Presenting Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

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Objectives

• Review the evidence and process used in the development of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (2007)

• Present key content of the Food Guide

• Highlight key features of the Food Guide website and the Resource for Educators and Communicators

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Eating Well with Canada’ Food Guide

• Is based on current evidence

• Communicates amounts and types of food needed to help:• Meet nutrient needs and promote health • Minimize the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart

disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis

• Provides the cornerstone for nutrition policies and programs

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Evidence used to develop Canada’s Food Guide

• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

• Association between foods and chronic diseases

• Research and consultation activities• Review of the previous Food Guide• Review of the environmental context• Stakeholder consultation• Focus group testing

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Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

• DRIs are a set of nutrient reference values• For vitamins, minerals, macronutrients and energy

• Used modelling to develop the eating pattern• Examined different combinations of amounts and

types of food to find an eating pattern that would meet nutrient needs

• Used DRI nutrient reference values and assessment methods to determine if the eating pattern was satisfactory

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Vitamins and minerals

• Assessed against Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) when available or Adequate Intake (AI)

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

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Macronutrients

• Assessed using Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs)

AMDRs

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

Age group

Percent calories from

Carbohydrates Protein Fat

1-3 yrs

45-65 %

5-20% 30-40%

4-18 yrs 10-30% 25-35%

19 yrs + 10-35% 20-35%

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Energy

• Assessed median energy content of diets against Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) for reference individuals

• To avoid overestimation of energy requirements, a sedentary level of activity was considered in the EER formula

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

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Association between foods and chronic diseases

• Review based on two key reports:

• WHO/FAO Joint Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (2003)

• US 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report

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Association between foods and chronic diseases

• Convincing evidence • ↑ Vegetables and fruit: ↓CVD and ↓ Cancer• ↑ Whole grains: ↓ CVD• ↑ Fish: ↓ CVD

• Food intake pattern reviewed for consistency• Consistent with vegetables, fruit and whole grains• Added statement “Eat at least two Food Guide

Servings of fish each week.”

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Research and consultation activities

• Review of the previous Food Guide

• Review of the environmental context

• Stakeholder consultation• Online consultation (over 6000 responses)• Two sets of regional meetings (2005 & 2006)

• Focus group testing • All 3 components of the Food Guide package

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Advisory Committees

• DRI Expert Advisory Committee• Provided advice on the development of the

eating pattern in Canada’s Food Guide

• Food Guide Advisory Committee• Provided guidance on communicating the eating

pattern on Canada’s Food Guide

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Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

• Rainbow design emphasizes vegetables and fruit

• Background image depicts connection between food and their origin

• Graphics reflect diversity of foods available in Canada

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A healthy eating pattern for Canadians

• The interior pages provide guidance on quantity of food to eat and quality of food choices

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A note on calories and the eating pattern

• The Food Guide will meet nutrient needs but not necessarily calorie needs

• Calorie needs and food choices vary among individuals

• If more calories are needed, emphasize more food from the food groups to maintain macronutrient profile

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Guidance on the quantity of food• Guidance is given for

males and females, 2 years and older:• Children, teens and

adults

• A small amount of unsaturated fats is recommended• For intake of essential

fatty acids

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What is one Food Guide Serving?

• A “Food Guide Serving” is:• A reference amount• Not necessarily intended to represent what would

be eaten in one sitting

• Illustrations and different measures are used to help communicate what is one Food Guide Serving

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Counting Food Guide Servings

• An example is provided illustrating how to estimate the number of Food Guide Servings in a meal

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Guidance on the quality of food choices• Oils and fats • The types of oils and fats to include and the

types to limit

• Choices within each food group• Guidance on lower fat / sugar / salt choices (ex:

“Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.”)

• The Food Guide includes more guidance on quality of choices

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Guidance on the quality of food choices: Vegetables and Fruit

• Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day • For folate and vitamin A intake

• Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice • For fibre intake

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Guidance on the quality of food choices: Grain Products

• Make at least half your grain products whole grain each day• For fibre and magnesium intake• To reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

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Guidance on the quality of food choices: Milk and Alternatives

• Drink skim, 1%, or 2% milk each day• For calcium and vitamin D intake

• Have 500 mL (2 cups) of milk every day for adequate vitamin D

• Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk

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Guidance on the quality of food choices: Meat and Alternatives

• Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often• For a lower saturated fat intake• For fibre intake

• Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week• To reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

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Make each Food Guide Serving count….

• Advice on the quality of food choices is an essential part of the pattern• Bolded statements provide advice on quality of choices

• Statements in regular font provide actionable tips

• Messages on variety and water

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Advice for children

• Young children need to eat small amounts of food throughout the day.

• Nutritious foods that contain fat do not need to be restricted.• These foods are a concentrated source

of calories that are needed for growth.

• Parents and caregivers are role models.

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Advice for 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 with finding the multivitamin that is right for each woman.

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Advice for women of childbearing age

• Extra calories are needed during: • The 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy• Breastfeeding

• Including an extra 2 or 3 Food Guide Servings is expected to meet these additional needs

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Advice for men and women over 50

• Health benefits are associated with adequate vitamin D intake

• Vitamin D requirements increase at age 50 and again at age 70:• 400 IU (10 micrograms) at age 51• 600 IU (15 micrograms) at age 71

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Advice for men and women over 50

• It is difficult to meet these vitamin D levels without recommending unrealistic amounts of some foods

• A supplement containing 400 IU vitamin D, in addition to following the Food Guide will achieve recommended dietary intake levels

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Eat well and be active every day• Highlights benefits of eating well and being active

• Encourages regular physical activity• 30 to 60 minutes per day for adults• At least 90 minutes per day for children and teens

• Includes messaging about adding up short periods throughout the day

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Eat well and be active every day

• Encourages eating the recommended amount and type of food

• Encourages limiting foods high in calories, fat, sugar, salt

• Eating well requires making different choices for many Canadians

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Eat well and be active every day• Encourages the use of the Nutrition Facts table• To choose foods with less fat, saturated and trans fat, sugar and sodium• To become aware of the calorie content of foods

• Encourages asking for nutrition information to make informed choices

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Eat well and be active every day

• Provides actionable tips towards…

• Eating well: ‘Take time to eat and savour every bite!’

• And being active: ‘Walk wherever you can – get off the bus early, use the stairs.’

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Food Guide website

• Expands on information from the Food Guide in four main sections:• Food Guide Basics• Choosing Foods• Using the Food Guide• Maintain Healthy Habits

• Includes background information on the Food Guide

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Food Guide website

• Includes interactive tools:• Guided tour• My Food Guide

• Links to Dietitians of Canada “EATracker”

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Resource for Educators and Communicators

• Provides background information on the content of the Food Guide

• Can be viewed or downloaded from the Food Guide web

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Resource for Educators and Communicators

• “Tips for Consumers”• Ready-to-use tips for each recommendation

• “Put it into Practice”• How intermediaries can enhance consumer

understanding and application of the Food Guide

• Sample one-day menus

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Conclusion

• Canada’s Food Guide is an evidenced-based nutrition policy that defines and promotes healthy eating for Canadians

• Intermediaries play a vital role in:• Helping Canadians to understand and use the

Food Guide• Integrating its recommendations into policies and

programs that support healthy eating

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For more information, visit Canada’s Food Guide online:

www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide