Canada’s New Food Guide Came Out January 2019
- Written by: CHEERS Team
4 min read
Canada's Food Guide (CFG) focuses on healthy eating in healthy environments for Canadians 2 years of age and older. Much of the messaging in the document aligns with the established CHEERS best practice recommendations. What does this mean for child care programs?
The key messages in the new CFG are:
- Eat a variety of healthy foods each day
- Have plenty of vegetables and fruits
- Eat protein foods
- Make water your drink of choice
- Choose whole grain foods.
It also encourages Canadians to:
- Be mindful of their eating habits
- Cook more often
- Enjoy their food
- Eat meals with others
Similar but Different:
- Canada's 2019 Food Guide no longer names the food groups
- Dairy foods are now part of protein foods
- More emphasis is now placed on foods that are plant-based
- Canadians are encouraged to reduce processed food consumption
Resources for Canadians
Health Canada has developed a number of resources to support Canadians to follow these recommendations and messages. They are useful for individuals and households to plan and prepare healthy meals, with easy access from tablets, smartphones, and computers. They are intended to be online, and printer-friendly. Print copies cannot be ordered at this time.
All information about the CFG is found on the Health Canada site at https://foodguide.canada.ca.
Key resources include:
What does this mean for Child Care Programs?
- For menu planning and food provision, please continue to use 2007 CFG.
- Menu planning information can be found at Feeding Tiny Tummies
- The Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY) are not affected at this time.
- After Canada’s Healthy Eating Pattern is released, AHS - Nutrition Services will begin revising nutrition guidelines for child care programs.
AHS – Nutrition Services resources for childcare - Healthy Eating at Early Learning & Child Care Centres
Please contact your local public health dietitian with your questions.