For the first time since 1992, Health Canada has launched a new Food Guide for Canadians. The new guide addresses a more multicultural country, a national rise in obesity levels and increasing consumer awareness about healthy eating.
The most prominent changes to the new Food Guide include:
- Specific food guide serving recommendations are given based on age and sex.
- For the first time, the Food Guide has specific recommendations for preschoolers (2 to 3 years old) and seniors (age 51 and older).
- Not only is quantity of food addressed, Health Canada also addresses the quality and type of food. This is most obvious in its recommendations to consume unsaturated fat in place of saturated and trans fat, more fish, whole grains instead of refined grains, and plenty of dark green and orange fruits and vegetables. The guide advises how often Canadians should be consuming these healthful foods.
- More culturally diverse foods are included in the guide, such as kohlrabi, bok choy, quinoa, paneer and edamame. For the first time, fortified soy beverage is included in the "Milk & Alternatives" food group (formerly called Milk Products).
- Specific recommendations are given to enjoy at least two servings of fish each week (specifically char, herring, salmon and trout).
- A comprehensive interactive website provides plenty of supporting material to the guide, including an animated chart of serving sizes for each of the food groups, a guided tour of the new guide and My Food Guide, a personalized food guide that you build yourself.
For more information on the new guide and to get your copy, click here
To view My Food Guide, and personalize the guide to your needs, click here
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.