While most Canadians and Americans would agree that their two countries are fairly similar, one area where the two countries differ is eating habits. According to a recent study by The NPD Group, Canadians eat better than Americans in the following ways:

Snacks

Canadians and Americans differ in their snack preferences. Canadians were found to prefer salty snacks like crackers and chips, while Americans had more of a sweet tooth preferring foods like ice cream, cake, chocolates, and candy. Generally speaking, sweet foods contain more fat and have a higher calorie count than salty snacks.

While neither salty snacks or sweet snacks are necessarily “good” for you, the higher calorie count of sweets means that they are typically worse in terms of nutrition.

Morning Meals

Breakfast has always been heralded as the most important meal of the day, and researchers have found differences between Canadians and Americans in this area too. According to the study, Americans showed a preference towards easy to prepare and/or packaged breakfast items.

Canadians, however, showed a decreasing trend in consuming these same types of foods. Most nutritionists warn that pre-packaged food items are generally less healthy than prepared foods, and often times a simple bowl of cereal is better still. America’s increasing preference for these types of fast, ready-to-eat breakfast foods is a bad sign.

Carb-loaded Side Dishes

The study also showed that Americans favored starchy side dishes such as mashed potatoes, french fries, and macaroni and cheese more than Canadians. What’s more, it’s projected that Americans will consume these types of foods at an increasing rate compared to Canadians over the next ten years. Foods high in carbohydrates – especially when served as side dishes – increase the likelihood of consuming too many calories during the day.

Main Dish Proteins

Americans will consume main dish proteins – a.k.a. meat – at a higher rate than Canadians in the next ten years. Meat contains essential proteins and nutrients of course, but most nutritionists agree that Canadians and Americans both eat too much meat. The fact that Americans will be consuming more meat over the next decade doesn’t bode well.

While I’m not a nutritionist, the findings of The NPD Group show that Canada’s citizens do a better job of eating right than Americans. Perhaps this is because the average American feels stressed and/or short on time during their daily lives. This would definitely explain why Americans emphasize pre-packaged breakfast foods over self-prepared meals.

Whatever the reason, the study’s findings show that Americans and Canadians can both improve their eating habits.

Jason Lancaster is a nutritional hobbyist. His work with a Toronto, Canada real estate broker named Denny Finelli inspired this article.

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The main reason people changed their eating habits during the past years was to get more energy. Often times, people would usually wake up, work for a few hours and then grab a breakfast between 8 or 9 am.

When lunch came, anywhere between 2 and 4, they would be already tired and exhausted. And of course, they would always opt for a big dinner. It’s no wonder they were always dragging.

Eat Five Times A Day

Your weight may be perfect but in order to keep your energy up you’ll need to eat more often. Five times a day is a great way to stay in shape, increase brainpower and boast with energy throughput the day.

Breakfast

Start with a big breakfast of eggs with a small piece of bread and tofu, baked salmon and a tomato. Instead of coffee, drink green tea with honey. Including fat is also important for the body to function properly. Your best choices include monounsaturated fats, such as nuts, peanuts, almonds, olive oil, avocados, pumpkin seeds etc.

Don’t forget about the oatmeal, another great choice for breakfast. It makes digestion easier and also balances the blood glucose level. The rich fiber content in the oatmeal gives you a steady stream of energy and the Vitamin B helps turn carbohydrates into usable energy.

Snacks

Have some dried cranberries, an apple and 12 almonds for midmorning energy boost. Make yourself a low-fat turkey bologna sandwich and cucumbers and tomatoes for lunch, or sushi rolls if you’re out.  Other snacks may include chocolate with cheese or nuts.

Dinner

Dinner should consist of fish, veal or chicken. Although it may seem like you’re always eating, you won’t gain weight. Also, try to eat your last meal before 8:30. You’ll stay productive all day, important for a busy person.

Meat Lowers The Energy

Most of us were raised eating meat and most of us have beef, pork or bacon couple of times a day and not knowing why our energy levels were always low. Meat takes a lot of energy to process and it needs 3 days to leave your body. Get your protein from fish, beans, tofu, veggie burgers and you’ll need less sleep and become more productive.

Stay Hydrated

Without water, your system cannot pump up the energy. Water helps your body to digest, intake and transport all the nutrients and also regulate the body heat. When you’re dehydrated, your cells receive less energy and your body can’t properly eliminate the heat through sweating, which leads to fatigue. Make it a habit to drink 8 -10 glasses of water a day and mix it up with flavored waters such as Propel, sports drinks like Gatorade, herbal teas and whole-fruit juices.

