Eat well with Canada’s new food guide

Kyla Wood, Public Health Dietician wants to get the word out on eating well with Canada’s Food guide

March is ‘Nutrition Month’ and with the first revision to Canada’s Food Guide in 15 years area dieticians want to get the word out that it is easy to eat well with Canada’s Food guide.

The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit dieticians say the food guide was updated to reflect changes in Canadian culture and changes in nutrition knowledge.

“Around our district as that’s the main focus of our Health Unit plan right now is to make sure that there’s awareness of the new food guide so people know it’s there and are using it in their every day lives,” said Kyla Wood, Public Health Dietician.

Woods explains that some of the major changes around the guide are where certain groups fall in the ark of the guide’s rainbow.

“There’s an increased focus on vegetables and fruit, It’s now switched roles with the grain products group and that is on the outer ark of the rainbow,” she explained.

“The food you need the most is on the outside of the ark and the food with the least emphasis is on the inner ark, so vegetables and fruit there is a big emphasis with the food guide.”

The guide was originally introduced in July 1942 aimed at working around wartime food rationing, while trying to prevent nutritional deficiencies. The guide has been updated a number of times since then, and the latest revisions reflect today’s lifestyles and highlight ethnic foods as well as physical activity guidelines.

“Also it is more age and gender specific … there are recommendations for age and gender groups and there are 9 different categories.”

While the guide is designed to tell people what and how much they should eat, there still continues to be an number of barriers such as literacy skills and cost that prevent all Canadians for following the guide.

Wood says cost is a big factor that the health unity looks at every year in the ‘Price of Eating Well’ report. As well she does make certain recommendations that can help people meet the guidelines.

“Choose lower cost items that they can, buy fruits when they are in season, buy things locally and different like that, so that they can ensure that they are meeting their recommendations, but also doing it in a manner that is economical.”

“We do see that there is a disconnect between the amount people are making and the amount they would need for healthy food,” she continues.

“However, this food guide does try to focus more on that, in that it includes lower cost items like canned and frozen vegetables and fruit, but there is something we need to do is help make the standard successful for everyone.”

Wood says the health unit works with a number of community partners such schools, workplaces, and the media in order to make healthy eating easier.