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Most of us think we're pretty savvy when it comes to nutrition. According to a new national survey conducted by the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition, eight out of 10 of Canadians consider themselves very, or at least somewhat, knowledgeable about the topic.

Yet despite our self-professed nutritional expertise, our understanding - and a few of our eating habits - could use a tune-up.

The 2008 Tracking Nutrition Trends survey, the latest in a series of seven, reports on Canadians' nutritional awareness, concerns and eating behaviours. Two decades ago, when the first Tracking Nutrition Trends survey was launched, you would have been hard pressed to find a nutrition and health-related story in the news. Today, hardly a day goes by when nutrition doesn't make headlines. And it seems many Canadians are taking note.

Half of us consider nutrition "very important" when deciding what to eat. The vast majority of Canadians say maintaining good health (87 per cent), boosting energy (74 per cent) and managing weight (68 per cent) are the most important health-related factors in choosing foods.

The top five nutrient factors that sway our food decisions are: low in trans fat, made from whole grains, low in sugar, low in sodium and contains omega-3 fats.

Most of us aren't very concerned whether a food is organically grown, contains probiotics (so-called "friendly" bacteria linked with health benefits), has a low glycemic index (its carbohydrates are slowly released as sugar into the bloodstream) or is produced using biotechnology (the modification of genes in plants to create new species that have desirable nutrition-related properties). Close to one-third of Canadians are not aware or don't care about these factors.

Nine out of 10 Canadians do, however, care about food safety. Food handling, preparation and storage concern us most often, followed by food additives, nutrient content (e.g. fat, salt, sugar) and pesticides. And 10 per cent say they're concerned about where their food comes from (e.g. country of origin).

Generally speaking, we're a pretty smart bunch when it comes to understanding nutrition. We get that some types of fibre can lower blood cholesterol and that a high-fibre diet may guard against colon cancer. And most of us (75 per cent) are keenly aware that omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish, flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil) are essential to a healthy diet.

However, we continue to be confused when it comes to types of fat. Four in 10 Canadians mistakenly believe that non-hydrogenated (or soft) margarine contains less fat than butter, and another 21 per cent don't know. Thirteen per cent believe that hard, stick margarine is better for you than soft margarine and one-third of Canadians don't have a clue.

Most of us know that reducing fat in the diet can lower cholesterol in the blood. (Diets high in saturated fats found in animal foods raise LDL, or "bad," blood cholesterol.) But almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of Canadians think that the amount of cholesterol you eat is a major factor that affects blood cholesterol. In fact, cholesterol in foods - egg yolks, shrimp, meat, high-fat dairy - has little or no impact on most people's cholesterol levels. It's your intake of saturated and trans fats that matters most - both types raise LDL cholesterol.

Perhaps our confusion stems from where we get our advice on nutrition. We have access to numerous and varied information sources that vary in reliability. According to the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition, our top five sources for nutritional information are food labels, the Internet, magazines and newspapers, friends and relatives, and health professionals.

Canadians believe dietitians are the most credible source of information (82 per cent gave them the top two ratings), followed by health associations, other health professionals, the government and food product labels. Friends and relatives, radio and TV programs, and food company materials were seen as the least credible.

When it comes to our eating habits, more than half of us (57 per cent) read food labels regularly to seek out ingredient information, nutrient content and "best before" dates.

Four in 10 Canadians take a multivitamin supplement and 20 per cent report taking a single vitamin or mineral supplement - which suggests the vitamin D message isn't getting through. (To help reduce cancer risk, Canadian adults are advised to supplement with 1000 international units of vitamin D daily in the fall and winter. Older adults, people with dark skin, those who don't go outdoors often and those who wear clothing that covers most of their skin should take supplements year-round.)

We like to snack, an important way to raise flagging energy and stave off hunger between meals. Two-thirds of Canadians report eating one or two snacks every day.

Four out of 10 Canadians skip breakfast at least once a week, a habit that can reduce memory and concentration, not to mention sabotage efforts to stay slim. Breakfast foods such as cereal, toast and fruit raise blood glucose (sugar) levels - that fuels the brain after a night of fasting.

Eating the morning meal also kick-starts your metabolism and prevents you from getting too hungry before lunch. Regular breakfast eaters are more likely to follow a structured eating plan and less likely to snack on empty-calorie foods.

The most recent Tracking Nutrition Trends survey identifies another popular habit that can spell trouble for weight control: mindless eating. Most Canadians (77 per cent) report eating while doing something else (e.g. watching TV, driving, checking e-mails) at least once a day. Eating while distracted leads to overeating by making you less focused on hunger signals and the amount of food you've eaten.

The good news: Six out of 10 Canadians say they've made an effort in the past year to adopt a healthier diet. The top five improvements were eating more vegetables, more fibre and whole grains, less fat, less sugar and fewer calories.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.

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Are you nutrition savvy?

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Answers: 1) True 2) True 3) True 4) True 5) False 6) True 7) False 8) False

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: SOURCE: TRACKING NUTRITION TRENDS VII: FOOD AND NUTRITION

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS OF CANADIANS IN 2008,

THE CANADIAN COUNCIL OF FOOD AND NUTRITION.