Healthy Eating and Cancer

Did you know? About 1/3 of all cancers can be prevented by eating well, being active and having a healthy weight.¹ There is a link between diet, a healthy weight and many cancers, including esophagus, colorectal, breast and kidney cancer. Healthy eating habits that reduce the risk of these cancers also lower the risk of heart disease.²

Top 5 Tips

1. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
2. Follow Canada’s Food Guide and eat lots of plant foods rich in fibre³
• Fill ½ your plate with vegetables and fruit
• Choose whole grains (e.g., quinoa, bulgar, oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread)
• Choose meat alternatives more often including beans, peas and lentils
• Eat no more than 500g (18oz) red meat each week (e.g., beef, pork, lamb, goat)³
3. Choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats⁴
• Eat a small amount of unsaturated fat with each meal, about 2-3 tbsp each day⁵
• Choose avocados, nuts and seeds
• Choose soft non-hydrogenated margarines and vegetable oils (e.g., canola, olive)
4. Eat very little, if any, processed meat³
• Processed meat is meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting (e.g., hot dogs, lunch meat, sausage, bacon, ham)
5. Limit foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt³
• Choose fast foods, convenience foods and processed foods less often
• Make homemade meals more often
• Choose no or low calorie drinks more often (e.g., water with fruit slices)

Aim to meet your vitamin and mineral needs through diet.³ Antioxidant supplements (e.g., beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium) have not been shown to protect against developing cancer. Vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.⁶