Food skills

Circle diagram of all the factors that make up food literacy

Food literacy

Food literacy is a broad term and involves:

  • Food nutrition and knowledge: Knowing about food and where it comes from using trustworthy information.
  • Food decisions: Making food choices that work for you and your family’s eating patterns.
  • Ecological factors (external): Systems and environments such as our community connections, cultures, traditions, and where we live all play a role in the food we eat.
  • Food skills and self-efficacy and confidence: Food skills and feeling confident in the kitchen, as well as shopping for, preparing, and eating food safely.
Meal planning 1

Planning your meals

Planning meals ahead of time can have big benefits like preventing food waste, helping you save money and time, and allowing you to prepare tasty and balanced meals. There’s no right or wrong way to plan meals. Starting small and planning for just a few days can go a long way!

When you are planning your meals, it can be helpful to think about:

  • Your schedule and how much time you have to cook
    • How many meals do you need to make for the week? Are you busier than usual? When you have less time, try making meals that are simple and quick. If you have some time to spare, you can save time for future meals by pre-chopping some ingredients, like vegetables.
  • What you already have on hand
    • Check your fridge, cupboards and freezer – what needs to be used up soon? Try to use fresh vegetables and fruit first to prevent them from spoiling.
  • Check flyers and coupon sites online for foods on sale. Then you can look for recipes that use these foods.
  • Consider what is in season. Vegetables and fruit that are in season are usually less expensive.
  • You can do this in whatever way works best for you. A simple pen and paper work great! Or you may prefer an electronic option. There are plenty of helpful recipe-storing and list-making apps the whole family can use.
  • You can keep your meal plans and favourite recipes to reuse for future meal planning. Try keeping them in a binder, or electronically with an app.
Adult and child putting fresh apples into a blew and white basket at an outdoor produce stand

Grocery shopping

How you grocery shop affects what you eat, how much you spend, and can make it easier to prepare foods.

To help you save money:

  • Look to see which stores have the best sales for your grocery list items and opt to shop there if you are able. It can be helpful to become familiar with the regular prices of the foods you buy often. This way you will be able to figure out which stores have the best deals.
  • Compare unit prices for similar items to see which is the better deal. The unit price tells you how much an item costs per “unit” or per 100 grams (g) or 100 millilitres (mL). The unit price is usually found in smaller print under the main price. When comparing unit prices, the lower price per 100 g or 100 mL of the two items is the better deal.
  • Look for items on the top and bottom shelves. Usually, the more expensive items are placed on the middle shelves as companies will pay more to place their products at eye-level.
    Take advantage of special discounts. Your grocery store may offer a “senior’s day” or a student discount day.

Reading the Nutrition Facts Table can make it easy to compare similar foods and see which foods have a little or a lot of a certain nutrient.

Diagram of a Nutrition Facts table showing how to read it, highlighting where to find the amount of food, the % daily value, and the list of ingredients
How to read the Nutrition Facts table

How to use food labels to make healthier choices – Canada’s Food Guide

What to look for on food labels

Serving size
  • All the information listed below is based on this serving size. Remember to compare this amount to the amount you would actually eat. If the serving size is “five crackers”, but you eat 10 crackers, you will have to double the information.
Percent daily value (% DV)
  • The % DV tells you if a food has a little or a lot of a nutrient. 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot of a nutrient. You can use the % DV to compare the nutrient content of different foods. Nutrients you may want more of include fibre, iron, and calcium. Nutrients that you may want less of include trans-fat, sodium, and cholesterol.
Ingredients list
  • Ingredients are listed in order from those the food contains the most of, to those the food contains the least of at the end of the list.

For more tips, here are 20 Ways to Save Money on your Groceries.

Remember, food safety begins at the grocery store:

  • Plan your outing so that the grocery store is your last stop on the way home. This way, your food will spend less time out of the fridge.
  • Keep raw meats separate from other foods in your cart and when packing up your grocery bags. This prevents cross-contamination.
  • Avoid buying dented cans, and ripped or open bags.
food storage

Storing food safely and making good use of leftovers

Storing your food and using leftovers safely is important to keep food fresh, avoid food waste, and save money. Check out these helpful resources for tips on proper food storage:

