New Canadian Food Guide

New Canadian Food Guide- Connection between Oral Health and General Health

The new Canada Food Guide is getting lots of attention for breaking with conventional food groups and serving sizes that were once staples in previous editions. They are now placing emphasis on plant-based eating and protein sources. Best yet WATER is now the drink of choice. This new food guide aims to revamp not what we eat but how we eat, in effort to curb cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

 

                                                                        

Notable Changes

• Greater emphasis on fruits, vegetables and plant-based proteins.
• Reduced emphasis on meats and dairy products in favour of low-fat dairy and non dairy alternatives.
• Mindful eating- limiting screen time during meals and eating and cooking with others.
• Drinking more water in order to lower sugar intake to protect teeth from sugar exposure.
• Compromise half of daily diet with fruits and veggies. Spilt the remaining half between whole grains and proteins.
• Modify protein food group to include dairy and meat, as well as plant-based proteins like beans and tofu.
• De-emphasizes meat-based proteins, while encouraging consumption of more proteins more often.
• Labels 100% fruit juices as a sugary drink associated with dental decay, obesity, and type two diabetes. Previous guides recommended 100% fruit juice as a healthy option equivalent to a serving of fruit.

                                                                            

Nutrition’s role in oral health

This revamped Canadian Food Guide is great for our oral health. According to the guide in 2015 “sugary drinks were the main source of total sugars in Canadian diets, with children and adolescents having the highest intake”.

This is now a great time to limit sugars found in drinks, which is important to our overall oral health. Sugar and acid in many popular drinks will dissolve tooth enamel, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate and start the decay process.  The drinks that we should take precaution with fall into five categories:

1) Juices

2) Soft drinks, especially colas that contain phosphoric acid

3) Sweetened milk and yogurt drinks

4) Energy and sports drinks

5) Sweetened coffee  

Making water the drink of choice is a great step towards better oral health. You may feel reluctant of replacing your favourite drinks with water. Setting goals of consuming two preferred drinks a day, consumed within 15 minutes rather than sipping them throughout a long period of time, would be a great alternative.

What do you think about the new Canadian Food Guide? Take a look at the link below and see what you could incorporate to your everyday meals.   

https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/