Eat Well. Live Well. Canada s Food Guide Gets an Overhaul

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1 What do you eat when you re hungry? Is it something sweet? A product you ve seen advertised? Do you care about the calories, the convenience, or the cost? Do you pick a vegetarian dish? Or do you eat anything but tofu? And what about the biggest question is it nutritious? Canada s Food Guide Canada s Food Guide can help with that. The newest version came out in January. It s very different from the one the federal government published in The guide uses a dinner plate to show what we should be eating. One half of the plate is covered in vegetables and fruits. One quarter shows whole grain foods, like bread, pasta, and rice. The last quarter is protein foods. Some are animal-based proteins like lean meat, fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy products. The others are plant-based sources, like nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and yes tofu. The guide suggests eating a variety of these healthy foods each day, mostly plant-based. What s missing? You won t find foods high in sugar, salt, or saturated fats. No prepackaged foods, like frozen pizza or chicken nuggets. No processed meats, like hot dogs and deli meats. Bread and pasta made from refined white flour aren t recommended, either. Relax! You can still eat your favourite treats now and again. Just not as a steady diet. What s to drink? One big change? Fruit juice is gone! Even unsweetened fruit juice has as much sugar and calories as soft drinks. It may have vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but you miss out health canada The provinces and territories deliver healthcare to most Canadians. Health Canada, a department of the federal government, helps Canadians maintain and improve their health. Led by Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor, the department s 12,000 employees work with provincial and territorial governments and other groups to reduce health risks and make sure all Canadians have access to high-quality healthcare. Health Canada also oversees agencies like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The department s goal? To make our country one of the healthiest in the world. on fibre and other nutrients of whole fruit. The drink of choice? Water. 2018/2019: Issue 6 What in the world? Le vel 1 Page 26

2 You are what you eat It also notes that how you eat is as important as what you eat. So be mindful. Be aware of your eating habits. Think about your food choices. Why should you care about what you eat? For starters, you will feel and perform better if you eat well. But you also need to eat properly to keep your body healthy and active for a lifetime. No one chooses to get a chronic disease like heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. But poor diet is one of the three leading risk factors. (Tobacco use and obesity are the others.) Certain foods, in particular, are associated with a higher risk of disease. For example, processed meat increases your risk of getting colorectal cancer. Other foods, like plant-based proteins, help lower your risk. They are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Plus, they are low in or free from saturated fat. The new guide doesn t limit fat, but it does suggest replacing saturated fats with the healthy fats found in avocado, nuts, oily fish, and vegetable oils. How do you dine? The Canada Food Guide recognizes that food choices vary from culture to culture. If you are Indigenous, your healthy diet may include traditional foods sourced by hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering. Definitions chronic: being long-lasting or recurring The guide suggests cooking at home more often. Home-cooked meals are usually healthier than prepackaged meals. Finally, enjoy your food! Eat meals with friends and family. Studies show this has many positive effects. The politics of food The first Canada Food Guide came out in It was designed to fatten up Canadian soldiers fighting in World War II. It has been updated eight times. Past recommendations have often been criticized. Why? They were the result of political pressure by the food industry. This has hurt the food guide s credibility. This time, Health Canada did not consult the food and beverage industry at all. It relied only on up-to-date nutrition science. There will likely be pushback. Meat and dairy producers may not like the emphasis on plantbased proteins. The Canadian Juice Council won t be pleased that fruit juice disappeared. But dieticians and other Reading Labels Health Canada is considering new rules that would force producers to identify foods that are high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats with a highly visible symbol on the front of the package. In the meantime, you can use the information that s already available on food labels. Start with the list of ingredients. By law, they are listed by weight, with the main ingredients first. But don t be tricked. Ingredients can appear more than once. For example, cane sugar, invert sugar, dextran, corn sweetener, malt syrup, maltose, and evaporated cane juice are all sugars. Another place to look is the Nutrition Facts box. It shows what percentage of the Daily Value of 13 core nutrients is found in a single serving. You can use the % Daily Value to compare products. Generally, 5% or less of a nutrient is considered a little, while 15% or more is considered a lot. health experts are happy with the changes. Overall, this guide is a great start in a conversation that was long overdue, commented dietician Cara Rosenbloom. J credibility: the quality of being trusted and believable 2018/2019: Issue 6 What in the world? Le vel 1 Page 27

