Canada's Food Guide

What 3 pieces of information were used to make a new food guide

For population: dietary needs, health and well-being, food accessibility and supply chain (what is locally available)

It is for the entire population of Canada

Areas of concern for the Canadian 2019 Food Guide (4)

CVD, cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis

Strengthened recommendations from rainbow 2007 food guide > 2019 (define and 2 examples)

Existed in the 2007 guideline but recommended even more now due to more evidence

↑ Fruit + vegetables = ↓ CVD risk, ↓ cancer risk

↑ Dietary fibre = ↓ CVD risk, ↓ cancer risk

New recommendations based on new findings not in previous 2007 food guide (2)

↑ glycemic index or load = ↑ risk of T2DM

↑ sugar-sweetened beverages = ↑ dental cavities in children

Why do these guidelines take so long to come out

Evidence must be solid

Does the current food guide use food groups?

NO - more geared towards macronutrients

More streamlined recommendations (proportional plate model) focused on nutrients in food vs. an arbitrary number of types of food to consume.

Dairy is reclassified as a protein-rich food, along with a general recommendation to consume more plant-based protein sources.

Are serving sizes recommended for specific foods in the new guide?

NO

replaced by “proportional plate” model

Big idea of 2019 guideline

Proportional plate model (pie chart) – relative proportions that are suggested

List 4 dietary recommendations from the new guideline

1. Choose protein-rich foods (~25% of diet)

2. Make water your drink of choice

3. Choose whole grain foods (~25% of diet)

4. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (~50% of diet)

List the 4 healthy eating recommendations from the new guideline

1. be mindful of your eating habits

2. cook more often

3. enjoy your food

4. eat meals with others

List 3 cautions from the new food guideline

1. use food labels

2. limit foods high in sodium, sugar, or saturated fat

3. be aware of food marketing

What does being mindful of your eating habits mean

being aware of how you eat, why you eat, what you eat, when you eat, where you eat, and how much you eat.

Those that are more aware of what they are eating are more likely to eat better

How to be mindful of your eating habits (3)

1. Create a healthy eating environment (e.g., make it easy to make healthy choices)

2. Use your senses to be mindful of the foods that you are consuming (aroma, texture, flavours, taste) and more conscious of the food you are eating

3. Consider your eating habits.

• Can you recall the details of the last time you ate?

• If so, then you were likely being mindful of your eating habits.

First step in picking the healthier food item over the other

Choose the one with LESS sugar, sodium, and saturated fats.

Some nutrients you may want MORE of include iron, fibre, calcium, and potassium.

Processed foods

have been specially treated or altered from their natural state, often by industrial food processes.

Often high in Na, sugars, sat fat

Unprocessed or minimally processed foods

GREEN (best)

foods do not undergo processing or minimal processing (i.e. grinding, pasteurization)

legumes, vegetables, fruits, eggs, chicken, milk

Processed culinary ingredients

YELLOW (good)

from minimally processed foods to season, cook

salt, sugar, oils, butter, other fats

Processed foods

ORANGE (worse)

unprocessed or minimally processed foods which have been added processed culinary ingredients. Industrialized

Bottled meat, veggies, bread, cheese, paste

Ultra-processed foods

Derived from foods being added cosmetic food additives not used in culinary

breast milk substitutes, junk foods, sugary drinks, hamburgers

High sodium can

lead to higher BP and heart disease

Increased sugar consumption leads to

increased risk of obesity and T2D

Sugary drinks increase risk of cavities in kids

Replacing foods that have mostly saturated fat with foods that have healthy fats can

help lower risk of heart disease

Excess consumption of processed meats is linked to

increased risk of colorectal cancer

Processing makes foods less ________ and more _________

nutrient dense, energy dense

Energy vs nutrient dense foods

• Energy dense foods have many Calories, but relatively few micronutrients per gram (“empty calories”), tend to be highly processed

• Nutrient dense foods have many micronutrients (e.g., vitamins, minerals) per gram and often fewer Calories, tend to be minimally processed, whole foods

What is another reason people choose to eat processed foods

may be more shelf stable or cheaper

What is the exception to processing makes foods less nutrient dense and more energy dense

Fortified and enriched foods

What are enriched and fortified foods in general

gain (some) nutrients through processing, often to meet a need in the population (e.g., iodized salt)

Fortified vs enriched foods

• Fortified have NEW nutrients added that are normally absent (e.g., vitamin D in dairy milk)

• Enriched have nutrients RETURNED that are removed during processing (e.g., enriched flour)

Any nutrient added to a food must be

listed on the nutrition label as well as the ingredient list

Example of food marketing

packaging

Why is food packaging a form of marketing

Food is often packaged so that it is VERY EASY to eat more than one serving at a time.

You don’t know what you’re eating because serving size is different from the amount you’ll eat (i.e. serving size half a muffin)

This makes the food you’re buying seem healthier than it is

Serving VS portion

Portion amount of food that you choose to eat for a single meal or snack. (DIFFER FROM PERSON TO PERSON)

Serving specific, measured amount of food or drink that is indicated on the label (ALWAYS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE)