Presenting Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

1. Presenting Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) • Vitamins and minerals • Assessed against Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) when available or Adequate Intake (AI)

7. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) • Macronutrients • Assessed using Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs) • AMDRs

8. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) • 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

9. 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

10. 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.”

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. A healthy eating pattern for Canadians • The interior pages provide guidance on quantityof food to eat and quality of food choices

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. Eat well and be active every day • Highlights benefits of eating well and being active • Encourages regular physical activity • 2 ½ hours per week for adults • At least 60 minutes per day for children and youth • Includes messaging about • adding up physical activity • periods throughout the day

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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.’

34. 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

35. Food Guide website • Includes interactive tools: • Guided tour • My Food Guide • Links to Dietitians • of Canada “EATracker”

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. For more information, visit Canada’s Food Guide online: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide