Say what! More fruit, vegetables and whole grains! Less meat, and where did the cheese go?
Eat a variety of healthy foods each day.
It was refreshing to see the headline on the morning of January 22, 2019, as reported by CTV News, “Canada's Food Guide recommends we eat more plants, less meat”, followed by, “Meat and dairy are out. Plants and water are in.” Don't panic. Meat and dairy are still in the guide, but the emphasis on these foods is downplayed and is now embedded in a broader category of protein foods. It was refreshing that the reporting concisely sums up the new guide's new focus. It was not just CTV News reporting the new focus clearly and accurately but looking across other Canadian news organizations the reporting was consistent.
The revised nutritional guidelines for Canada recommend:
- Choosing foods with healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish, vegetable oils, and soft margarine. This means avoiding meats, dairy products, some processed foods, palm oil, and coconut oil.
- Limit highly processed foods because of their high salt, processed sugar, and saturated fat content. Now to limit means, they should not be part of your day-to-day eating patterns. Unfortunately for most people, this is the stuff they say makes life living for: sugary drinks, chocolate, candies, ice cream, frozen desserts, fast foods like French fries, burgers, frozen entrées such as pasta dishes and pizzas, bakery products such as muffins, buns and cakes, and processed meats such as sausages and deli meats.
- Use food labels to help you select foods, and be aware that food marketing can influence your choices.
- Make water your drink of choice.
The recommendations may appear a little dire, and you may well question how they got to these specific recommendations. The Government of Canada did something novel. The politicians and managers let scientific experts write the initial recommendations, using the current state of the science of nutrition and health to help determine healthy food choices. You might be thinking that's not novel weren't all the food guides based on science? Yes, in part. However, they also would, from the start, incorporate the options, and tainted science of special interest groups like: the lobby groups for the meat and dairy sectors, large food processors, international beverage companies and so forth. With this iteration of the guide, they started with creditable convincing science and only the science. Once drafted, the process was opened up for public review and input. Next, the final version was created with supporting material. The guide is more than a list of what to eat and what not to eat.
It is a completely new food guide, based on new underpinnings, the science of nutrition. The food groups have been reworked, and portion sizes are gone. Counting portions and calorie counting are not effective for the majority of people therefore the core guide is re-engineered to eliminate the need for counting calories and measuring portion size. By avoiding processed foods, fast foods, animal flesh, and dairy products the majority of densely caloric foods are not in your diet, and by adding more plant foods, in particular whole plant foods, you are eating foods that digest slower, add to satiety, and less caloric dense foods. As the guide illustrates with half your plates filled with fruit and vegetables you're eating from the least of the least dense caloric foods.
The new food guide, for the first time, considers the culture of eating. The new food guide incorporates the many foods that are unique to the various ethnic cultures that are represented in Canada. The food guide provides recipes to encourage Canadians to make their own meals at home. It is a holistic approach to our food, and we recommend you explore the Food Guide Canada for yourself.
Health Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to eat more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and healthier plant-based protein options, like beans, nuts, and tofu more often. Health Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to select healthier fats such as those found in foods like avocados and peanut butter, over saturated fats like those found in meat and cheese. Health Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to drink water over soft drinks, fruit juice, flavoured milk or alcohol. Lastly, Health Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to choose home-cooked meals over processed foods. The Health Canada’s Food Guide embodies the type Evidence-Based Living in Practice we live by.
We also encourage you to explore and revisit our site. We publish resources that adhere to these guidelines and provide you with additional recipes that you will, hopefully, find useful and delicious.
Simple Vegetable and Pasta Soup
Roast Beets to bring out their natural sweetness.
The recipes look great and I’m looking forward to trying them. Thanks for sharing