By Heather Campbell
First Place
Anyone of my mature age group remembers being schooled in the Food Guide that highlighted 4 food groups: dairy, meat (or its alternates), vegetables and fruit, bread and cereals. According to Government Canada, not enough people followed this guide, especially the younger generation, with the result being too many people are now troubled with obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
To counteract that, the new 2019 Food Guide has pushed out the dairy and meat options and is emphasizing plant-based food. Our mother’s advice “Eat your vegetables” is front and centre again! Instead of picturing your plate partitioned off into 4 sections, the plate is now to be divided into only 3 sections with vegetables and fruit taking up half the plate, whole grains taking up a quarter and protein (dairy and meat being amalgamated into this one) taking up the other quarter.
The government food guide developed in 1942 and called “Canada’s Official Food Rules” was modified several times, the last being in 2007 and now that one has been revised, and became effective in January 2019. Our taxpayer dollars have been used for all this study and revisions but it seems to no avail, as evidenced by all-time high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease even in younger people. Like all rules, we need a warden, don’t we? Otherwise we cheat, even at the expense of our own health! We continue to eat too many processed foods and unhealthy snacks.
Naturally, our farmers are viewing the new 2019 guide with an appreciative but yet a critical eye. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, obviously upset by the demotion of meat, says the beef industry plans to promote beef as a “nutrient-dense protein” that can provide iron, amino acids and other nutrients in fewer calories than some plant-based proteins. Be prepared to see ads that state that you might have to eat a can and a half of black beans to be able to have the same amount of protein as a piece of steak! This advertising is in an effort to keep the sale of beef still at a level at which beef farmers can make a profit.
There has always been several choices of meat alternates. Some of these are eggs, fish, beans, cheese and tofu. People who are vegetarians are familiar with these and they must be embracing the new food guide with its recommendation of more fruits and vegetables.
Understandably, the Dairy Farmers of Canada advocacy group has taken issue with the removal of “milk and alternatives” as a food group and with the government’s overall softening stance on milk, as it chooses instead to recommend water.
The former guide (referred to as the old guide) recommended amounts of 2 to 3 servings of milk for children up to 11 years, 3 to 4 servings when they were adolescents and recommended 2 servings when they reached adulthood. Although not a slave to it, as a young mother in the 70’s and 80’s, I was influenced by the “old guide”. I had no problem with the suggested 2 servings of meat or the 3-5 servings of bread and cereals being accepted by my children but there was always a bit of resistance when it came to 4 to 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, especially during the winter season when there were no fresh berries or garden greens. As a parent, I confess, I was not setting a good example either. Now, according to our new guide, fruits and vegetables are to take up half the plate. To many of us, this is a challenge.
Change of any kind is never easy. It takes time to adjust. I think the important thing is for each of us to become more aware of what foods we are choosing, what proportions and whether we are trying to eat at regular times and keep our body fuelled and healthy. We would be wise to remember the advice “A healthy gut makes for a healthy mind”.
A few fast-food outlets have already started using placemats on which the new guide is advertised. Leading up to that, some outlets were already stating the number of calories in each of their foods, whether it was a cheeseburger, French fries or chicken nuggets.
Perhaps a picture fastened on the fridge door showing the new guide’s plate loaded with fruits and vegetables on its upper half and the lower half of the plate sharing protein and whole grains will help any of us who want to eat healthy be more conscious of the choices we should be making. Of course, our primary choice begins at the market or grocery store. We also have to realize that since eating out is becoming more and more “the norm”, we are going to be even more challenged by the menu choices. Too much added salt is another concern at most restaurants.
In the end, it’s up to each of us to become knowledgeable about what foods are best for us and then to exercise the discipline to choose these. Portion size is another worry, especially in the protein and the grain servings. It’s a case of “less is more”.
It seems that downsizing applies to more than decluttering your home! In my opinion, we should make ourselves familiar with Canada’s new healthy food guide but ease into changing our approach to mealtime choices and not take the joy out of the social time that sharing food can provide.
