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Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Categories
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Active for Health
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Age and Stage
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Infants, Children and Youth
- Child Who Is Overweight: Evaluating Nutrition and Activity Patterns
- Child Who Is Overweight: Medical Evaluation
- Eczema and Food Allergy in Babies and Young Children
- Feeding Your Baby: Sample Meals for Babies 6 to 12 Months of Age
- Finger Foods for Babies 6 - 12 Months
- Food Allergy Testing
- HealthLink BC Eating and Activity Program for Kids
- Healthy Eating for Children
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for Your Vegetarian Baby: 6-12 months
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for Your Vegetarian Toddler: 1-3 years
- Helping Your Child Who Is Overweight
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Child's BMI?
- Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal Recipes: Finger Foods For Babies and Toddlers
- Making Family Meals Enjoyable
- Mealtime and Your Toddler
- Parenting Babies (0-12 months)
- Recipes for Your Baby 6 - 9 Months Old
- Recipes for Your Baby 9 - 12 Months Old
- Reducing Risk of Food Allergy in Your Baby
- Snack Ideas for Preschoolers
- Specialized Formula Shortage
- Vitamins and Minerals for Toddlers
- Your Toddler: Nutritious Meals for Picky Eaters
- Physical Activity for Infants, Children and Youth
- Older Adults
- Pregnancy
- Menopause and Perimenopause
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Infants, Children and Youth
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Being Active
- Health Benefits of Physical Activity
- Myths About Physical Activity
- SMART Goal Setting
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Getting Started
- Getting Started: Adding More Physical Activity to Your Life
- Quick Tips: Fitting Physical Activity Into Your Day
- Quick Tips: Getting Active as a Family
- Fitness: Adding More Activity To Your Life
- Getting Started With Flexibility and Exercise
- Fitness Machines
- Fitness Clothing and Gear
- Be Active: Move to Feel Good
- The Three Kinds of Fitness
- Set SMART Goals
- Overcoming Barriers: Adding More Physical Activity to your Life
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Choosing Your Activity
- How to Choose Safe Equipment
- Exercising While Sitting Down
- Fitness DVDs and Videos
- Tips for Picking the Right Activities
- Quick Tips: Getting in Shape Without Spending Money
- Fitness: Walking for Wellness
- Walk Your Way To Health
- Tai Chi and Qi Gong
- Water Exercise
- Yoga
- Bob's Story: Biking for Health
- Exercise and Physical Activity Ideas
- Fitness: Choosing Activities That Are Right for You
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Staying Active
- Fitness: Getting and Staying Active
- Fitness: Making It a Habit
- Quick Tips: Having Enough Energy to Stay Active
- Quick Tips: Staying Active at Home
- Quick Tips: Staying Active When You Travel
- Physical Activity in Winter
- Quick Tips: Staying Active in Cold Weather
- Quick Tips: Staying Active in Hot Weather
- Injury Prevention and Recovery
- Fitness and Exercise Learning Centre
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Conditions
- Diabetes and Hypoglycemia
- Eating Disorders
- Healthy Eating for Disease Prevention
- Eating Right When You Have More Than One Health Problem
- Being Active When You Have More Than One Health Problem
- Physical Activity and Disease Prevention
- Anemia
- Arthritis and Osteoporosis
- Physiotherapy for Low Back Pain
- Low Back Pain: Exercises to Reduce Pain
- Cancer
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Digestive
- Managing Constipation in Adults
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for People with Diverticular Disease
- Fibre and Your Health
- Lower Fibre Food Choices
- Eating Guidelines For Gallbladder Disease
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Lactose Intolerance
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for People with Peptic Ulcers
- Bowel Disease: Changing Your Diet
- Celiac Disease: Eating a Gluten-Free Diet
- GERD: Controlling Heartburn by Changing Your Habits
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Controlling Symptoms with Diet
- Food Allergies
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Heart
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Coronary Artery Disease: Exercising for a Healthy Heart
- DASH Diet Sample Menu
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for People Taking Warfarin Anticoagulants
- Healthy Eating to Lower High Blood Pressure
- Exercising to Prevent a Stroke
- Healthy Diet Guidelines for a Healthy Heart
- Heart Arrhythmias and Exercise
- Heart Failure: Eating a Healthy Diet
- Heart Failure: Track Your Weight, Food and Sodium
- Heart-Healthy Eating
- Heart-Healthy Eating: Fish
- Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
- High Blood Pressure: Nutrition Tips
- High Cholesterol: How a Dietitian Can Help
- Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet
- Plant-based Diet Guidelines
- Peripheral Arterial Disease and Exercise
- Physical Activity Helps Prevent a Heart Attack and Stroke
- High Blood Pressure: Using the DASH Diet
- Healthy Eating: Eating Heart-Healthy Foods
