Canada's new Food Guide unveiled on January 22

Jan 22 2019, 8:05 am

Canada’s Food Guide has been under review and revision over the past several years, and the final version of the first phase of the updated document has finally just been revealed to the public.

On January 22, Canada’s Minister of Health, The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, unveiled the new Food Guide at the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal.

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The new version has some key differences from the 2007 version (the last updated Guide), most notably, the emphasis on plant-based proteins, as shown as a staple in a newly-released image:

Canada Food Guide

Canada Food Guide

Taylor noted the Guide now “reflects Canada of 2019 while keeping an eye to the Canada of the future.”

Informed with scientific evidence and experienced dietician recommendations, the new Guide focuses more on what, when, and how we eat, and focuses less on food groups and serving sizes.

The Food Guide also promotes cooking more often, eating with others, and integrating fun into every day eating.

“It doesn’t need to be complicated, folks, it just needs to be nutritious,” said Taylor, called the Guide much more than just a “powerful resource,” much more than just a colourful page.

Canada Food Guide

Canada Food Guide

The new Guide shows a plate divided into three sections with a huge emphasis on fruit and vegetables, protein foods (many alternative proteins like beans and tofu), and whole grains.

As expected, the updated Guide also advises the benefits of limiting highly processed foods.

The reveal also touched on the fact that over the past ten years Canadians’ technological needs had changed alongside their nutritional needs.

Taylor noted there were no such things as iPhones at the revision of the last guide, and said “this edition was updated with the latest nutritional science and the technological changes too,” easily accessible to people online along with an interactive website.

While previous food guides were static documents, this 2019 version will continue to be updated with the latest dietary knowledge throughout the coming years.

The new guide underwent two phases of public consultation where Canadians could submit feedback for the guide, which is commonly used in public healthcare facilities, schools, and daycares.

The first revision of the guide, released on Tuesday, is the “new dietary guidance policy report for health professionals and policy makers.”

Later in 2019, the second phase, which will be a new dietary guidance policy report (healthy eating patterns and recommended amounts and types of foods) will be released.

Check out the new guide for yourself and see how our recommended nutrition has changed over the past ten years.

Hanna McLeanHanna McLean

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