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Everyone’s going organic! 60% OF 2014 CANADIAN LIVING NUTRITION SURVEY RESPONDENTS SAVE SOME ROOM IN THEIR GROCERY CARTS FOR ORGANIC GOODS.

Soda Savvy Canadians are getting the message about the health risks of drinking pop. Regular soft-drink consumption has been linked to diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Fifty-eight percent of Canadians who responded to Canadian Living’s 2013 Nutrition Survey said they don’t drink pop. Just one year later, the percentage of pop abstainers has increased to 65 percent. Keep it up!

Do Lunch Differently

About 50 percent of Canadian Living survey respondents say they eat out or order in once a week or more. It might be convenient, but if you’re buying your lunch, it can get expensive—and it’s easy to rack up calories. Use these tips to pack delicious healthful lunches, and save money while you’re at it. BUILD A CANNING-JAR SALAD. Put dressing at the bottom, then stack the salad ingredients from least to most likely to get soggy (lettuce at the top!) to keep the ingredients fresh and appealing. When you’re ready for lunch, shake your salad in the jar or toss it in a bowl. TRY A TIFFIN BOX. These stackable stainless-steel food containers let you pack food separately, so you can graze on healthful foods all day. In the first container, keep your morning fruit and yogurt; in the second, include a quinoa salad; then at the bottom, store whole grain crackers or trail mix for an afternoon snack.

PACK INGREDIENTS SEPARATELY, THEN ASSEMBLE THEM

WHEN IT’S TIME TO EAT. Bring whole grain bread, avocado and other toppings and create an open-faced avocado sandwich at your desk. Try keeping oil and vinegar at your workstation so you can dress salad with a healthful vinaigrette. — Jill Buchner

SMOOTH OPERATOR While 2014 was the year of juicing, 2015 is set to be the year of whole-food blending. Why? It turns out all those fancy cold-pressed potions were missing something important: fibre. When you blend fruit and veggies to make juice, you keep the nutrient-rich pulp and skins that juicers filter out. That fibre is beneficial to your digestive system, plus you can reduce those harmful bloodsugar spikes that can come with drinking juices without fruit or veggie fibre. Try blending up a mix of apple (minus the seeds), orange (peeled and seeded), ginger and carrot, or try a combo of beets, lime (peeled and seeded), apple and spinach.

GUEST EDITOR MONEY-SAVING TIP: MAKE IT YOURSELF

Money expert Gail Vaz-Oxlade is the first to admit that eating well on a budget is no easy feat. But, she says, no matter your food bill, you can spend about two-thirds less by avoiding takeout. And you’ll often eat more nutritiously, too. Vaz-Oxlade recommends making salads without rich dressings, topping them instead with juicy fruits that provide moisture and flavour. She loves tossing romaine lettuce with chicken, pomegranate, sliced apple and a little balsamic reduction, or mixed greens with watermelon and feta.

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