In Honour of Nutrition Month: My 5 Favourite Things About Canada's Food Guide
In case you didn’t know, March is Nutrition Month in Canada. To get into the spirit of this hallowed month, it seemed only natural to write a blog post. Initially, however, I wasn’t sure what topic I should write on. I already talk so much about food and healthy eating!
This is me thinking about what my next blog post should be about.
With my writing, I like to take oft-talked about topics and figure out ways to explore fresh perspectives. I also enjoy playing devil’s advocate. So I decided to write about a topic that was quite controversial in the nutrition community this time last year: Canada’s new food guide. There were many negative opinions expressed online and in the news when the new guide was released in early 2019. And I think there was value in that response.
It’s important that people give criticism whenever new guidelines are set, dietary or otherwise. Criticism is necessary for improvement to happen - and of course we all want our nation’s food guide to be the best it can be. However, I think there’s been little recognition of the value of the updated food guide. I even venture to guess that some of the critics who spoke most harshly may not have taken much time to look at the food guide in detail. I think if they had, they would’ve seen it’s many strong points.
As someone who has read Canada’s Food Guide in detail, I’d like to highlight my 5 favourite things about it.
1) The Plate Model
One of the main criticisms of the new food guide is that the recommendations are general. The problem with this critique, however, is that it doesn’t acknowledge that the food guide is meant to be used by the general population. That means that the recommendations given need to be very adaptable and practical. In my opinion, the Plate Model is just that.
When following the Plate Model, make sure 1/2 of your plate is filled up with fruits and vegetables, 1/4 with protein-rich foods, and 1/4 with whole grains. Source: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
If you think back to the 2007 food guide, you might remember that the guidelines it gave were far more specific. It recommended a certain number of servings for each food group, depending on your age and gender, that you should aim to eat in a day. It also provided information on what amount counted as a single serving for various foods in each food group. 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables is one serving, 3 oz of cheese is one serving, etc.
Let’s just be honest with ourselves for a second though. How often do we measure out the food we eat? Who keeps track of how many servings of each food group they’ve eaten in a day - every day? If you have ever measured out your food and counted your servings, how long were you able to keep that up for? In contrast, doing a quick check of your plate to make sure it’s 1/2 fruits and/or veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 grains is simple and can be easily done each day.
I also think that the general nature of the Plate Model helps to address cultural diversity. The 2007 food guide got a lot of heat for only depicting examples of North American or European foods. I think that the Plate Model is an improvement because it leaves food choices more open-ended, so you can choose the options you enjoy from your own culture. That 1/2 plate of veggies can be taken up by spinach or napa cabbage or collard greens - the list goes on. Generalized guidelines give people the autonomy to make eating decisions that fit their own lifestyle.
In addition, I want to mention how I like the suggestion to make water your drink of choice. Some critics seemed to interpret this as an affront to the dairy industry. I think this was a misinterpretation. From my point of view, this recommendation was made to help people cut down on their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (ie: pop, juices). It’s vital that dietary guidelines be evidence-based. The evidence shows that the more sugar-sweetened beverages you drink, the higher your risk of chronic disease (ex: diabetes, heart disease, cancer). Drinking more water is a disease prevention strategy.
2) The Social Aspect of Nutrition
One healthy eating habit recommended in Canada’s Food Guide is to eat meals with others. I think this is great! I feel that, at times, too much emphasis is placed on the nutritional value of food and not enough on the social value. Many of us live such busy lives, we find it hard to make the time to sit down to share a meal with others. But Health Canada urges Canadians to make that time so we can reap the many benefits.
Source: food-guide.canada.ca/en/
Everyone can gain something from sharing a meal with others. It’s an opportunity to connect with friends, neighbours, or coworkers to hear about what’s going on in their life. When you enjoy a meal with people from different cultures or generations, you might get introduced to new delicious foods you’ve never tried before. Also, sitting down to eat as a family is a great way for parents/caregivers to be a positive role model for kids and teach them healthy eating habits. Eating together is an excellent way to maintain strong relationships and pass down cultural dishes or food traditions.
Another thing I like about this portion of the food guide is the suggestion to share meals with the seniors in your life. Many elderly people tend to live alone, which can cause feelings of loneliness and depression. Those emotions can decrease appetite, which could lead to malnutrition and declining health. When you eat a meal with a senior, you’ll help them to feel less isolated, more motivated to eat, and they’ll enjoy their meal more.
3) Healthy Eating on a Budget
Source: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
Anyone who’s made a trip to a grocery store knows that food prices keep increasing. Many people want to eat healthier, but worry about the financial costs that come along with changing your eating habits. Luckily, Canada’s Food Guide has lots of suggestions on how to eat healthy when you’re on a budget.
My favourite tip they give is about how food companies will pay more money to have their products placed at eye level in stores. To balance out the cost of better placement, those products are usually more expensive. Often you can find more cost-effective versions of the same foods by looking at higher or lower shelves. I also like the helpful advice on shopping for one, since not everyone lives with family or a partner.
4) The Influence of Food Marketing
Countless factors influence our food choices. These factors include our upbringing, personal likes/dislikes, and what other around us are eating. Another, ubiquitous, factor is marketing, in its many forms. Messaging about food and eating trends is essentially unavoidable. It can be found on every social media platform, TV shows, commercials, and online advertisements.
Source: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
I’m so glad that Canada’s Food Guide points out these facts and explains how food marketing can bias our food choices. Not only does the guide call out advertisers, it also provides tips and resources for consumers so they can make their own food choices rather than rely on marketing messages. A guide on how to read food labels is provided so you can learn how to determine, all by yourself, whether a product is healthy.
I also like the useful questions Health Canada suggests you ask yourself before you buy a food or drink. For example, do you want to buy that product because you think it’s cool or trendy? Or do you want to buy it because you think it’ll provide some nutritional benefit? The advice they give is not only great for adults; it can be taught to kids and teens, who are heavily targeted by marketing.
5) The Emphasis on Cooking
Ready-made meals from grocery stores and restaurant delivery services have become incredibly popular. While I realize that people use these resources because of their busy lifestyles, I can’t help but feel like cooking is becoming a lost art. That’s so unfortunate because there are so many benefits of cooking. It can be a social activity when enjoyed with others. Cooking can also help you eat healthier because you can choose whole ingredients, like produce and lean proteins, to use in your recipes.
Aren’t you in luck? You can find practical tips on how you can cook more often in Canada’s Food Guide. The food guide provides examples of dishes that store well in the freezer, which makes them ideal for cooking in big batches and saving for days when you have no time to cook.
There are also suggestions on which ingredients to keep stocked in your kitchen so you can whip together a quick meal when you need to. For example, keep frozen vegetables around to use as a side dish and have canned tuna/salmon in your pantry so you can use it to make a sandwich or add it to a salad. Health Canada even recommends certain kitchen appliances to make life easier. Like a pressure cooker, which reduces cooking duration and saves you time.
Source: food-guide.canada.ca/en/
And those are just a few of my favourite things. Canada’s Food Guide is loaded with practical tips and nifty ideas. It also has lots of great recipes. Since a food blog post isn’t complete without a recipe, I’ll leave you with one from the Canada’s Food Guide website. Try out shakshuka, a versatile egg dish.
To get the recipe, follow this link:
If you’d like more information about Nutrition Month, go to:
https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/NutritionMonth-2020.aspx
And if you want to learn even more things about Canada’s Food Guide, check it out here:
https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
Did you click on the links? Did you find anything that was surprising or interesting to you?