On the eve of the launch of Canada’s new food guide, let’s look at the big picture. According to Health Canada, the new guide will encourage the usual whole grains, vegetables, and fruits but will also push for the consumption of plant-based proteins found in beans, legumes, and soy. This doesn’t mean that Health Canada wants all Canadians to lean towards a vegetarian or vegan diet.
There are over 36 million diets in Canada because there are over 36 million people all eating differently. Some will live entirely on a plant-based diet while others will rely heavily on animal and/or fish based products. The rest of the population will fall somewhere on the spectrum between vegan and carnivore. In all honesty, could our earth sustain only one type of diet? Not likely.
When Canada’s new food guide is launched this year, try to keep in mind what our food guide is all about:
- Preventing nutrient deficiencies like scurvy and osteoporosis. Eating from a wide variety of foods (like the four food groups encouraged us to in the past) ensures that we get those essential micronutrients.
- Helping us meet our nutritional requirements by suggesting the proper ratios of carbohydrates to fats to proteins; be it from a plant source or an animal source.
The bottom line is that it is up to us to consume a well-rounded, balanced diet. How we choose to eat and where it puts us on the food spectrum is completely an individual choice. May the new food guide realize this and encourage us all to listen more closely to what our bodies are telling us is a well-balanced diet.
