Eat Well

The over-all goal of Canada’s Food Guide is to help you

• Meet your needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients
• Reduce your risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis
• Enhance your overall health and vitality

With the release of the revised Canada’s Food Guide, many of people may wonder how this edition is different from the older one. The Government of Canada revised the daily nutritional recommendations to reflect nutritional needs based on gender and age. The new Food Guide outlines the nutritional recommendations for children (ages 2-3, 4-8 and 9-13), teens (ages 14-18 years) and adults (ages of 19-50 and older than 51).

Another notable difference is the greater emphasis on fruits and vegetables. If you recall, the previous Food Guide listed grain products as the primary focus, and the new guide’s focus includes fruits and vegetables. Canada’s Food Guide has also made an effort to include a larger variety of foods.

The new guide emphasizes physical activity; it recommends building 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity into daily life for adults and at least 90 minutes a day for children and youth. If you are not currently incorporating physical activity into your daily life, the guide recommends you start slowly by adding up exercise periods of at least 10 minutes at a time for adults and five minutes at a time for children and youth.

A closer look at serving sizes…

When discussing serving sizes look at the amount of food recommended.

Fruits and Vegetables

• 25 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned vegetable/fruit or 100% juice
• 250 mL (1 cup) leafy raw vegetables or salad
• 1 piece of fruit

Grain Products

• 1 slice (35 g) bread or ½ bagel (45 g)
• half of a pita (35 g) or ½ tortilla (35 g)
• 125 mL (½ cup) cooked rice, pasta, or couscous
• 30 g cold cereal or 175 mL (¾ cup) hot cereal

Milk and Alternatives

• 250 mL (1 cup) milk or fortified soy beverage
• 175 g (¾ cup) yogurt
• 50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese

Meat and Alternatives

• 75 g (2 ½ oz.) or 125 mL (½ cup) cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat
• 175 mL (¾ cup) cooked beans
• 2 eggs
• 30 mL (2 Tbsp) peanut butter

Making healthy choices

The following are some suggestions to keep in mind the next time you’re at the grocery store or eating out.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Eat at least one dark green (e.g. broccoli, romaine lettuce, and spinach) and one orange vegetable (e.g. carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash) each day
• Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt
• Enjoy vegetables steamed, baked or stir-fried instead of deep fried
• Opt for vegetables and fruit more often than juice

Grain Products

• Eat a variety of whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa and wild rice
• Enjoy whole grain breads, oatmeal and whole wheat pasta
• Choose grain products that are low in fat, sugar or salt
• Compare the Nutrition Facts table on labels to make wise choices
• Enjoy the true taste of grain products
• When adding sauces or spreads, use small amounts

Milk and Alternative

• Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day
• Have 500 mL (2 cups) of milk every day for adequate vitamin D
• Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk
• Select lower fat milk alternatives
• Compare the nutrition facts table on yogurts and cheeses to make wise choices

Meat and Alternatives

• Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often
• Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week. Choose fish such as char, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout
• Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt
• Trim visible fat from meats
• Remove the skin on poultry
• Use cooking methods like roasting, baking or poaching that require little or no added fat
• If you eat luncheon meats, sausages or prepackaged meats, choose those lower in salt (sodium) and fat

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