-- J. Wheeler, Albany, New York
These days, many countries around the world produce food guidelines periodically to help improve nutrition and encourage healthy lifestyles. The most recent update for Americans came in 2013 when the Obama administration released its MyPlate guidelines suggesting that a healthy diet consists of 30 percent grains, 40 percent vegetables, 10 percent fruits and 20 percent protein, the latter including some dairy. In unveiling the MyPlate guidelines, first lady Michelle Obama suggested that Americans need not measure out exact proportions but instead simply make sure to exercise portion control and fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables and the other half with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
But earlier this year Canada came out with its own set of more detailed food guidelines, which public health advocates are praising as an improvement over America’s relatively simplistic standards. Indeed, Canada’s new Food Guide incorporates specific recommendations for eating the right foods according to an individual’s age and gender, and it also offers tips regarding serving size for each food and preferred cooking methods, as well as suggestions for maintaining a wholesome lifestyle and body weight with daily physical activity.
Based on input from some 20,000 Canadians, the new Food Guide encourages the intake of plant-based proteins like legumes and soy products rather than meats and dairy (although it advises giving whole milk, low-fat yogurt and cheese to young children). "There’s no more dairy food group, a win not only for public health but also cultural inclusivity, given that up to 90 percent of some non-European ethnicities are lactose intolerant,” says Anna Pippus, an animal rights lawyer and director of farmed-animal advocacy at the nonprofit Animal Justice. “It’s also a huge win for the cows who really don’t want us to kill their babies so we can steal their milk.” Pippus adds that the new guidelines “sensibly advise people to drink water.”
Canada’s new Food Guide also recommends avoiding fruit juices—even those that are 100 percent fruit—as well as other sweetened beverages and energy drinks, suggesting water as the best way to stay hydrated. The Canadian guidelines also promote making food from scratch whenever possible, while acknowledging that frozen, packaged and canned foods can be worthy substitutes if necessary.
While Canada may be ahead of many countries in promoting healthier lifestyles and smarter food choices, we can learn a thing or two from our neighbors to the north about how small dietary changes can lead to healthier, longer lives. The release of Canada’s new guide also underscores the need for the U.S. to update its food guidelines. But regardless of whether President Donald Trump's administration feels compelled to issue dietary updates, concerned Americans can take matters into their own hands by upping the proportion of organic and locally sourced foods on their dinner plates and tempering a balanced diet with moderate amounts of daily exercise.
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