- Heart Health: Walking for a Healthy Heart
- Izzy's Story: Living with the DASH Diet
- Exercise and Fibromyalgia
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Kidney and Liver
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for People with Early Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stages 1 and 2
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for Prevention of Recurrent Kidney Stones
- Healthy Eating for Chronic Hepatitis
- Kidney Disease: Changing Your Diet
- Kidney Stones: Preventing Kidney Stones Through Diet
- Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
- Lupus: Healthy Eating
- Mutiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson's Disease and Exercise
- Sally's Story: Avoiding Metabolic Syndrome
- Spinal Cord
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Food and Nutrition
- About Healthy Eating
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Eating Habits
- Developing a Plan for Healthy Eating
- Drinking Enough Water
- Eating Healthy at Holiday Parties
- Eating Journal
- Emotional Eating
- Encourage Healthy Eating Away From Home
- Food Journaling: How to Keep Track of What You Eat
- Healthy Eating: Changing Your Eating Habits
- Healthy Eating: Getting Support When Changing Your Eating Habits
- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Eat Out
- Healthy Eating: Making Healthy Choices When You Shop
- Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change
- Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change
- Healthy Eating: Staying With Your Plan
- Healthy Eating to Decrease Stress
- Jaci's Story: Changing her Life With Small Steps
- Jeremy's Story: Focusing on Eating Habits
- Loralie's Story: It's Never Too Late
- Maggie Morries: Plan Ahead When You Eat Out
- Plant-based Foods
- Sugary Drinks and Other Beverages
- Sodium
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Nutrients
- Added Sugars
- Antioxidants
- Antioxidants and Your Diet
- Carbohydrate Foods
- Carbohydrate, Proteins, Fats and Blood Sugar
- Choosing a Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides: Eating Fish and Fish Oil
- Comparing Sugar Substitute
- Dietary Fats and Your Health
- Dietary Guidelines for Good Health
- Dietary Reference Intake
- Eating Protein
- Calcium and Your Health
- Food Sources of Vitamin K
- Getting Enough Calcium and Vitamin D
- Getting Enough Fibre
- Getting Enough Folic Acid
- Getting Enough Iron
- Getting Enough Potassium
- Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet
- Healthy Eating: Taking Calcium and Vitamin D
- High Potassium Eating
- High Potassium Foods
- Iron and Your Health
- Iron in Foods
- Low-Potassium Foods
- Major Nutrients in Food
- Minerals: Their Functions and Sources
- Non-Milk Sources of Calcium
- Quick Nutrition Check for Protein
- Quick Nutrition Check for Protein: Sample Menus
- Quick Nutrition Check for Vitamin B12
- Types of Fats
- Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Adults
- Vitamins: Their Functions and Sources
- Food Labels
- Healthy Eating and Nutrition Topics A-Z
- Plan, Shop and Prepare
- Food, Water and Beverage Safety
- Canada's Food Guide FAQs
- Food Security
- Vegetarian Diets
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Healthy Weights
- About Healthy Weights
- Genetic Influences on Weight
- Screening for Weight Problems
- Unplanned Weight Loss
- Quick Tips: Cutting Calories
- Physical Activity for Weight Loss
- Weight Loss by Limiting Calories
- Tips for Maintaining Weight Loss
- Choosing a Weight-Loss Program
- Boosting Your Metabolism
- Exercise Helps Maggie Stay at a Healthy Weight
- Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals
- Hunger, Fullness, and Appetite Signals
- Weight Management
- Weight Management: Stop Negative Thoughts
- Maggie's Strategies for Eating Healthy
- Maggie: Making Room for Worth-It Foods
- Maggie's Story: Making Changes for Her Health
- Weight Management Centre
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Policies and Guidelines
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Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Making Bake Sales Delicious and Nutritious
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Boosting the Sales of Nutritious Food in Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Food Fundraiser Ideas for Schools
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Involving Everyone in Implementing the Guidelines
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Selling Food and Beverages at School Sporting Events
- Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales: Planning Healthy Cafeteria Menus
- Healthier Choices in Vending Machines
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Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
- Provincial Nutrition Resource Inventory
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Forms and Tools
- Walking Log
- Exercise Planning Form
- Physical Activity Log
- Par-Q+ and ePARmed-X+
- Target Heart Rate
- Interactive Tool: What is Your Target Heart Rate
- Borg-Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale
- Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
- Heart Rate Calculator
- Overview of BC Provincial and Federal Nutrition Benefits Programs
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Body Mass Index (BMI) for Adults
- Interactive Tool: Do Your BMI and Waist Size Increase Your Health Risks?
