Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

Eating Well with Canada’s Food GuideIn February, 2007, Health Canada released its new Food Guide to reflect the latest changes to the Canadian diet. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is encouraged by its emphasis on more heart-healthy choices.

By following the recommendations in Canada's Food Guide, you can be assured you’ll meet your daily requirements for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, helping you to achieve overall health and vitality. You’ll also reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease.

The new Food Guide recommends:

  • Eating plenty of vegetables and fruit. Every day, include a dark green (such as broccoli, asparagus and romaine lettuce) and an orange (such as carrots and sweet potato) vegetable.
  • Making half of your grain products whole grain (such as brown and wild rice, bulgur, quinoa and oatmeal) each day.
  • Serving fish twice a week (such as rainbow trout, salmon and sardines). See Health Canada’s advice on limiting exposure to mercury from certain types of fish.
  • Including beans, lentils and tofu (meat alternatives) more often in your diet.
  • Drinking lower fat milk and milk alternatives such as fortified soy beverages. Be aware that other fortified drinks such as orange juice, rice, almond and potato do not contain the same level of protein found in milk or soy.
  • Using unsaturated oils such as canola, olive, and soybean as well as non-hydrogenated margarines (no more than 30 to 45 mL/2 to 3 tbsp a day).
  • Taking a Vitamin D supplement if you are over the age of 50. If you are planning on becoming pregnant, take a multivitamin that contains folic acid. Once pregnant, your supplements should also contain iron.
  • Being active for 30 to 60 minutes every day, most days of the week. Children need physical activity for 60 to 90 minutes every day.

The new Food Guide also recommends limiting:

  • foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt
  • saturated fats from fatty meats, butter, lard, shortening and hard margarines
  • trans fats in such foods as doughnuts, cookies and other baked goods
  • salt (sodium)
  • sugar in such items as soft drinks and desserts

Canada’s Food Guide also outlines the number of servings we should eat from each of the four food groups and provides guidance on portion sizes. The recommended number of serving sizes is based on age and gender. Look at the chart below to find your recommended number of Food Guide servings per day. Remember that it is just the average amount that people should try to eat each day.

Recommended number of Food Guide Servings per day

Children

Teens

Adults

2-3

4-8

9-13

14-18 Years

19-50 Years

51+ Years


Girls and Boys

Females

Males

Females

Males

Females

Males

Vegetables and Fruit

4

5

6

7

8

7-8

8-10

7

7

Grain Products

3

4

6

6

7

6-7

8

6

7

Milk and Alternatives

2

2

3-4

3-4

3-4

2

2

3

3

Meat and Alternatives

1

1

1-2

2

3

2

3

2

3

The eating pattern also includes a small amount (30 to 45 mL or about 2 to 3 tablespoons) of unsaturated fat each day.
What does one Food Guide serving look like?

Vegetables and fruit:

1 cup (250 mL)

raw lettuce or spinach

½ cup (125 mL)

frozen or canned vegetables or fruit

1 medium

piece of fresh fruit or vegetable

½ cup (125 mL)

100% fruit or vegetable juice


Grain Products:

1 slice

bread

½ piece

bagel, pita or flat breads

½ cup (125 mL)

cooked rice, couscous or pasta

¾ cup (175 mL)

hot cereal

30 g (1 oz)

cold cereal


Milk and Alternative:

1 cup (250 mL)

milk or fortified soy beverages

¾ cup (175 mL)

yogurt or kefir

50 g (1.5 oz)

cheese


Meat and Alternatives:

75 g (2.5 oz)
or ½ cup (125mL)

cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat

¾ cup (175 mL)

cooked legumes

3/4 cup (175 mL)

tofu

2

eggs

2 Tbsp (30 mL)

peanut or nut butters

¼ cup (60 mL)

shelled nuts or seeds


Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and MétisThere is also an Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Métis. This national Food Guide reflects the values, traditions and food choices of Aboriginal people.

Food Guide Web-based tools:

My Food Guide by Health Canada allows you to build your own Food Guide with foods that you like. The wide selection of foods from each of the four food groups, including multicultural food choices can help you plan your meals and snacks. www.myfoodguide.ca

EATracker by Dietitians of Canada lets you track your day's food and activity intake and compares them to the guidelines laid out by Health Canada’s new Food Guide according to your age, gender, and activity level. www.eatracker.ca

Read Canada’s Food Guide www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

Last reviewed May 2007.