Canada Food Guide promotes plant-based proteins

It’s out with the old and in with the new for Canada’s latest food guide.

The guide that once focused on food choices and portion sizes has been nixed for one that features broader guidelines including eating more plant-based protein and drinking more water.

At a news conference early Tuesday, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, emphasized that healthy eating is about more than the foods Canadians eat.

“It’s about your whole relationship with food. The new Food Guide gets to the heart of this relationship and gives Canadians concrete advice that they can follow to make healthy eating part of their day,” said Petitpas Taylor.

The new guide echoes a new approach by Health Canada that promotes healthier eating and lifestyle choices.

It also recommends eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The guide also pushes Canadians to choose legumes, nuts and tofu more regularly and make drinking water a priority.

With the promotion of plant-based proteins, the new guidelines have sparked some concern for many dairy and beef farmers.

The updated guide has been in the works for several years, with Health Canada working with scientists and health experts but opting not to meet with industry stakeholders to avoid concerns about political interference.

For more details on Canada’s new food guide and for recipes, click here.