Food skills

Food literacy

Food literacy is a broad term and involves:

Knowing about food and where it comes from using trustworthy information.
Food decisions and making food choices that work for you and your family's eating patterns.
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 feeling confident in the kitchen, and shopping for, preparing, and eating food safely.

Food Literacy Diagram

Food literacy diagram - text description

Food and nutrition knowledge
Food skills
Self-efficacy and confidence
Ecologic factors (external)
Food decisions

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!

Decide what to eat

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.

Make a shopping list

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.

Resources

Menu Planning Tool - Unlock Food - Create customized meal plans that work best for you and your family.
7 Steps for Quick and Easy Menu Planning - Unlock Food
10 Tips for Planning Meals on a Budget - Unlock Food

Grocery shopping

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

Saving money while grocery shopping

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 in 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 food labels

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.

Food label diagram

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 “5 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
- The ingredients are listed in order from the ingredients that the food contains the most of, to ingredients 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.

Food safety at the grocery store

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.

Storing food safely and making good use of leftovers

Storing food safely

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:

Ultimate Food Storage and Usage Guide – Food Storage A-Z - Love Food Hate Waste Canada
Shelf-Life Guide - Love Food Hate Waste Canada
How to store your produce in the fridge - Half Your Plate
Produce Storage Guide - Half Your Plate
Fridge Guide - Love Food Hate Waste Canada

Safe refrigerated food diagram - text description

Top shelf: Ready to eat foods
Middle shelf: Re-heat foods
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

Best before versus expiry dates

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

Leftovers

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

Using recipes

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 and terms

Common kitchen items
Item		Description
Baking sheet		A shallow, metal pan that is used in the oven for baking foods.
Casserole dish		A square, oblong or rectangular dish, usually made of ceramic or glass. Used to bake a main dish recipe or casserole, like lasagna.
Cheesecloth		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 like onions and herbs. Use a rocking motion by leaving the knife tip on the cutting surface and rock the handle up and down.
Colander		A plastic or metal bowl with many small to medium holes that allow water to drain away from cooked foods, like pasta. It can also be used to rinse fresh vegetables and fruit in the sink.
Cutting board		Usually made from wood or plastic, a flat durable surface used 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 that be used in the oven and on the stovetop. Used 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 containers or bottles with small openings. You can also make your own funnel by rolling up some waxed or parchment paper.
Grater		A hand-held tool with sharp grooves used for shredding and grating foods like vegetables, cheese and fruits. They can be flat or a 4-sided box that holds the food once it is shredded.
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 usually nested together and in sizes of ¼ cup 1/3 cup, ½ cup and 1 cup. For measuring dry ingredients like flour and sugar.
Measuring cups (liquid)		A cup made of clear glass or plastic with measures marked on the side of the cup and a spout for pouring the liquid, used to measure liquids like water and milk.
Measuring spoons		Small measuring tools that can measure both liquid and dry ingredients, like baking powder, vanilla extract or spices. Usually comes in sets of 1/8 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon.
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 hand-held 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. Many come with lids in various sizes.
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.
Shears		Sturdier scissors used for kitchen tasks like cutting up chicken.
Sieve		A stainless steel fine mesh “bowl” with a handle, often used to sift lumps out of foods like powdered sugar. A sieve can be used to drain foods as well.
Skillet or frying pan		A wide flat bottom pan with low shallow sides (compared to a saucepan), used to grill and pan fry foods like eggs and fish.
Slotted spoon		A large spoon with small holes, used to remove liquid from foods. For example, removing cooked vegetables from boiling water.
Spatula		A flat and narrow kitchen utensil that be used to mix, spread, scrape or lift ingredients and food. A spatula made from rubber is good for stirring and scraping sauces or batter from bowls or spreading frosting. Flexible metal spatulas can be good for lifting or turning food on a baking sheet.
Steamer		Usually a metal pot insert with holes that is placed over a pot of boiling water. Foods like vegetables are placed in the insert and cook from the rising steam below that travels through the steamer holes.
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, usually meat, to determine if the meat is cooked through.
Tongs		A hand-held utensil with two grippers at one end that is usually joined near the handle. Used for gently grabbing and lifting foods without piercing the food. They come in various sizes and could be used for removing something hot out of boiling water or serving salad.
Wire whisk		A cooking utensil with wire loops secured to a handle, used to blend ingredients, stir lumps out of a sauce and incorporate air into a mixture, such as egg whites. A fork can be used to whip a very small amount, such as one egg white.
Wire cooling rack		Allows foods like muffins and breads to cool down quickly and evenly after being taken out of the oven by creating a space between the rack and the surface below.
Wok		A large round pan with sloping sides that can hold more food than a skillet, best used for stir frying.
Wooden spoon		Used for stirring foods when cooking without scratching the cookware.
Zester		A small kitchen utensil with tiny shredding holes, used for creating very fine shavings and zests from citrus fruit by pressing the zester across the fruit.