How to store food safely in the refrigerator

Top shelf
  • Ready-to-eat foods
Middle shelf
  • Foods to reheat
Bottom shelf
  • Raw foods
Tips
  • Keep foods wrapped or covered
  • Use shallow pans for quick cooling
  • Store ready-to-eat foods above raw foods to prevent cross-contamination
  • A “best before” date gives you an idea of how long a food item will keep its quality, taste, and nutrition if it is stored properly.
  • A best before date measures quality of the food, not the food safety.
  • An expiration date refers to food safety.
  • For more information on best before dates, check out Best Before Dates.
  • Make sure to refrigerate leftovers right away, or freeze and enjoy later!
  • Store your leftovers in a reusable container with a lid, and label with the date, so you don’t forget how long you’ve had them for.
  • With Proper Storage of Leftovers, you can try using leftover ingredients to make another meal.

For more ideas, check out this Meal Planning Using Leftovers resource.

preparing meals

Preparing meals

Many people start with a recipe when they’re preparing meals. There are lots of easy recipes online, or you can find one that you’re interested in and modify it to suit food you have on-hand and what you like to eat.
Resources for using recipes:

Common kitchen items

  • Baking sheet – A shallow, metal pan used in the oven for baking foods.
  • Casserole dish – A square, oblong or rectangular dish, usually made of ceramic or glass, used to bake main dishes like lasagna.
  • Cheese cloth – A versatile, gauze-like natural cotton cloth that can be used to strain foods. You can use a square packet of cheesecloth to tie up herbs and spices, which can be placed into soup and stews. It does not break apart, and the material will not affect the flavour of foods.
  • Chef’s knife – A larger knife, usually six to eight inches long, good for slicing, cutting, and mincing foods.
  • Colander – A plastic or metal bowl with holes that allow water to drain away from cooked foods.
  • Cutting board – Usually made from wood or plastic, a flat durable surface for cutting food on.
  • Double boiler – A smaller pot sits on top of a bigger pot, where water is boiled in the bigger pot, gently heating the food in the smaller pot. Used with foods that can easily burn, such as chocolate.
  • Dutch oven – A large pot with a tight-fitting lid for braising or stewing foods and making soups.
  • Food processor – An electric countertop appliance with a plastic or glass rounded container that sits on an electric base. Various blades and speeds are used to chop, pulse, puree, and slice foods within the container. A blender, cutting board and knife or grater, and shredder could be used instead, depending on the task.
  • Funnel – With a wide opening and narrow, hollow stem, a funnel is used to transfer liquids into dry foods and into containers or bottles with small openings. You can also make your own funnel by rolling up some waxed or parchment paper.
  • Grater – A handheld tool with sharp grooves used for shredding and grating foods like vegetables and cheese.
  • Juicer – A device that squeezes juice out of fruits, like lemons and oranges. Cut the fruit in half, apply pressure and rotate the fruit on the pointed end of the juicer. The juice will be collected from the bottom of the juicer.
  • Ladle – A spoon that has a deep bowl shape, that can easily serve soups and beverages. A small measuring cup could work as a ladle as well.
  • Measuring cups (dry) – A set of cups in sizes of ¼ cup, ⅓ cup, ½ cup and 1 cup for measuring dry ingredients.
  • Measuring cups (liquid) – A cup made of clear glass or plastic with measures marked on the side for measuring liquids.
  • Measuring spoons – Small measuring tools from ⅛ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon for measuring liquid and dry ingredients.
  • Mixer (electric) – Small electric mixers are portable and handheld devices used to mix, beat, and whip ingredients. This can also be done by hand using a whisk or wooden spoon, although it may not create the same consistency as an electric mixer.
  • Paring knife – A smaller knife, easier to use for smaller tasks like peeling and cutting fruits.
  • Peeler – A handheld tool with a safety blade that removes the skin from firm vegetables and fruit.
  • Potato masher – A kitchen tool, usually with a long, firm handle connected to a flat plate with holes in it, used for mashing down potatoes and other vegetables.
  • Roasting pan – A large pan used for roasting meat and poultry. A meat rack usually holds the meat or poultry while it’s cooking to keep it out of the drippings and fat, helping to increase crispiness.
  • Rolling pin – A long round cylinder with two handles, usually made from wood, used to roll out dough until it is evenly flattened. It can also be used for other purposes, such as crushing cracker crumbs.
  • Saucepan – A round pan with deep sides and a handle used on the stove top for cooking or boiling liquids.
  • Serrated knife – A knife with a saw-toothed or “wavy” edge, that can easily cut bread and tender fruits like tomatoes. Use a sawing back and forth motion.
  • Skillet or frying pan – A wide, flat bottom pan with low shallow sides, used to grill and pan-fry foods.
  • Spatula – A flat and narrow kitchen utensil used to mix, spread, scrape or lift ingredients and food.
  • Stock pot – A large pot with a flat bottom and tall straight sides, best used to make soups, stocks, stews and sauces.
  • Thermometer – A tool used to measure the temperature of cooked foods to determine if the meat is cooked through.
  • Tongs – A handheld utensil with two grippers for gently grabbing and lifting foods without piercing them.
  • Wire whisk – A cooking utensil with wire loops secured to a handle, used to blend ingredients and incorporate air.
  • Wooden spoon – Used for stirring foods when cooking without scratching the cookware.

