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both the standard measures and the dishes to estimate serving sizes. The number of servings recommended for the
food groups in the Food Guide often seem large until students realize the amount of different foods that they
normally eat in a meal may be equal to two or three Food Guide servings. Before the term begins, you can order
In 2007, Health Canada published Eating Well with Canada‘s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Métis. This
national food guide was created to reflect the values, traditions, and food choices of Aboriginal populations. It
includes both traditional foods and store-bought foods that are generally available, affordable, and accessible across
Canada and provides unique images and content. A ready–to–use PowerPoint presentation with speaker’s notes is
From the Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide web site15 you can learn the basics about the Food Guide—for
example, the number of daily servings recommended for each food group, typical serving sizes, how to make the
most of your food choices, how to read food labels, and ideas for incorporating physical activity in your day;
students can use the fiMy Food Guide” tool to prepare their own personalized version of the Food Guide, a resource
they may want to put up on their fridge at home; you can find ideas for planning meals, going shopping, eating out,
and managing other influences on your food choices; and the fiFrequently Asked Questions” section covers a broad
range of topics about the Food Guide. You can also take a guided tour through the Food Guide.
Students may find interest in linking their Food Guide learning with the EATracker16 dietary and activity assessment
program offered by Dietitians of Canada.
Key healthy eating messages were incorporated to a greater degree in the new food guide, Eating Well with
Canada’s Food Guide. As a result of consultations between the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Group on Nutrition
(this group includes representation from each provincial and territorial health department or departments responsible
for health with responsibility for nutrition) and the Network on Healthy Eating (this network includes
Activities
Your students can compare Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide and the personalized version, My Food Guide, to
the USDA Food Guide and the personalized version, MyPyramid, found in the textbook. They should note
differences between the Canadian and American food guidance systems. The Canadian food guide has a single food
group for vegetables and fruit, whereas the American food guide separates vegetables and fruit into two food groups.
Of further note, Eating Well with Canada‘s Food Guide and My Food Guide use food group servings defined by
weight and/or volume, whereas cups and ounces are used to define amounts of foods to choose from each food