Ask almost anyone at Apollonia Dental Clinic what one of our favourite things is and they’ll probably mention…FOOD! Potlucks are seemingly endless here and if we’re not talking about food or eating food, then we’re probably thinking about it. Some people call that an obsession, I call it food love.
The Canadian Food Guide was updated recently and has been gaining a lot of attention. This new Food Guide breaks with the traditional ideas of food groups and serving sizes and instead focuses on eating a variety of healthy foods each day, plant-based eating, and making water the drink of choice. This new Food Guide also makes special note of oral diseases and how they are related to your nutrition. Here is a quick overview of the new Food Guide and some notable changes from the previous version:
- A greater emphasis on fruits, vegetables and plant-based proteins. The new Food Guide eliminates the traditional “four food groups” and replaces them with three: vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and proteins. It now encourages Canadians to comprise half of their diet with vegetables and fruits, and split the remaining half between whole grains and proteins (which includes dairy, meat, and plant-based proteins).
- The new Food Guide also makes special note of the types of food you are consuming and how it can affect your oral health.
- “Dried fruit is sticky and often adheres to teeth. The sugars contained in foods like dried fruit can contribute to dental decay. If dried fruit is consumed, it should only be consumed with meals”
- Drinking water should be the beverage of choice. The old Food Guide recommended 100% fruit juices as a healthy alternative to a serving of fruit, however, in the new Food Guide they are recognized as a sugary drink and are associated with dental decay, obesity and type-2 diabetes.
- “Oral diseases, such as dental decay, share common nutrition-related risk factors with some of the leading chronic diseases in Canada such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dental decay affects 57% of Canadian children aged 6 to 11 years and 96% of Canadian adults over their lifetime.”
- There is a shift towards mindful eating, limiting screen time during meals, and eating and cooking with others
- “Eating with others can bring enjoyment to healthy eating and can foster connections between generations and cultures.”
- Focuses on the idea of improving “food skills” and “food literacy”. This includes being able to cook, planning meals, limiting food waste, being able to understand food labels and being aware of food marketing.
- Limit highly processed foods. Ugh, I know…but McDonald’s is so yummy, right?! It happens to the best of us, but if you choose to eat these types of food, eat them less often and in small amounts. *Beware: the next picture is kind of delicious*
- My personal favourite thing about the new Food Guide? A focus on just enjoying your food! Eating and cooking with others and enjoying your cultures traditional foods are an important part of your health too!
- “Nutritious foods can reflect cultural preferences and food traditions.”
For more information visit the Canadian Food Guide website : https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
After all this talk about food…I’m hungry! Happy eating!