How do foods commonly eaten by South Asian communities fit into the four food groups of Canada's Food Guide?

Vegetables & Fruit

Leafy vegetables

e.g. Mustard greens, Spinach

Fresh, frozen, cooked or canned

Large-sized

e.g. Banana, Potato, Pumpkin

Medium-sized

e.g. Apple, Carrot, Guava, Mango

Small-sized or cut-up

e.g. Berries, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Citrus fruit, Coconut, Dates, Eggplant, Fresh fenugreek, Grapes, Green beans, Green peas, Karela (bitter melon), Melons, Okra, Pepper, Pineapple, Squash, Tomato, Turnip, Vegetable marrow, Zucchini

Roots

e.g. Dasheen (taro root), Garlic, Ginger, Onion

Grain Products

Breads

Bread (commercial, whole wheat)

Chapati
Naan
Paratha
Poori
Roti

Cereals

Breakfast cereals, ready-to-eat (often eaten by children)

Grains

e.g. Basmati rice, Corn, Dahlia (cracked wheat), Jowar (sorghum), Millet

Flours

Corn flour
Durum flour
Millet flour
Rice flour
Sooji (semolina)

Sevian (vermicelli noodles)

Dosas (lentil and rice crepe)

Idlis (made with steamed lentil and rice)

Milk & Alternatives

Milk

Skim, 1%, 2%, Whole (usually whole milk is consumed more by men and children than by women)

Chai (Indian tea often made with a lot of milk and sugar)

Buttermilk/ Lassi (yogurt drink)

Yogurt

Raita

Paneer (white cheese)

Kheer (milk-based pudding)

Phirni (rice custard)

Sour cream

Meat & Alternatives

Dried beans—cooked or ground

e.g. Besan/Gram flour (chickpea flour), Chitte chana (chickpeas), Mung beans (small green beans), Rajma (red beans)

Dried peas

e.g. Masoor (red split peas), Pea flour, Rongi (black-eyed peas), Yellow split peas

Lentils

e.g. Dal, Lentil flour, Sprouted lentils

Fish or seafood—fresh or dried

Tofu

Chicken

Meat

e.g. Beef, Goat, Lamb, Pork

Eggs

Nuts

e.g. Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Peanuts

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