Canada Food Guide revamp to include more ethnic foods

Canada's food guide is being overhauled to reflect new scientific knowledge and the country's changing multicultural makeup.

The guide – used by nutritionists, hospitals, schools and other institutions to define healthy eating – was first introduced six decades ago and hasn't been updated since 1992.

Many critics say the guide is dated, confusing, boring – and doesn't reflect the country's population, which now includes more than 200 ethnic groups.

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Health Canada is holding meetings with health groups, the food industry and others across the country, asking for their thoughts on the new food guide they hope to release in about a year.

The updated food guide will likely reflect the current emphasis on the kinds of fat Canadians eat and the size of their portions as well as advancements in nutritional science, said Mary Bush, the director-general of Health Canada's office of nutrition policy and promotion.

But it's also meant to reflect the country's changing cultural mosaic, Bush said.

"Part of the challenge is to make the food guide relevant for Canadians," Bush said. "It's most relevant when it speaks your language, when it has foods that you consume."

Different guides for different cultures?

In Ontario, immigrant women are offered nutrition counselling based on the Canada Food Guide, but it's adapted and translated into as many as 30 different languages.

Bush said that type of approach could be seen in the new guide. It will likely include more pictures or examples of ethnic foods, such as fresh chickpeas and okra, or even different guides for different cultural groups, she said.

Bangladesh native Sunny Gupta agrees with changing the Canada Food Guide. During a recent visit to his Halifax restaurant, he extolled the virtues of Indian cuisine, but bemoaned its lack of recognition in the guide. He hopes the update will fix that.

"They should put in some ethnic vegetables. That would be good for the peoples of Canada so they can try something different," Gupta said.

Interactive guide could personalize plans

"If they've also learned how to have bindi badji, or okra made tasty, great," Jenkins said. "We've got another vegetable."

The agency is promising the guide will be interactive. It could be something like what the United States has done with its new food pyramid: people punch in their sex and age and level of daily exercise to get personalized recommendations.