New Canadian Food Guide – A Fresh Take on Healthy Living

The new Canadian Food Guide presents a radical change to the 2007 version. Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor revealed Canada’s new food guide on January 22 at a market in Montreal. The 2019 guide places a focus on cooking more often, finding enjoyment in food, paying attention to eating habits and turning healthy eating into a social event. You can also tap into more online resources than ever before as a way to better meet the needs of all interested parties beyond the general public, such as health workers and policy makers. Do everything on your mobile? You will find the new and improved Canadian Food Guide mobile-friendly and accessible.

Health Canada consulted and collaborated with many experts, as well as the public, in developing the guide. They also looked at what and how other countries develop and share dietary information.

Notable changes include no mention of food groups or recommended servings, and an emphasis on plant-based protein sources. According to the press release issued by Health Canada, the guide includes “concrete advice for Canadians on healthy food choices and healthy eating habits”, including “eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, eating protein foods, choosing whole grain foods, and making water your “drink of choice.”

To develop these guidelines, Health Canada created a multi-stage decision making process, “based on convincing findings from scientific reports,” including extensive literature reviews on the relationship of food and health. The guide is broken down into four main sections:

- - Foundation for healthy eating
  - Foods and beverages that undermine healthy eating
  - Importance of food skills
  - Implementation of dietary guidelines

Make Choosing Nutritious Foods a Priority

Section 1 emphasizes that nutritious foods are the foundation for healthy living. Produce, whole grains, mainly plant-based proteins, and unsaturated fats form the basis for guideline 1. Water should be the first choice when it comes to beverages. Health Canada’s rational for this guideline is that nutritious foods “should not contribute to excess consumption of sodium, free sugars, or saturated fat.”

Limit Processed Foods

Section 2 focuses on the consumption of foods that undermine healthy eating. These include processed or prepared foods and beverages with large amounts of sugars, sodium or saturated fat. In the guide, Health Canada points to the high consumption of these foods has been linked to the global rise in obesity rates. “Taking action to reduce the intake of these highly processed products can help reduce important risk factors for chronic disease.”

Cook More Often

Section 3 mentions the importance of food skills, such as cooking, reading labels. “Health Canada recommends cooking and preparing healthy meals and snacks using nutritious foods as a practical way to support healthy eating.”

Information and Resources Readily Available

Section 4 is about implementing the dietary guidelines, and highlights the availability of online tools and resources to help Canadians with making healthy food choices.

Karolina Otto, In-store Dietitian with Real Canadian Superstore in Oakville has advocated for the ‘healthy plate’ for more than seven years, and finds the new guide refreshing. “The plate is where it’s at,” she says. “It gives us more emphasis on fruits and vegetables, which most Canadians are lacking. We don’t get enough fibre in our diet.”

According to Quinte Health Care intensive-care specialist Dr. Andrew Samis, as reported in the Bellville Intelligencer, “This will make some Canadians healthy, but for some people, this is going to stop them from becoming healthier. That’s what’s upsetting.”

Southern Health Dietitian Hanifah Hussain, as reported on SteinbachOnline, believes the new guide is a step in the right direction. “When we have variety we can tackle chronic diseases in a totally different way,” she says, “things like heart disease, they’re better managed when we look at things like plant-based proteins and getting more fibre and less fat.”

The new Canadian Food Guide encourages Canadians to make healthier choices, to avoid processed foods and instead choose to cook more often, monitor our eating habits and eat with others. Ultimately, the thing to remember is that the Canadian Food Guide is just that — a guide, not a mandate.