- Measuring Your Waist
- Estimating Body Fat Percentage
- Factsheet Generator
- Fitness: Using a Pedometer or Step Counter
- Email a HealthLinkBC Dietitian
- Email a Qualified Exercise Professional
Many different groups play an important role in healthy eating and healthy lifestyle education, planning and promotion. Whether you are a dietitian, school administrator, teacher, community representative or member of another group, these resources can assist you with your plan or program.
About Healthy Eating
The Meaning of Healthy Eating in British Columbia is intended to provide a consistent understanding of healthy eating for the purpose of developing policy and strategies for healthy eating in British Columbia. Learn more about The Meaning of Healthy Eating in British Columbia.
About Healthy Weights
The Meaning of Healthy Weights in British Columbia is intended to provide a consistent understanding of healthy weights for the purpose of developing policy and strategies for promoting healthy weights in British Columbia. Learn more about The Meaning of Healthy Weights in British Columbia (PDF 46KB).
Food Security
A person is considered food secure if they can access with dignity, healthy food that is affordable, safe, culturally appropriate, and meets their nutritional needs and preferences. The British Columbia Center for Disease Control (BCCDC) Population and Public Health team coordinates food security work across the province:
Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in B.C. Schools
The Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in B.C. Schools (the Guidelines) define the nutrition standard that schools are required to use to determine what food and beverages can be sold to students. Learn more about the Guidelines.
Healthier Choices in Vending Machines in B.C. Public Buildings Policy
The Healthier Choices in Vending Machines in B.C. Public Buildings Policy aims to increase the range of healthier food and beverage choices available in vending machines. Learn more about the policy.
Orientation to Canada’s Food Guide
The B.C. Ministry of Health presents an orientation to Canada’s food guide, which Health Canada released in January 2019.
This video provides an overview of the food guide for health professionals in B.C., including information from Health Canada about:
• Revision process for the food guide
• Key messaging and considerations
• A suite of resources available online
Frequently Asked Questions about Canada’s Food Guide for Professionals in B.C.
Canada’s Food Guide FAQ’s are intended to facilitate shared understanding, consistent messaging, and to support implementation of the food guide by professionals in B.C.
See the Ministry of Health’s Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Health Professionals in BC.
Pediatric Nutrition Guidelines
The BC Pediatric Nutrition Guidelines are evidence-informed nutrition and feeding guidelines for healthy full-term infants and children from birth up to six years of age. The Guidelines are meant to assist health professionals in B.C. in providing high-quality care related to feeding and identifying potential nutrition risk. To learn more see:
Vitamin D Recommendations for Perinatal Women and Infants
The Vitamin D Recommendations for Perinatal Women and Healthy Term Infants (Birth – 1 year) paper discusses the current scientific evidence for vitamin D’s role in health. The paper supports health professionals in providing informed recommendations to ensure adequate vitamin D intakes for perinatal women and healthy, term infants. It also addresses information on sources of vitamin D in British Columbia.
The Practice Support Tool is a quick reference for health professionals. The tool helps health professionals provide informed recommendations to their clients/patients.
• Vitamin D Recommendations for Perinatal Women and Healthy Term Infants (Birth – 1 year)
• Vitamin D Recommendations Practice Support Tool for Health Professionals in British Columbia
Provincial Nutrition Resource Inventory
The Provincial Nutrition Resource Inventory is a collection of provincial healthy eating and nutrition related resources. Search or browse for evidence-informed healthy eating and nutrition resources.
Featured Program
Appetite to Play
Appetite to Play is an interactive workshop for early childhood providers to enhance knowledge, skills and confidence in creating childcare settings that support healthy eating, physical activity, food and physical literacy to promote healthy child development. The workshop is three hours in length and counts toward professional development credits for early childhood educators. To learn more see Appetite to Play.
Last updated: December 2022
Contact Physical Activity Services
If you have questions about physical activity or exercise, call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and heard of hearing) toll-free in B.C. Our qualified exercise professionals are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm Pacific Time. You can also leave a message after hours.
Translation services are available in more than 130 languages.
HealthLinkBC’s qualified exercise professionals can also answer your questions by email.
Contact a Dietitian
If you have any questions about healthy eating, food, or nutrition, call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) toll-free in B.C. You can speak to a health service navigator who can connect you with one of our registered dietitians, who are available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. You can also leave a message after hours.
Translations services are available in more than 130 languages.
HealthLinkBC Dietitians can also answer your questions by email.