Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating
Encyclopedia
Canada's Food Guide is a nutrition guide produced by Health Canada
. It is the second most requested Canadian government publication behind the Income Tax
Forms. The Health Canada webistie states: "The overall purpose of dietary guidance is to identify and promote a pattern of eating that meets nutrient needs and reduces the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease." Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide was developed for Canadians and is accessible for all Canadians. It includes guidelines for eating the right food groups, specified by age group and gender. There are also tips for which foods to choose, the servings size of each food and the best cooking methods. Also included are tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body weight with physical activity.
Any foods not accurately described by these food groups are deemed "other" and are advised to be consumed in moderation.
and individuals are advised that most of their food consumption be from this food group. Vegetables and fruits are known to contain many beneficial substances such as flavonoids, which may help remove carcinogens from the body, as well as antioxidants such as vitamin C
and beta carotene, which help prevent oxidation damage by free radicals. A diet that includes a variety of vegetables and fruit can help reduce the risk of some types of cancer
, heart disease
, and stroke
. Consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables is recommended by the guide.
, selenium
, zinc
, magnesium
and phytochemicals. Eating a "diet rich in whole grains could also help reduce the risk of heart disease".
, yogurt, cream
, kefir
and fortified soy beverages. Canadian milk and many milk products are required to be fortified with Vitamin D
. This helps Canadians get their daily recommended intake of Vitamin D if they consume the adequate amount of milk and alternatives each day.
in the diet. This group includes animal meat sources as well as alternatives such as nuts and lentils. Meat and alternatives are also a source of zinc
, magnesium
and B vitamins. This is the smallest arc on Canada's Food Guide ribbon, meaning that only a few servings from this group will satisfy the nutritional requirements of an individual.
Unsaturated vegetable oils include canola oil, corn oil
, flaxseed oil, olive oil
, peanut oil
, soybean oil
, and sunflower oil
.
as the primary beverage. It is a calorie-free, fat-free, sugar-free thirst quencher that is essential to the body's metabolic functions. Consumption of water should increase with temperature or an individual's physical activity. The guide also recommends avoiding beverages with added sugar or fat. Caffeinated beverages, unpasteurized fruit juices and energy drinks should only be consumed in moderation.
Vegetables and Fruit
Grain Products
Milk and Alternatives
Meat and Alternatives
Health Canada
Health Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.The current Minister of Health is Leona Aglukkaq, a Conservative Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Branches, regions and agencies:Health Canada...
. It is the second most requested Canadian government publication behind the Income Tax
Income taxes in Canada
Income taxes in Canada constitute the majority of the annual revenues of the Government of Canada, and of the governments of the Provinces of Canada...
Forms. The Health Canada webistie states: "The overall purpose of dietary guidance is to identify and promote a pattern of eating that meets nutrient needs and reduces the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease." Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide was developed for Canadians and is accessible for all Canadians. It includes guidelines for eating the right food groups, specified by age group and gender. There are also tips for which foods to choose, the servings size of each food and the best cooking methods. Also included are tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body weight with physical activity.
History
Canada's first food guide was introduced in July 1942 to provide guidance to Canadians on proper nutrition during a period of time when wartime rations were common. The 1942 version was called the Official Food Rules. In 1944 the guide was revised and renamed Canada's Food Rules. In 1962, the guidelines were revised and renamed to Canada's Food Guide.Food Groups
Canada's Food Guide has four food groups. These include:- VegetableVegetableThe noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s and fruitFruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,... - Grain products
- MilkMilkMilk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and alternatives - MeatMeatMeat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
and alternatives
Any foods not accurately described by these food groups are deemed "other" and are advised to be consumed in moderation.
Vegetables and Fruit
The Vegetable and Fruit arc on the Canada's Food Guide label is the largest,and individuals are advised that most of their food consumption be from this food group. Vegetables and fruits are known to contain many beneficial substances such as flavonoids, which may help remove carcinogens from the body, as well as antioxidants such as vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
and beta carotene, which help prevent oxidation damage by free radicals. A diet that includes a variety of vegetables and fruit can help reduce the risk of some types of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, and stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables is recommended by the guide.
Grain Products
Grain products are essential to the diet. They provide carbohydrates for energy and whole grain products can be a source of fibre and are typically low in fat. Whole grain products can be rich sources of many nutrients that help in disease prevention, such as dietary fibre, B vitaminsB vitamins
B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. The B vitamins were once thought to be a single vitamin, referred to as vitamin B . Later research showed that they are chemically distinct vitamins that often coexist in the same foods...
, selenium
Selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
and phytochemicals. Eating a "diet rich in whole grains could also help reduce the risk of heart disease".
Milk and Alternatives
Milk and alternatives are essential to the body to maintain bone health. This food group includes milk and dairy products such as cheeseCheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, yogurt, cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
, kefir
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink that originated with shepherds of the North Caucasus region, who discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage...
and fortified soy beverages. Canadian milk and many milk products are required to be fortified with Vitamin D
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids. In humans, vitamin D is unique both because it functions as a prohormone and because the body can synthesize it when sun exposure is adequate ....
. This helps Canadians get their daily recommended intake of Vitamin D if they consume the adequate amount of milk and alternatives each day.
Meat and Alternatives
Meat and alternatives are a source of proteinProtein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
in the diet. This group includes animal meat sources as well as alternatives such as nuts and lentils. Meat and alternatives are also a source of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
and B vitamins. This is the smallest arc on Canada's Food Guide ribbon, meaning that only a few servings from this group will satisfy the nutritional requirements of an individual.
Oils and Fats
"Include a small amount - 30 to 45 mL (2 to 3 Tbsp) - of unsaturated fat each day to get the fat you need".Unsaturated vegetable oils include canola oil, corn oil
Corn oil
Corn oil is oil extracted from the germ of corn . Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some margarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils. One bushel of corn...
, flaxseed oil, olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
, peanut oil
Peanut oil
Peanut oil is an organic material oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the aroma and taste of its parent legume....
, soybean oil
Soybean oil
Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean . It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. As a drying oil, processed soybean oil is also used as a base for printing inks and oil paints...
, and sunflower oil
Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil expressed from sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil was first industrially produced in 1835 in the Russian Empire.- Composition :Sunflower oil is mainly a...
.
Beverages
The guide recommends waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
as the primary beverage. It is a calorie-free, fat-free, sugar-free thirst quencher that is essential to the body's metabolic functions. Consumption of water should increase with temperature or an individual's physical activity. The guide also recommends avoiding beverages with added sugar or fat. Caffeinated beverages, unpasteurized fruit juices and energy drinks should only be consumed in moderation.
Serving Size
Canada's Food Guide has also provided guides to how much of each specific food is equal to one serving. Here are the guides:Vegetables and Fruit
Grain Products
Milk and Alternatives
Meat and Alternatives