Canada's Food Guide is an educational tool aimed at assisting Canadians in meeting basic nutritional needs and reducing the risk of chronic diseases by making healthier food choices. Canada's Food Guide reflects the nutritional recommendations outlined in the Canadian Guidelines for Healthy Eating. The Canadian Food Guide has been continuously evolving over the course of half a century in response to updated dietary standards and nutritional needs.
History
The first Canadian food guide, the Official Food Rules, was published in 1942 by the Nutrition Division of the federal government in collaboration with the Canadian Council on Nutrition. The Official Food Rules emphasized the impact of malnutrition and food rationing in a critical wartime situation. Through the years, Canada's food rules took on different shapes, titles and recommendations.
Canada's Food Guide was initially developed in 1992 and further revised in 2007 through the collaboration of the Expert Advisory Committee on Dietary Reference Intakes, the Food Guide Advisory Committee and the Food Guide Interdepartmental Working Group.
Features
Canada's Food Guide assumes the shape of a four-banded rainbow, with each band representing one of the four major food groups: grain products, vegetables and fruit, dairy products and meat and alternatives. Each food group is accompanied by a range of numeric values indicating the number of recommended daily servings from that particular food group. Canada's Food Guide lists a range of recommended servings, rather than a single value, in order to accommodate the unique nutritional needs of different individuals based on factors such as age, physical activity levels, height, weight, gender and pregnancy or lactation.
Development
Canada's Food Guide was developed on the basis of strong scientific evidence linking nutrition to health and disease. The guide is intended to ensure the health and vitality of Canadians through food choices that meet their basic nutrient needs as outlined in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). DRI refers to a set of recommended nutrient values that meets the needs of more than 97 percent of healthy individuals in a given population. In addition, Canada's guidelines go hand in hand with lowering the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Recommendations
Canada's Food Guide emphasizes the importance of consuming a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. The importance of vegetables and fruits for optimal health is highlighted by the fact that they occupy the largest band of Canada's Food Guide rainbow. Specifically, the guide recommends the consumption of five to 12 servings of grains, five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit, two to four servings of milk products and two to three servings of meat or alternatives per day. In addition to dietary recommendations, Canada's Food Guide includes a physical activity element emphasizing the importance of regular exercise in achieving optimal health.
Using Canada's Food Guide
Canada's Food Guide can be used to achieve a number of purposes, including meal planning, healthy cooking, food label reading and mindful snacking. Start out by determining the exact number of servings you need from each food group depending on your age, gender, physical activity, height and weight. Divide those servings among your daily meals and snacks while keeping in mind that it is best to consume five to six small meals per day as opposed to three large ones. Doing so will diminish hunger, ensure steady metabolic levels, and prevent crashes or spikes in your blood sugar levels. Make sure you vary not only your food choices but your cooking techniques. For example, try steaming, grilling, or sauteing instead of frying food.
References
- Health Canada: Eating Well With Canada's Food Guide
- "Nutrition Concepts & Controversies"; F. Sizer & E. Whitney; 2006
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