Saskatoon experts offer advice on food fads

There's never a shortage of advice out there about what's healthy and what's not, and with new pro-vegan documentaries like What the Health making the rounds on Netflix, CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning convened a panel of two local food experts.

• Proposed new food guide tells Canadians to cut back on sugar and eat better fats
• Health Canada considers sweeping ban on junk food ads aimed at children and teens

Chris Kendall is a registered holistic nutritionist and coaches people on the raw-food approach to diet whichfocuses on raw fruit and vegetables, and foods with limited or no processing.

He said most people agree that fruits and vegetables are healthy.

Radical changes are not easy.- Dietitian Brooke Bulloch

"But to the exclusion of everything else. I can't believe it!" he said.

Brooke Bulloch is a registered dietitian. Sheagrees a more plant-based diet is a good idea but worries people do not have the information they need.

"Radical changes are not easy," she said. "People like variety."

Keep it raw, saysexpert

For Kendall, raw is the best option.

"When you are hungry, eat as much fruit as you like. If you don't feel like fruit or you want a savoury flavour, go for the vegetables," he said.

"On an average day, I'm eating between eight to 12 pounds of fruit and one to three pounds of vegetables."

Kendall argues that the raw-food approach will offer all the nutrients and the essential amino acids needed to thrive and live a healthy life.

Bulloch is not convinced.

"There may be some concerns around certain nutrients that might be lacking," she said. "Sometimes cooking our vegetables delivers more nutrients."

Mix it up with beans and legumes

Plus,Bulloch said, it's a good idea to make sure you are getting some whole grains, as well as beans and other legumes, in your diet.

Bulloch also worries that people are trying to follow new diets without gathering the information they need, or even thinking about the lifestyle changes required.

"A lot of people are more interested in eating a vegan style of diet; a lot of them are not even eating beans now."

It's another area where the two find common ground, noting that it's always a good idea to think about your diet and whether it is healthy enough.

But before you make a change in your diet, both said it is important to gather all the information you can and speak with an expert.