Go Green

A lot of people swear that organic is the only way to eat, so try out berries, nuts, tofu, whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, fruits and veggies. Eat as often as you can, preferably every 2 hours and mix things up. It may sound geeky, but serving fresh fruits versus processed snacks and eating regularly will do wonders for your energy.

This article has been contributed by Aishwarya Vohra from Offshore Ally, a company offering the best virtual assistant and link builders online. She is nature lover and a fitness freak. Connect with her via Twitter.

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Eating healthy can be difficult under any circumstance when consumers are inundated all day and every day with advertisements for high-calorie but good-tasting foods. When eating on a budget, college students don’t often have a lot of choices.

Fortunately, with a little attention and dedication, any student can enjoy a healthy diet for energy, stamina and health.

Food Categories

Of course, the four food groups play into food categories, but adjust the view for a moment and think of types of food: fresh versus processed.

Canned vegetables often have 90 percent or more of their natural vitamins and minerals leached out from processing for commercial canning. When possible, eat fresh vegetables instead. You gain the nutrients while avoiding starchy compounds.

If you like them, eat fresh vegetables raw and with the skins for full nutrient value. If you really do prefer them cooked, steam them instead of boiling. Most fresh vegetables that are cooked properly aren’t soggy or mushy. They are slightly crisp with a bright, attractive color. They’re often tastier, too.

Stay away from large pasta servings and loads of carbohydrates in general. Moderate amounts are required for a balanced diet, but eat smaller servings and don’t duplicate dishes in a meal—no mashed potatoes along side macaroni and cheese, for instance.

Eat brown rice instead of a processed white rice.

Trim excess fat from meats, whether beef or pork, and avoid higher-fat-laden fowls like duck. Chicken is naturally lean, but skip munching on the skin and choose white meat over dark.

Lean pork is fine in limited quantities, but bacon, sausage and some hams are very high in fat. If you can’t avoid them, eat them in extreme moderation.

Fresh fruits are high in natural fiber, vitamins and minerals. Eat fresh fruits over canned whenever possible. If you buy or eat canned fruits, choose those packed in natural juices—not sugar water. Also, while it may sound odd, don’t compose a healthy diet around large quantities of fresh fruits. While the fruit itself may be low in calories and loaded with healthy elements, remember what the body does with fructose. It turns it into glucose which isn’t digested quickly and can add pounds accidentally.

Counter a high volume of fresh fruit with plenty of exercise to both aid in the digestive process, keep your metabolism high and create a need for fuel, and you will burn off the glucose easily.

Snacks

Everyone snacks. Whether it’s during late night study sessions, at football games or picnics, snack foods will sneak into diets more often than not. Keep the fried chips, deep fried potatoes, ice cream and candy to a bare minimum.

Stock up on healthy snacks like, yes, fresh vegetables, diabetic candies with low or no sugar—they often have more flavor than standard candies when not riddled with sugar—and yogurt instead of ice cream.

Try sugarless gum when you reach for something instead of a food item. Often, the simple act of chewing will ease a craving.

Keeping Expenses Down

If you must eat in the cafeteria, stay away from ‘mystery meats,’ those tempting but high-calorie, starchy foods and head directly for the salads, soups and fruits. Then add a bite or two—no more, only a little bit—of those skipped items. Use those to end a meal, not as the main courses. Allowing yourself a smidgen of the flavors that tempt will calm the cravings and the taste buds.

If buying your own food, use a group dynamic and combine funds for bulk buying. A single 20- or 25-pound bag of brown rice costs considerably more than one-ounce packets. Dividing bulk items after purchase is relatively easy, and everyone can smile at the cost savings.

Summary

Dealing with the stress of a full load of classes, additional activities and a social life can be easier with a healthy mind and body. Eat healthy and go farther.

JC Ryan is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which online courses and online schools they can choose from to reach their goals.

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Knowing what to eat before a workout has a lot to do with understanding your body. Only you know how hard you can push yourself and the ideal energy level for giving a workout your best and leaving you feeling great.

Everyone is different – the perfect pre-exercise snack for someone else may not be quite right for you. Hopefully with the following ideas, you’ll be able to determine exactly what to eat before a workout.

Try these snacks to keep from getting hungry and stabilize your blood sugar while you exercise.