Cooking terms
Term	Definition
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, like vegetables 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 cube shape pieces.
Fillet	Removing bones from meat or fish to create a boneless portion.
Fold	Gently combining ingredients by moving food from the center and lifting towards the edge of the bowl.
Grill	Cooking food over direct heal, usually on a grate.
Julienne	Cutting foods into thin, matchstick sized strips.
Knead	Working dough with the hands to develop its gluten structure
Marinate	Soaking food in a seasoned liquid to flavour and tenderize it.
Mince	Cutting food into very small pieces, finer than chopping or dicing.
Puree	Blending or mashing food into a smooth, thick consistency.
Sauté	To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil in a pan over direct heat.
Simmer	Cooking food in a liquid just below boiling, so that small bubbles appear on the surface.
Slice	Cutting food, like apples, carrots, bread or meat into thin, flat pieces or sections using a sharp knife.
Stir	Mixing ingredients in a circular potion to combine or prevent sticking.
Toss	To turn pieces of food over several times, until the ingredients are mixed together. Usually lightly coating evenly, often with a salad dressing or seasoning.
Whisk	Using a whisk to beat or blend ingredients, incorporating air.
Zest	Scraping the outermost layer of citrus fruit peel for flavoring.

Putting a meal together

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.

Canada's food guide plate - text description

The Canada’s food guide plate shows the proportions of foods on a plate for healthy meals or snacks.

On half of the plate are vegetables and fruits (broccoli, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, green and yellow bell peppers, apples, red cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, squash and green peas).
On one-quarter of the plate are protein foods (lean meat, chicken, variety of nuts and seeds, lentils, eggs, tofu, yogurt, fish, beans).
On the remaining one-quarter of the plate are whole grain foods (whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, wild rice, red quinoa, brown rice).

Canada's food guide

Eat a variety of healthy foods each day:

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

Healthy eating plate diagram

Healthy eating plate (text description)

Healthy oils - Use healthy oils (like olive an canola oil) for cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter. Avoid trans fat.
Water - Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit dairy (one to two servings a day) and juice (one small glass a day). Avoid sugary drinks.
Whole grains - Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread).
Healthy protein - Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats.
Fruits - Eat plenty of fruits of all colours.
Vegetables - The more veggies - and the greater the variety - the better.

Resources

Cooking techniques

After you’ve gathered your ingredients, the next step is preparing these foods, which might involve washing or rinsing, peeling, cutting, etc. Watch our helpful videos for more food preparation techniques.

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 different foods

Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated; you can make a new meal by simply adding a new vegetable like frozen peas into ramen or adding a new protein like lentils to tomato sauce.

Resources

Save time and effort in cooking

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 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

Cooking for one or two

Some recipes might seem like too much food when you’re cooking for one or two. Check out these resources on adjusting your recipes so you aren’t eating the same food all week.

Resources

Preparing meals for specific diets

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. Here are some common special diets and how to adjust for them:

The information provided is general in nature and does not replace personalized therapeutic nutrition recommendations from a registered health-care provider. If you have specific dietary needs or health concerns, consult a qualified professional for individualized advice.

Food safety

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. Avoid food-borne illness at home:

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 to 60 degrees Celsius) 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:

Recipes

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

Recipe resource guide

Recipes - UnlockFood.ca
Recipe collection - Canada's Food Guide
Cookspiration - UnlockFood.ca
Heart Healthy Recipes - Heart and Stroke Foundation
Indigenous recipe collection - Aboriginal Nutritional Network
Ingredients for a Healthier Tomorrow - Dietitians of Canada

Simple and quick recipes

Five ingredients, five meals - Canada's Food Guide
Recipes that take 30 minutes or less - Canada's Food Guide

Recipes using leftovers

Rock what you've got: Recipes for preventing food waste - Guelph family health study
Recipes - Love food hate waste Canada
Reduce household food waste with food preservation tips - Love Food Hate Waste

Recipes using seasonal produce

Recipes - Foodland Ontario
Seasonal recipes - Foodland Ontario

Plant-based recipes

Recipes - Better with Beans

Recipes to increase vegetables

Recipes - Half your Plate
How to make your veggies taste even better - Half your Plate
How to up your salad game - Half your Plate

Cooking with confidence, small steps big benefits

Adding whole grains to your meals

Adding fruits and vegetables to meals

Roasting vegetables for more flavour and nutrition

Food skills

Food literacy

Planning your meals

Decide what to eat

Make a shopping list

Resources

Grocery shopping

Saving money while grocery shopping

Reading food labels

What to look for on food labels

Serving size

Percent daily value (%DV)

Ingredients list

Food safety at the grocery store

Storing food safely and making good use of leftovers

Storing food safely

Preparing meals

Using recipes

Common kitchen items and terms

Putting a meal together

Healthy eating plate (text description)

Resources

Cooking techniques

Cooking different foods

Resources

Save time and effort in cooking

Resources

Cooking for one or two

Resources

Preparing meals for specific diets

Food safety

Resources:

Recipes

Recipe resource guide

Simple and quick recipes

Recipes using leftovers

Recipes using seasonal produce

Plant-based recipes

Recipes to increase vegetables

Cooking with confidence, small steps big benefits