Growing up in Canada in the 80s meant I was a kid raised by Hal Johnson & Joanna McLeod telling me to take a Body Break with ParticipACTION. It meant we had fitness tests, had to go outside to play and if we were lucky we earned a Participaction Physical Fitness badge. It also meant you ate from the four food groups on the Canada Food Guide. Around since 1977 the four groups consisted of milk and milk products; meat and alternatives; grain products; and fruits and vegetables.
The new Canada Food Guide, revealed by Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, means our kids will now be eating from three food groups: fruits and vegetables, whole grains and proteins, which now combines dairy, meat and has added legumes and tofu.
What’s the big change?
As a kid I remember bringing home check lists to make sure I ate the right number of fruits, veggies and all categories. Even as a pregnant woman my doctor gave me a checklist of how much of each category I should eat. The new Canada Food Guide has a simple message: eat more plants and less protein. Sounds a lot like keto or paleo style of eating!
There is also no longer a certain number of servings per category per day. Now it widely suggests you eat half your plate of fruits and veggies and the other half with the remaining tow food groups. There is also no longer information on what makes up a serving. The focus is more on proportion of plant-based nutrition to other groups than portion size. This is all in an effort to make the food guide less complicated in the hopes to make it realistic for people to adopt in everyday life.
Hydrate and Feel Great
Another big emphasis from the food guide is to make water your beverage of choice. This has the obvious result of preventing dehydration, but also to limit sugar consumption. The more water you drink the less sugary drinks, which have been linked to causing obesity and diabetes.
You are What you Eat
I try to teach my kids that food is fuel. If you don’t chose the best fuel your body won’t be able to do all the things you need it too. This works well with the Canada Food Guide’s advice of eating a wide variety of foods. And in that variety includes choosing the right foods. This means limiting processed foods high in sodium, sugar and saturated fats. If your the parent of a kid with ADHD you probably already know how processed food can affect ADHD. For others, it means cutting out foods that undermine healthy eating like sugary breakfast cereals, deep-fried foods and if you live in Quebec that would include poutine.
Make Eating a Family Affair
The new Canada Food Guide emphasizes that making meals at home is a great effort to support a healthier lifestyle. They also encourage reading food labels and to be aware of food marketing when doing grocery shopping. With tens of thousands of products in grocery stores it can be hard to make the right buying decisions. Being aware and reading labels is one of the best ways.
What are your thoughts on Canada’s New Food Guide? Will it change the way you eat? Let us know in the comments.
