Here you’ll find information about why and how we created the Diet and Wellness Collection, as well as some helpful links for the various diets. Always be sure to consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet.
For the diet collections where Health Canada has established nutrition criteria high blood pressure, bone health and heart health, these nutrition criteria were followed.
For the diet collections that have no established Health Canada definition (all the other diets), Canada Beef’s Nutrition Expert Advisory group used the best available evidence.
For more details about the criteria for various diet collections, see Q7.
The nutrition information for individual beef cuts was obtained from the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF), 2015 version. In situations where data is not available from CNF, alternative sources of data were used including USDA FoodData Central and laboratory analysis.
The nutrition information for our recipes is calculated using nutrient analysis software. Nutrient data for individual ingredients is obtained from a variety of sources including Canadian Nutrient File, USDA FoodData Central, and label data from branded foods. Recipe nutrition information is intended as a guide only and may vary based on several factors, including, but not limited to, the particular brand of ingredients used, accuracy of measurements, and cooking method.
This collection of recipes does not contain ingredients that Health Canada considers high-risk in pregnancy such as raw or undercooked meat, raw sprouts, soft cheeses, deli meats, and uncooked eggs. Click here to find out more about food safety during pregnancy including Health Canada’s complete list of foods to avoid and safer alternatives. For this review, we have assumed that all milk in these recipes is pasteurized and that all yogurt is made from pasteurized milk, per regulatory requirements in Canada.
In addition, these recipes are high in vitamin B6, folate, iron, and zinc since the recommended intake levels of these nutrients are particularly high during pregnancy. This means recipes contain at least 15% of the Daily Value for these nutrients. It is important to ensure the foods you choose during pregnancy are nutrient dense.
Health Canada’s priority food allergen list represents the most common food allergens in Canada. The ingredient lists of recipes with “free of” have undergone an extensive review for the following priority allergens: Milk, Egg, Fish/shellfish, Peanuts, Tree nuts, Wheat, Soy, Sesame seeds, Mustard.
In addition, recipes have been reviewed for sources of gluten.
Canada Beef makes every attempt to accurately identify these allergens in our recipes. However, because ingredients can vary among manufacturers of prepared products, always carefully read the label and ingredient list of the products you intend to use to ensure you are not allergic to any ingredients or that the products do not contain any ingredients you want to avoid.
Reminder: You may be allergic or sensitive to an ingredient not included in our review. Always read recipes carefully to ensure you are not allergic or sensitive to any ingredients. Read food labels each and every time you buy something. Manufacturers can change their products and production processes at any time.
For more information on food allergies, please visit Food Allergy Canada.
Sodium Smart recipes reflect sodium levels that align with Health Canada’s Sodium Reduction Targets and with the sodium criteria for foods that may reduce the risk of heart disease.
The sodium limits for Sodium Smart recipes are as follows:
| Recipe Type | Maximum Sodium per Serving |
|---|---|
| Appetizers or a single part of a meal (such as a marinated steak) | 320 mg |
| Recipes with at least 3 different food groups that may be eaten as a meal (such as a protein, a grain, and vegetables) | 480 mg |
| Sandwiches, pizzas, or flatbreads | 580 mg |