12
Canada’s Food Guides from 1942 to 2007
New Features of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide
Designed as an “all-in-one tool,” the 2007 version of the Food Guide addressed some of the challenges
identified in the 1992 Guide while building on its strengths of flexibility, simplicity, visual appeal,wide-spread
awareness and consistency with the then current science.
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Features of the 2007 Food Guide included:
¡ A new format as a six-page fold-out booklet.
¡ The Vegetables and Fruit food group positioned as the most prominent arc in the rainbow design,
representing the important role that this group plays in a healthy eating pattern.
¡ More guidance on the quality of food choices that focuses on risk reduction for chronic illness
andobesity while meeting nutrient requirements for most Canadians.
¡ Food intake patterns for nine age and sex groups, providing specific guidance on number of
servingsfor children over 2 years, adults over 50 years, and women (pregnant, breastfeeding
andthose who could become pregnant).
¡ The name of the Milk Products group changed to Milk and Alternatives to acknowledge other
foodsources of calcium such as fortified soy beverage for non-milk drinkers.
¡ Guidance on the amount and type of added oils and fats to consume. Encourages the reduction
intrans fats and the replacement of saturated with unsaturated fats.
¡ For Canadians over age 50 a daily vitamin D supplement recommended.
¡ Encourages regular physical activity as a benefit along with eating well.
¡ A tailored Food Guide for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people recognizing the importance of
bothtraditional and store-bought foods in contemporary food patterns of Aboriginal people.
¡ A greater variety and more ethnically diverse choices of foods pictured in print and
web-based resources.
¡ Specific information on using the food label to choose healthy foods.
Inside Fold-out For Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide
Advice for different ages and stages…
How do I count Food Guide Servings in a meal?
Here is an example:
Eat well and be active today and every day!
For more information, interactive
tools, or additional copies visit
Canada’s Food Guide on-line at:
www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide
or contact:
Publications
Health Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Tel.: 1-866-225-0709
Fax: (613) 941-5366
TTY: 1-800-267-1245
Également disponible en français sous le titre :
Bien manger avec le Guide alimentaire canadien
This publication can be made available on
request on diskette, large print, audio-cassette
and braille.
The benefits of eating well and being active include:
• Better overall health. • Feeling and looking better.
• Lower risk of disease. • More energy.
• A healthy body weight. • Stronger muscles and bones.
Be active
To be active every day is a step towards better health and a healthy body weight.
It is recommended that adults accumulate at least 2
1
⁄2 hours of moderate to vigorous
physical activity each week and that children and youth accumulate at least 60 minutes
per day. You don’t have to do it all at once. Choose a variety of activities spread
throughout the week.
Start slowly and build up.
Eat well
Another important step towards better health and a healthy body weight is to follow
Canada’s Food Guide by:
• Eating the recommended amount and type of food each day.
• Limiting foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt (sodium) such as cakes and
pastries, chocolate and candies, cookies and granola bars, doughnuts and muffins, ice cream
and frozen desserts, french fries, potato chips, nachos and other salty snacks, alcohol, fruit
flavoured drinks, soft drinks, sports and energy drinks, and sweetened hot or cold drinks.
Read the label
• Compare the Nutrition Facts table on food
labels to choose products that contain less
fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar
and sodium.
• Keep in mind that the calories and
nutrients listed are for the amount of
food found at the top of the Nutrition
Facts table.
Limit trans fat
When a Nutrition Facts table is not available, ask
for nutrition information to choose foods lower in
trans and saturated fats.
Take a step today…
3 Have breakfast every day. It may help
control your hunger later in the day.
3 Walk wherever you can – get off the
bus early, use the stairs.
3 Benefit from eating vegetables and fruit
at all meals and as snacks.
3 Spend less time being inactive such as
watching TV or playing computer games.
3 Request nutrition
information about
menu items when
eating out to help
you make healthier
choices.
3 Enjoy eating with
family and friends!
3 Take time to eat and
savour every bite!
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Health Canada, 2011. This publication may be reproduced without permission.
No changes permitted. HC Pub.: 4651 Cat.: H164-38/1-2011E-PDF ISBN: 978-1-100-19255-0
Nutrition Facts
Per 0 mL (0 g)
Amount % Daily Value
Calories 0
Fat 0 g 0 %
Saturates 0 g 0 %
+ Trans 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg 0 %
Carbohydrate 0 g 0 %
Fibre 0 g 0 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 0 g
Vitamin A 0 % Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 0 % Iron 0 %
Eating
Well with
Canada’s
Food Guide
Vegetable and beef stir-fry with rice, a glass of milk and an apple for dessert
250 mL (1 cup) mixed broccoli,
carrot and sweet red pepper
=
2 Vegetables and Fruit Food Guide Servings
75 g (2
1
⁄2
oz.) lean beef
=
1 Meat and Alternatives Food Guide Serving
250 mL (1 cup) brown rice
=
2 Grain Products Food Guide Servings
5 mL (1 tsp) canola oil
=
part of your Oils and Fats intake for the day
250 mL (1 cup) 1% milk
=
1 Milk and Alternatives Food Guide Serving
1 apple
=
1 Vegetables and Fruit Food Guide Serving
Children
Following Canada’s Food Guide helps
children grow and thrive.
Young children have small appetites and
need calories for growth and
development.
• Serve small nutritious meals and snacks
each day.
• Do not restrict nutritious foods because
of their fat content. Offer a variety of
foods from the four food groups.
• Most of all... be a good role model.
Women of childbearing age
All women who could become pregnant
and those who are pregnant or
breastfeeding need a multivitamin
containing folic acid every day.
Pregnant women need to ensure that
their multivitamin also contains iron.
A health care professional can help you
find the multivitamin that’s right for you.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women need
more calories. Include an extra 2 to 3
Food Guide Servings
each day.
Here are two
examples:
• Have fruit and yogurt
for a snack, or
• Have an extra
slice of toast at
breakfast and an
extra glass of milk
at supper.
Men and women over 50
The need for vitamin D increases after
the age of 50.
In addition to following Canada’s Food
Guide, everyone over the age of 50 should
take a daily vitamin D supplement of
10 µg (400 IU).