Phase Two of Canada’s food guide consultation is putting increasing emphasis on plant-based foods in the first update to the country’s dietary guidelines since 2007. A public consultation report released earlier this year, which focused on feedback received from over 6,000 individuals through online discussion forums, revealed that some felt more could be done to emphasize the importance of consuming plant-based foods. The country’s latest draft of the guidelines includes a suggestion of “regular intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and protein-rich foods, especially plant-based sources of protein” as its first guiding principle. Meat and dairy are not absent from the guidelines, but plant-based sources of nutrition are emphasized more than previous guidelines, due to Health Canada’s concern with the heart health of Canadians—where two in five adults in the country report having ailments such as heart disease or diabetes. Further information regarding Canada’s new food guide is expected to be released in 2019.

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