Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

“Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide” is now live on Health Canada’s web site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide is significantly different from the 1992 Guide and reflects DC’s input including:

• Clear guidance on portion sizes and the number of recommended servings. The new guide clearly illustrates different amounts of daily servings depending on your age or gender. This change makes it easier to determine the right amounts of food to meet needs for healthy growth and development, and reduce your risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis. The addition of younger children (beginning with 2 years of age) also addresses a previous gap in nutrition guidance.

• New positioning of vegetables and fruits on the outer-most arc of the rainbow design highlighting the importance of this food group in health promotion and disease prevention. Guidance is also provided on selecting the best choices within each food group – for example, “enjoy foods prepared with little or no added fat, sugar salt; choose vegetables and fruit more often than juice; make at least half of your grain products whole grain everyday; have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often; drink lower fat milk, or fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk, each day.”

• Guidance on the kinds and amounts of oils & fats that will reduce intake of saturated and trans fats. At least two Food Guide Servings per week of fish such as char, salmon, mackerel and sardines are also recommended for variety and their benefit of omega-3 fats which promote heart health.

• Considering the limitations of Canadians who are food insecure. “Over one third of dietitians that provided input to DC’s collective voice on the Food Guide work with populations who have difficulty accessing enough healthy foods,” says Lynda Corby, Director of Public Affairs with Dietitians of Canada and leader of the DC food guide consultation. “For that reason we are
pleased to see a greater focus on lower cost examples of food depicted in the Food Guide including a range of fresh, frozen, canned and dried foods. More examples of ethnic foods also make the Food Guide more appropriate for our culturally diverse nation,” continues Corby.

• A more central focus on physical activity given the strong relationship between eating well and being active on feeling good, promoting healthy weights and building strong bones. Dietitians of Canada has collaborated with Health Canada in updating DC’s interactive online tool EATracker™ www.dietitians.ca/eatracker to make it consistent with the revised recommendations and to assist Canadians to track their daily food and activity choices and help them set goals for better health.

• The inclusion of more detailed guidance using the new fold-out design. Expanding the Food Guide beyond two pages allows for the inclusion of daily tips to follow such as eating breakfast, selecting healthier oils and fats, counting Food Guide Servings in a meal and reducing sodium (salt) and sugar. The Food Guide encourages consumers to use the Nutrition Facts table on packaged foods to select foods high in vitamin, minerals and fibre and low in sugar, sodium and fat. Visit www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca for guidance on using the Nutrition Facts table.

• Addressing some key nutrients that may be deficient in the daily food choices of some groups of Canadians. Despite the best intentions and efforts to eat well, some Canadians are still challenged to obtain sufficient Vitamin D. Health Canada highlights this nutrient as requiring special attention, particularly for adults over 50 years of age. It is now recommended that a supplement of 10 µg (400 IU) of vitamin D be included daily as a single supplement or a component in a multi-supplement. A multi-supplement with folic acid is also recommended for all women who could become pregnant, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding. These groups may also be at risk for inadequate dietary sources of iron.

What’s new about the Food Guide:
•There is a new interactive Web component – ‘My Food Guide’ – which allows users to personalize Food Guide information based on their age, sex, food preferences and activity choices.

It also provides specific direction on the following:

• Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt. Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice.

• Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day. Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar or salt.

• Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day. Select lower fat milk alternatives.

• Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often. Eat at least two Food Guide servings of fish each week. Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt.

• Include a small amount - 30 to 45 mL (2 to 3 Tbsp) - of unsaturated fat each day.

• Compare the Nutrition Facts table on food labels to choose products that contain less fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium.

• Drink water regularly. It’s a calorie-free way to quench your thirst.

On obesity and the Food Guide:
• Following the Food Guide will help reduce the risk of obesity.

• Overweight and obesity rates among Canadians are an issue of concern to Health Canada. Calories were therefore a key consideration in the development of the Guide and its key messages.

• The calorie content of the ‘recommended number of food guide servings per day’ depends on the food chosen. Those who are the least active will have to follow the guidance closely and limit foods eaten outside of the four food groups.

• Regular physical activity is an important component of weight management. For information regarding physical activity, please refer to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/index.html

• Direction is given on foods and beverages that should be limited, specifically those high in calories, fat and sugar.

• By following the new Food Guide, people can reduce their risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, and osteoporosis.

For further information on nutrition and healthy eating, visit Dietitians of Canada award-winning website at www.dietitians.ca. Register to receive regular healthy eating messages from dietitians – food and nutrition information you can trust at www.dietitians.ca/eatwell