy is provided by the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) and Cambridge Memorial Hospital to outpatient clients who have a referral from a health care provider. Most services provided by hospital dietitians are covered by OHIP.

Nutrition standards for schools

Nutrition standards for schools are set by the provincial government. Review Nutrition Standards for Ontario Schools for more information.

Food insecurity

Did you know that in 2023, 23% of households in Waterloo Region are food insecure? Food insecurity is not having enough money for food.

Research shows that adequate income to purchase nutritious food is critical to maintaining good health. Food insecurity is linked with poorer nutritional intake and multiple chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as poor mental health.

Food insecurity early in life has been linked with poor outcomes related to quality of life. In children, good nutrition is essential for the development of a healthy body and mind.

Emergency Food Help

Ontario Nutritious Food Basket

The Ontario Nutritious Food Basket (ONFB) is a tool used to monitor food affordability. The National Nutritious Food Basket guides this costing and includes food items based on Canada’s Food Guide. The ONFB does not consider dietary restrictions, local foods, is not inclusive for all religious or cultural groups, nor acknowledges traditional Indigenous foods and food procurement practices.

The total cost of the ONFB in Waterloo Region in 2024 was calculated by averaging the lowest available retail prices for the specified food and beverage items. Costs were collected online or in-store from eight food retail stores across the region.

The ONFB can be used to:

Compare the cost of healthy eating with income and other basic living expenses
Educate on the root cause of food insecurity, which is poverty
Support advocacy efforts to address poverty
Inform policy decisions

The Cost of the Nutritious Food Basket in Waterloo Region in 2024

In 2024, the cost of eating healthy for a family of four in Waterloo Region is $1,165.65 per month. After paying for housing and household bills, many people receiving social assistance or wages from low-paying jobs do not have enough money to purchase nutritious food.

The following scenarios compare household income to the approximate monthly expenses in Waterloo Region:

Family of 4, receiving Ontario Works

Monthly total income^*: $2,908.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $2,142.00, 3 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $1,165.65
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: ($-399.65)
Percent of income required for healthy food: 40%
Percent of income required for rent: 74%

Family of 4, minimum-wage earner

Monthly total income^*: $4,507.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $2,142.00, 3 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $1,165.65
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $1,199.35
Percent of income required for healthy food: 26%
Percent of income required for rent: 48%

Family of 4, median income (after tax)

Monthly total income^*: $9,685.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $2,142.00, 3 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $1,165.65
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $6,377.35
Percent of income required for healthy food: 12%
Percent of income required for rent: 22%

Single parent, 2 children (age 6+), receiving Ontario Works

Monthly total income^*: $2,670.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,658.00, 2 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $870.52
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $141.48
Percent of income required for healthy food: 33%
Percent of income required for rent: 62%

Single person receiving Ontario Works

Monthly total income^*: $881.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,164.00, bachelor
Food^ᵴ: $403.90
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: ($-686.90)
Percent of income required for healthy food: 46%
Percent of income required for rent: 132%

Single person receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

Monthly total income^*: $1,465.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,346.00, 1 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $403.90
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: ($-284.90)
Percent of income required for healthy food: 28%
Percent of income required for rent: 92%

Single person, over 70 years, receiving Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

Monthly total income^*: $2,069.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,346.00, 1 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $290.25
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $432.75
Percent of income required for healthy food: 14%
Percent of income required for rent: 65%

Married couple receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

Monthly total income^*: $2,603.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,346.00, 1 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $672.43
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $584.57
Percent of income required for healthy food: 26%
Percent of income required for rent: 52%

Single pregnant person receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

Monthly total income^*: $1,505.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,346.00, 1 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $428.77
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: ($-269.77)
Percent of income required for healthy food: 28%
Percent of income required for rent: 89%

Single parent, 2 children, minimum-wage earner

Monthly total income^*: $4,656.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,658.00, 2 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $682.64
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $2,315.36
Percent of income required for healthy food: 15%
Percent of income required for rent: 36%

Single parent, 2 children (age 0-5), receiving Ontario Works

Monthly total income^*: $2,863.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,658.00, 2 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $682.64
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $522.36
Percent of income required for healthy food: 24%
Percent of income required for rent: 58%

Family of 4, Refugee claimants, minimum-wage earner

Monthly total income^*: $3,238.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $2,142.00, 3 bedroom
Food^ᵴ: $1,165.65
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: ($-69.65)
Percent of income required for healthy food: 36%
Percent of income required for rent: 66%

Single person, part-time precarious employment (gig economy)

Monthly total income^*: $1,695.00
Average monthly rentᶧ: $1,164.00, Bachelor
Food^ᵴ: $403.90
Funds remaining for additional monthly costs^‡: $127.10
Percent of income required for healthy food: 24%
Percent of income required for rent: 69%

* Income includes all income from employment, Basic Allowance (Ontario Works/Ontario Disability Support Program), Maximum Shelter Allowance, Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income, Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System, Canada Child Benefit, GST/HST credit, Ontario Trillium Benefit, Advanced Canada Workers Benefit, Canada Worker Benefit, Canada Carbon Rebate, and Pregnancy/Breast-feeding Nutritional Allowance. Employment Insurance paid and Canada Pension Plan paid are deducted.

ᶧ Rent costs calculated using Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Rental Market Reports, Oct 2023, and may or may not include heat/hydro.

ᵴ Food costs calculated using Ontario Nutritious Food Basket Data Results May 2024 for Region of Waterloo, including family size adjustment factors.

^‡Additional monthly expenses include but are not limited to transportation, childcare, phone bills, clothing, household and personal care items.