Ottawa Journal
David Tilson MP Dufferin- Caledon

The 2007 edition of Canada's Food Guide

We all know that eating well and exercising regularly are vital to good health. However, we're often unsure as to what exactly is meant by eating well and how much exercise is enough. Fortunately, there is a trusted source to help sort out the confusion.

For 65 years, Canadians have relied upon Canada's Food Guide for information about the foods they eat. February 5, the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, launched the 2007 edition of Canada's Food Guide, and as a result, Canadians can once again turn to this well-recognized Government of Canada publication to sort out food facts from fiction.

The revised Food Guide is the result of three years of work, which included consultations with 7,000 Canadians including dietitians, scientists, physicians and public health personnel. In addition, it provides recommendations on what foods to eat and how much to eat each day. Vegetables, fruit, and whole grains are emphasized as part of the healthy eating pattern, while the importance of milk, meat, and their alternatives is also recognized.

Furthermore, the Food Guide provides guidance not only on the amount of fat, but also on the type of fat that should be consumed. Including a small amount of unsaturated fat each day is recommended. Messages are also provided to help consumers choose foods lower in saturated and trans fat.

New to this edition of the Food Guide are recommendations based on age and gender for the daily number of servings from each of the four food groups (vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, meat and alternatives) plus a small amount of added oils and fats. The new Food Guide also acknowledges the changing ethnic makeup of Canada and recognizes the need to work with community groups, to determine the best way to make multilingual copies of the Food Guide, available to Canadians.

The revised Food Guide also features a new online, interactive tool called My Food Guide that allows Canadians to personalize the Food Guide to fit their food preferences and lifestyle. The Health Canada Web site provides a link to the Dietitians of Canada EATracker tool. This tool allows you to track your day's food and activity choices and provides personalized feedback on your total intake of energy (calories) and essential nutrients and compares this to what is recommended for your age, gender, and activity level.

For Canadians over the age of 50, in addition to following the Food Guide, a daily vitamin D supplement is recommended. This is based on evidence that as we age, we need more of this important vitamin than can be obtained from following the Food Guide.

If you are interested in obtaining more information, on Canada's new Food Guide, please visit Health Canada's Web site at www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide or please feel free to contact my office for a copy.