• High-Glycemic Index Fruits

Before a workout, you need a quick release of energy so your body can access the benefit right away. Watermelon, pineapple, mango, apricots, and bananas are all excellent quick-energy sources because of their high-glycemic index (GI). Eat them fresh or keep some gourmet dried fruit in your workout bag.

• Juices & Smoothies

Drinking an all-fruit juice or smoothie will also give you extra oomph before a workout. Make your own or buy one, as long as it’s free of added sugar and preservatives. Don’t be afraid to try mixing in a few veggies if you make your own!

• Yogurt

Low-fat yogurt that doesn’t contain a lot of added sweeteners or artificial flavoring can make a great pre-exercise snack. It offers you both carbohydrates and protein. Try some vanilla or Greek yogurt topped with a few pieces of your favorite high-GI fruit.

• Granola Bars

If you tend to work up hunger pains when you exercise, a hearty granola bar can help sustain you to the end. Again, avoid high-sodium and sugar varieties for the best results.

• H2O

It may seem obvious, but don’t forget about drinking a few cups of water before you work out! Being well-hydrated can make a world of difference in how you feel.

Test out a few different snacks, track how you feel during your workouts, and narrow it down to the best option based on your performance. With all of these snacks, aim for a total of 100 to 200 calories, and eat 30 minutes before you start exercising.

Have you figured out what to eat before a workout in order to feel your best?

Jessica Lymberopoulos is the editor of the Fooducopia Blog, featuring recipes, kitchen tips, and stories about the best artisan foods. She got her start in food writing during sixth grade when she and a friend published a classroom newspaper that a column called The Yum Yum Corner.

Go into the break room of any office or workplace, and you will surely find every manner of chips, cookies, cakes, coffee, and soft drinks. Westerners love food, and we love fatty, unhealthy junk foods more than any other, it seems. It appears that English-speaking peoples have developed some decidedly unhealthy eating habits, exchanging wholesome, fresh food for synthetic, over-processed pseudo-food. Some people tend to snack at work, when they are sitting at a desk performing a monotonous task, while others habitually “munch” while they are at home. People who are trying to quit smoking have a tendency to snack in order to cope with their desire for a cigarette.

JoEllen Marks, of CcurvyGirlFitness.blogspot.com, andCurvyGirlFitness.comdiscussed yesterday on her vlog about sticking to the inside perimeter of the grocery store, where the natural, unprocessed foods are. Today, she discusses using those fresh, nutrient-enriched foods as means of smart snacking, thereby maintaining a sensible diet regimen.

FitnessJo, as JoEllen calls herself on her vlog, advocates healthy snacking as a way to maintain good health and weight. Eating small, nutritious snacks throughout the day is proven to curb hunger, preventing filling up on “junk” foods. JoEllen points out everyone gets hungry throughout the day. Being hungry makes one more likely to make hasty, poor decisions about what to eat. She gives an example of someone sitting in an early-morning meeting hungry and with a plate of doughnuts right in front of them. Being hungry with no alternative snack foods around would make someone less likely to be able to resist the temptation to eat the fatty, greasy food.

JoEllen advises keeping healthy snacks everywhere to alleviate temptation. She suggests good snacks for snacking while in the car, such as almonds, cranberries and apples. Boiled eggs can be kept in a cooler in the car providing a filling, energizing snack. Keeping the refrigerator full of healthy fruits and vegetables allows for plenty of choices and variety, preventing boredom and munching out of habit. Traditional knowledge cautions care with fruit high in sugar, less than ideal snacks, but better than the over-processed synthetic snacks made with refined that can be bought from the inner isles at the grocery store.

The old standards like celery and carrots can be dipped in low-fat dips, along with broccoli and cauliflower. The key is to use low-fat instead of fat-free, because without fat there is no flavor. Sugar is usually used to replace the flavor but has more calories than fat, which entirely defeats the original purpose altogether. JoEllen suggests other alternatives to fatty snacks such as sugar snap peas and low-fat cheese. Grapes and carrots are good sweet and crunchy snacks, and are not high in natural sugar.

JoEllen promotes an active, healthy lifestyle combined with smart, careful eating habits. According to her five-meal-a-day plan, interspersing the five daily meals with light, nutritious snacks will keep the hunger beast at bay. Following her recommended advice for snacking and food choices will allow you to eat and be satisfied while still following your diet regimen.

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