Creating “Plates” to Evaluate Canadians’ Dietary Intake in Relation to the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide

Abstract

Purpose: Explore Canadians’ dietary intake in relation to the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) Plate using novel volume-based food analyses, by age and meal occasion. Methods: Foods reported in 24-hour recalls by 20,456 Canadians in the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey – Nutrition were classified as: Vegetables and Fruits, Whole Grain Foods, Protein Foods, Non-Whole Grain Foods or Other Foods (high in fat, sugar, sodium). Food volumes were used to calculate percent contributions of each grouping to total intake, stratified by age (1–6; 7–12; 13–17; 18–64; 65+years) and meal (breakfast, lunch, supper, snack), applying sample survey weights and bootstrapping. Results: By volume, the Canadian population diet included: 29% Vegetables and Fruits, 22% Protein Foods, 7% Whole Grains, 24% Non-Whole Grain Foods, and 18% Other Foods. Intakes of Protein Foods (1–6 years) and Other Foods (7–12; 13–17 years) were higher in children than adults by volume, relative to total intake. Whole Grains intake was highest at breakfast. Other Foods intake was highest at snack. Conclusions: The volume-based population diet of Canadians reported on a single day includes a substantial proportion of non-recommended foods. There are opportunities to design interventions that target specific foods, ages, and meals to align intake with recommendations.