Last year there was a big update to the Canada Food Guide and yesterday my daughter printed up a food guide tailored for my sex and age group. I thought this was great so I took a look again today and there is a real wealth of information.
Even if you are not Canadian I believe that the Canada food guide is relevant to everyone. Having such a huge agricultural economy and history makes Canadians more aware and willing to let the government spend money on research and information to find out what is important when it comes to food.
Be aware though that we have the same obesity problems here in Canada that other western nations have. Here are some of the highlights (with links) to stuff on the Canada Food Guide website.
What Foods does the Canada Food Guide Reccomend?
The food guide this year as in past years looks at fruits and vegetables, grain products, Milk and alternatives (cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt), and Meat and alternatives (beef, chicken, fish, etc)
The table below shows the numbers but in real fact there is more to it.
Children | Teens | Adults | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age in Years | 2-3 | 4-8 | 9-13 | 14-18 years | 19-50 years | 51 + years | |||
Sex | 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 |
As you can see above there is also a big breakdown in age and as well as male and female. One of the big changes I found is looking at the nutrients that people are short of like older adults 50+ needing more vitamin D.
Canada Food Guide Stuff to Read, Create, and Print
Here is a link to your own Canada food guide that is personalized (like my daughter printed for me).
Canada Food Guide to choosing foods from lots of different categories
Canada Food Guide – Servings Tracker
So there are a few things to check out. I wrote an earlier article a while ago about the Canada Food Guide but this info is a lot better now than it was before. There is a wealth of info in the Canada Food Guide that can help you out.