Recently, Canada's Food Guide was overhauled for the first time in a decade. The newly revamped Canada Food Guide has recommended ditching dairy products altogether and eat a plant-based diet.
No doubt that dairy industry is angry for being left out. But people should understand what's good for them and what's not.
Meat and dairy industry has a very strong hold and they lobbied hard but we should appreciate Canadian Government for putting the best interest of its citizens on top of all. Canada's Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylo said:
We want to make sure Canadians have access to the best information with the food guide - the best information based on the best science out there, and science that’s not influenced by industry.
Yes, we the consumers shouldn't get influenced by marketing tactics of meat and dairy industries. In fact, the Food Guide includes a section titled "Be aware of food marketing" and it further says, "being aware of food marketing is a food skill".
Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has welcomed this step. CMA President Dr. Gigi Osler said
(the CMA was) pleased with the federal government's overall direction in the new Food Guide...[and] particularly supportive of the evidence-based review and extensive consultation process used to draft the new Guide, to ensure it was founded on unbiased research."
This new dietary recommendations tells everyone to eat a plant-based diet. Hey, but what's that! The Food Guide clarifies:
Plant-based foods can include:
vegetables and fruits
whole grain foods
plant-based protein foods
It also tells that eating plant-based food regularly has a positive health effect including a lower risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease and type-2 diabetes.
In addition, it also recommends to limit the consumption of highly processed food products, foods high in sodium, sugar or saturated fat.
It's amazing that people and governments across the world are waking up to plant-based diet. Support of a major health organization to this initiative was an interesting development too.
I've no doubt that if there is any future, it's vegan.
What do you say? How much will be the impact of this development?