Comparing Popular Diets

Featuring Sarah Ware, BSc (Hons), RD, CDE

Duration: 1 minute, 4 seconds

The Atkins diet, the South Beach Diet and Canada's Food Guide have differences and similarities.

The Atkins diet and the South Beach Diet focus on a low carbohydrate regime, with a relatively high amount of protein and fat. The difference between the two is that South Beach tends to focus on lowering your saturated fat intake as well.

Canada's Food Guide is the opposite in that it wants a high carbohydrate intake with relatively low amounts of protein and fat. The commonality between all three is that they all recommend a relatively high intake of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.

When you're looking at the North American diet, which is low in fruits and vegetables, high in refined sugars and grain products and typically moderate in fat. If you want to make changes and are going to plan on choosing one of those diets, a first step would be to increase your fruits and vegetables as you'll automatically increase the nutrient density of your meals.

To get a better idea of which diet works best for you, speak to your local dietitian or medical professional.

Presenter: Ms. Sarah Ware, Registered Dietitian, North Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian