A Holistic Perspective of The New Food Guide

The Canadian Food Guide has been updated! It’s been a long time coming. The last update was in 2007, which is why I always encourage plenty of self-education when it comes to food, mainly because information on health and nutrition is always evolving.

I’m not too sure how many people really use Canada’s Food Guide as a personal reference point, but I do know that it plays a significant role in our schools, hospitals, and care facilities. For this reason alone, I am thrilled about the improvements.

Although it’s not perfect, here are a few things I love about the modifications and a few things I’m not loving:

What’s Great:

  • Water is recommended as the choice beverage.
  • The new “Protein” category helps everyone understand that there are plenty of ways to meet your protein needs, and also encourages plant-based proteins.
  • Discusses healthy food habits such as eating with family, mindful eating, reading food labels, and cooking more often.
  • Cautions food marketing which doesn’t always have our best interests in mind.

What I Don’t Love:

  • The new visually appealing plate doesn’t have a designated section for healthy fats. We’ve come such a long way with the importance of dietary fat awareness (particularly the saturated fat myth) so I was disappointed to see this was missing. Also, they recommend margarine and mostly vegetable oils which I don’t agree with. Vegetable oils can be inflammatory if over consumed and we get plenty in pre-packaged foods.
  • They don’t differentiate between canned, frozen, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I think this is important to address.
  • ¾ of the plate is composed of carbohydrates without addressing blood sugar. Although visually appealing and healthful, a plate full of fruits and vegetables will still spike insulin levels which could negatively affect overall health. I feel the impact food combinations play on our blood sugar should have been addressed.

In summary, I feel it’s a great improvement but still fairly vague. What are your thoughts on the new food guide?

Our Vince’s Power Up Program Mission is simply to educate our customers on the importance of using  food as fuel.  For all your Power Up news make sure you check out Vince’s FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.  Also make sure to follow @VincesMarket and #powerupwithvinces, sign up for our Power Up Newsletter and keep an eye out for more nutrition tips and tricks.

Danielle

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