Cooking terms

  • Al dente – Cooking foods like pasta or vegetables until just firm to the bite.
  • Baste – To moisten food with juices, marinade, or sauce during cooking.
  • Beat – To mix ingredients with a whisk, spoon, or mixer until smooth.
  • Blanch – Boiling foods briefly, then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking.
  • Braise – Cooking food slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
  • Chop – Cutting food into small bite-sized pieces using a sharp knife and cutting board.
  • Dice – Cutting food into small, uniform cubes.
  • Fold – Gently combining ingredients by cutting down through and turning over.
  • Grill – Cooking food on a rack over direct heat.
  • Julienne – Cutting food into thin, matchstick-sized strips.
  • Marinate – Soaking food in a seasoned liquid to add flavor.
  • Mince – Cutting food into very small pieces.
  • Sauté – Cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat over high heat.
  • Simmer – Cooking in liquid just below the boiling point.
  • Steam – Cooking food over boiling water in a covered pot.
  • Stir-fry – Cooking small pieces of food quickly in a hot pan with constant stirring.
  • Whisk – Beating ingredients with a wire whisk until blended.

You can also put together a meal based on what you already have in the kitchen using the plate method. Consider what sources of protein, grains, and fruits and vegetables you have that could go together.

Eat a variety of healthy foods every day

  • Have plenty of vegetables and fruit
  • Eat protein foods
  • Make water your drink of choice
  • Choose whole grain foods

Resources

After you’ve gathered your ingredients, the next step is preparing these foods, which might involve washing or rinsing, peeling, cutting, etc.

Did you know that you don’t need to have fancy kitchen equipment or even an oven to cook? You can prepare food using a variety of methods and tools. Here are some common cooking techniques and examples of equipment that you can use:

Cooking can be a lot of effort, but you can make it easier by preparing foods in advance and cooking extra for leftovers. Here are some tips:

  • Double the recipe so you can have leftovers or freeze extra portions.
  • When you have more time, prep your veggies and other ingredients. Choose simple one-pot or pan meals to cut down on clean-up.

Resources

Lots of people need to adjust recipes based on food allergies, health conditions, or personal preferences. Sometimes this can be as simple as swapping out or leaving out an ingredient or may require more work to avoid cross-contamination with allergens.

The information provided is general in nature and does not replace personalized therapeutic nutrition recommendations from a registered health-care provider.

Stay safe while preparing meals by keeping clean tools and a clean work surface, handling food safely, and keeping foods at appropriate temperatures to avoid bacteria growth.

  • Wash your hands and work surfaces.
  • Use different cutting boards and tools when working with raw meats and fish.
  • Have a different cutting board for raw veggies, fruit, grains, meat and fish.
  • Use a thermometer when cooking and don’t keep food in the danger zone (4°C to 60°C) for more than two hours.
  • Keep food refrigerated until needed.
  • Store back in the fridge or freezer promptly after cooking to cool down.
  • Check your fridge periodically to make sure it’s the proper temperature.

Resources

 

bowls of butternut squash soup on a wooden table

Recipes

Need some cooking inspiration? Here are a variety of tasty and nutritious recipes for you and your household.

Cooking with confidence, small steps big benefits

Watch our series of helpful short videos for tips on cooking and food preparation:

Person on pink background pointing at a quinoa salad with fruits and vegetables

Adding whole grains to your meals

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Adding fruits and vegetables to meals

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Roasting vegetables for more flavour and nutrition

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Cost effective grocery shopping

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Meal planning for the week

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Food labels unpacked: Label reading 101

Freeze Food Literacy Socials

Freezing food to save money