New Canadian Food Guide

[MikeM]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/05/10/Guide050510.html


Canada Food Guide revamp to include more ethnic foods
Last Updated Tue, 10 May 2005 21:39:27 EDT
CBC News
HALIFAX - Canada's food guide is being overhauled to reflect new scientific knowledge and the country's changing multicultural makeup.

The guide â “ used by nutritionists, hospitals, schools and other institutions to define healthy eating â “ was first introduced six decades ago and hasn't been updated since 1992.

 
More ethnic cuisine is to be a part of revamped Canada Food Guide. 
Many critics say the guide is dated, confusing, boring â “ and doesn't reflect the country's population, which now includes more than 200 ethnic groups.

Health Canada is holding meetings with health groups, the food industry and others across the country, asking for their thoughts on the new food guide they hope to release in about a year.

The updated food guide will likely reflect the current emphasis on the kinds of fat Canadians eat and the size of their portions as well as advancements in nutritional science, said Mary Bush, the director-general of Health Canada's office of nutrition policy and promotion.

But it's also meant to reflect the country's changing cultural mosaic, Bush said.

"Part of the challenge is to make the food guide relevant for Canadians," Bush said. "It's most relevant when it speaks your language, when it has foods that you consume."


Different guides for different cultures?

In Ontario, immigrant women are offered nutrition counselling based on the Canada Food Guide, but it's adapted and translated into as many as 30 different languages.

Bush said that type of approach could be seen in the new guide. It will likely include more pictures or examples of ethnic foods, such as fresh chickpeas and okra, or even different guides for different cultural groups, she said.

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Bangladesh native Sunny Gupta agrees with changing the Canada Food Guide. During a recent visit to his Halifax restaurant, he extolled the virtues of Indian cuisine, but bemoaned its lack of recognition in the guide. He hopes the update will fix that.

"They should put in some ethnic vegetables. That would be good for the peoples of Canada so they can try something different," Gupta said.


Interactive guide could personalize plans

"If they've also learned how to have bindi badji, or okra made tasty, great," Jenkins said. "We've got another vegetable."

The agency is promising the guide will be interactive. It could be something like what the United States has done with its new food pyramid: people punch in their sex and age and level of daily exercise to get personalized recommendations.


Whats next in this politically correct country of ours.. :

 

[Gunner]

Whats next in this politically correct country of ours..

Well, being an "old white guy" who really enjoys eating ethnic food (like the majority of ALL Canadians), I have to ask, what's politically correct about it?  Or are you just complaining about your perception that 99% of households eat meat, potato, and a side of vegtables for their supper meal?

 

[MikeM]

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the PC line.. I hit submit before finishing that topic, my apologies. I stated that simply to get at the fact that it seems as though we're trying to please everyone, but with the addition of many new elements to the Food Guide.. it may go a little overboard. I too enjoy various foreign foods much like yourself, however the Food Guide is geared towards a more basic understanding of what a human should intake in any given day.

The addition of a lot of new categories may draw away from that and perhaps make things more complicated, although according to the article it already is.. seems pretty simple to me. However, it is advantageous to know the nutritional value and RDI for ALL types of food.

What I was getting at was the fact that the Food Guide is geared towards the basic food groups, and the essential foods

 

[Infanteer]

...and is there anything wrong with showing how exotic foods (which make up many ethnic dishes) meet the basic nutritional guidelines? 

Now, when do we get some creative IMP's like "Curry Samosas", "Enchiladas", and "Paella" - anything to avoid more Ham Steak.... 

 

[Sheerin]

You also have to remember that a lot of cultures out there don't eat the same types of food that we do.  For example (and being VERY general), out side of Europe and North America, most people don't normally drink milk.  Look at Japan where it is only relativley recently that beef, bread and milk have been introduced as staples - this took place after World War II when the Americans tried to Americanize the Japanese.

This is actually a really good idea by health canada as we are a multicultural country. 

 

[BDG.CalgHighrs]

It's a good idea.

I find the food guide only somewhat useful though. If you had to make a guide for a person of average height, weight, metabolism, and activity level, you could do a whole lot worse than the Canada Food Guide.

For me however, it isn't so helpful. I need more total calories, more fats, more proteins, more vitamins and less simple sugars than are provided for. I guess what I am trying to say is that the guide is a useful starting point, but people should adjust accordingly based on their own needs.

 

[FredDaHead]

I will kiss the man(or woman) who makes a Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls IMP. I love chinese food.

I was gonna make it, but that's a FAR too scary threat for me.

 

[Theoat]

Now, when do we get some creative IMP's like "Curry Samosas", "Enchiladas", and "Paella" - anything to avoid more Ham Steak....  

That is an excellent idea. We should all suggest that in as a side note on the IMP questionare. They apparently actually read those things.....

Another good point of showing others foods on the chart is that it can open peoples eyes to other foods that can be substituted within that food group. Some people might avoid some of the traditional foods due to dislikes or allergies and not realize how many varieties are available to them.