Canada’s Official Food Rules (1942) became Canada’s Food Rules (1944, 1949), then Canada’s Food Guide (1961, 1977, 1982). Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating (1992) evolved to Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (2007). The title changes signify an evolution in the positioning and philosophy of the food guide. This report documents the processes and influences that shaped the development of Canada’s food guides, the changes that occurred from the 1942 Official Food Rules to the 2007 Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, and the strategies that were used to encourage Canadians to follow the guides.
1942 Canada’s Official Food Rules
Canada’s Official Food Rules were developed by the Nutrition Division of the federal government in collaboration with the Canadian Council on Nutrition. Food consumption surveys, although limited at the time, revealed problems such as poor access to food, insufficient money for food, and malnutrition in some populations. Thus, the Official Food Rules were intended to be a focal point for a wartime nutrition program to improve the health of Canadians by maximizing nutrition in the context of food rationing and poverty. Footnote 1 , Footnote 4 , Footnote 5 , Footnote 6 , Footnote 7 The publication identified six food groups (Milk; Fruit; Vegetables; Cereals and Breads; Meat, Fish, etc.; and Eggs) for which specific amounts of foods were suggested for daily consumption. Limited supplies of certain foods, such as milk, prompted the Council to base the Food Rules on 70% of the Dietary Standard. Footnote 8 The foods listed in the Rules were considered to be «health-protective», a term we are more likely to associate with current nutrition debates.
Implementation
The resource support given in the 1940’s to the promotion of healthy eating is impressive. In 1943, the Nutrition Division of the Department of Pensions and National Health launched the Canada Nutrition Program, which, among other tasks, handled public education on the new Food Rules. The Canada Nutrition Program was billed as a long-term and comprehensive approach to «help everyone in Canada toward the health that comes from eating the right foods». Footnote 4 To help people eat the right foods through the implementation of the Food Rules, the government enlisted many strategies. For instance, an extensive media campaign to encourage people to put the Food Rules into action used radio spots, weekly press releases, and articles in magazines. Print materials were used to reinforce the media messages; for example, materials included a one-page Score Sheet for One Day’s Meals, six lesson plans for teachers called Healthful Eating, and a food shopping list series. A series of 10 leaflets, produced under the title Check Your War Efficiency and inserted into weekly pay envelopes, covered topics such as breakfast, lunch, and the role of milk in healthy eating. All materials were available in both French and English. Footnote 9
These are the health protective foods. Be sure to eat them every day in at least these amounts (use more if you can).
- MILK- Adults- ? pint. Children- more than 1 pint. And some cheese as available.
- FRUITS- One serving of tomatoes daily, or of a citrus fruit, or of tomato or citrus fruit juices, and one serving of fetlife.com other fruits, fresh, canned or dried.
- VEGETABLES- (In addition to potatoes of which you need one serving daily) — Two servings daily of vegetables, preferably leafy green or yellow and frequently raw.
- CEREALS AND BREADS- one serving of a whole grain cereal and four to six slices of Canada Approved Bread, brown or white.
- MEAT, FISH, etc. — One serving a day of meat, fish, or meat substitutes. Liver, heart or kidney once a week.