May. 17, 2005

Provided by: Canadian Press

Written by: SHERYL UBELACKER

TORONTO (CP) - The next version of Canada's Food Guide will reflect the evolving cultural profile of the country, from ethnic diversity and the aging population to changing family structure and increased home and work pressures, Health Canada says.

"The multicultural makeup of Canada is rich and diverse," Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Tuesday in announcing plans for the revised guide, due out next spring. "As such, revisions to Canada's Food Guide will need to embrace the variety and depth of foods available to Canadians."

The aim of the new guide, which replaces the current version written in 1992, is to provide "all Canadians with a vast array of food selections that broadens and enhances their healthy food choices," Dosanjh said in a release.

Health Canada is consulting with dietitians, nutritionists and consumer, health promotion and food industry groups to cook up new ways to make the Food Guide more palatable for all Canadians, no matter their cultural or language background, age or social environment.

That could mean something as simple as including pictures of pitas, tacos and loaves of bread among whole grain choices, while bok choy or kohlrabi could join carrots and apples in the vegetable and fruit section.

"Depending on what cultural group that you choose, the pictures might be quite different to reflect the kinds of food that they access and incorporate as part of their dietary pattern," said Mary Bush, director general of Health Canada's office of nutrition policy and promotion.

Bush said there are a cornucopia of suggestions on the table - from making graphics in the guide more child-friendly to using larger print for aging baby boomers.

Word usage in the current version has also stimulated much food for thought, she said.

"We've heard that Canadians have trouble right now with the language that we're using in the Food Guide. We say 'moderation' and they say to us, 'What does that mean?' "

There's also confusion over what constitutes a serving size and how many servings a person should eat per day. For instance, a slice of bread would account for one of the six to 12 servings of grain products that should be consumed daily, but a bagel would count for two.

Clarifying serving recommendations is among the areas targeted for revision in the new guide, Bush said.

Canada 's Food Guide was first produced in 1942 and has been revised several times. The 1949 guide added "fortified margarine" to butter under recommended foods, citrus fruit was added in 1961, while 1982's revision introduced advice that Canadians use "moderation" for fat, salt, sugar and alcohol to take a bite out of the rising incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

The current guide recommends Canadians choose items daily from each of the four food groups: five to 12 servings of grain products; five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits; anywhere from two to four servings of milk products, depending on age; and two to three portions of meat or meat alternatives, including eggs, fish, legumes and nuts.

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