3 ON THE LINES Answer the following in complete sentences: 1. Which federal government department is Ginette Petitpas Taylor in charge of? 2. What is the role of this department? 3. When was the first Canada Food Guide published? 4. When did the federal government publish the most recent food guide? 5. Describe the photo used to illustrate the recent Canada Food Guide. 6. List at least three foods that were not included in the new Canada Food Guide. 7. Which drink was removed from the new Canada Food Guide? 8. What drink is now recommended? 9. Describe at least two strategies for healthy eating. 2018/2019: Issue 6 What in the world? Le vel 1 Page 28

4 BETWEEN THE LINES Making an inference: An inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence. A plausible inference is supported by evidence in the article and is consistent with known facts outside of the article. What inference(s) can you draw from the fact that the Canada Food Guide has been updated eight times since it was introduced in 1942? JUST TALK ABOUT IT 1. As you see it, what is the significance of the new Canada Food Guide? Explain. 2. a) Describe your current eating habits. What foods do you eat? How do you eat them? b) Compare your eating habits with those recommended in the new food guide. In what ways are you already meeting some of the recommendations? In what ways are you not meeting the new guidelines? c) Would you consider changing your eating habits to bring them more in line with the new food guide recommendations? Why or why not? 3. Consider the following quote by dietician Cara Rosenbloom: Overall, this guide is a great start in a conversation that was long overdue. a) What is your understanding of this quote? Explain. b) For what reasons do you agree with the speaker? For what reasons do you disagree? ONLINE Note: The links below are listed at for easy access. 1. Read more about this news story at and 2. Watch videos explaining the changes to Canada s Food Guide at and 3. Take a closer look at Canada s Food Guide at J 2018/2019: Issue 6 What in the world? Le vel 1 Page 29

5 2 1 R 3 D 4 O 5 I 6 7 J T 11 A I S 12 E ACROSS 1. a sweet substance used to flavour food 3. Health Canada is part of the government 7. drink that was removed from the new food guide (2) 10. food guide suggests people eat here more often 11. one quarter of the food guide plate shows whole foods 12. Health Canada did not consult with food and industry representatives DOWN 1. food guide does not include foods high in 2. the quality of being trusted and believed 4. one quarter of the food guide plate shows foods 5. person who does not eat meat 6. meats linked to colorectal cancer 8. fruit juices have as much sugar and calories as drinks 9. recommended drink 2018/2019: Issue 6 What in the world? Le vel 1 Page 30

6 QUIZ A. Write the letter that corresponds to the best answer on the line beside each question: 1. When was the first Canada Food Guide published? a) 1867 b) 1939 c) 1942 d) Which of the following is NOT recommended in the new Canada Food Guide? a) fruit b) tofu c) fish d) frozen pizza 3. What drink does the new Food Guide recommend? a) water b) milk c) pop d) kombucha B. Mark the statements below T (True) or F (False). Write one important fact to support each answer on the line below. 4. True or False? The new Food Guide recommends that 25 percent of our daily diet should be fruits and vegetables. 5. True or False? The new Food Guide recommends eating more home-cooked meals. 6. True or False? Only one type of sugar can be listed on packaged foods. C. Fill in the blanks to complete each sentence. 7. Health Canada has 12, The ingredients in packaged foods are listed in order by. 9. Fruit was removed from the new Canada Food Guide. D. Respond to the following question in paragraph form. (Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.) 10. Food companies should be allowed to influence the Canada Food Guide. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer. 2018/2019: Issue 6 What in the world? Le vel 1 Page 31