Although there is no perfect model when it comes to nutrition, authorities in most Western countries publish food guides.1-3  to help us make wise choices that combine pleasure and health.

In this sheet devoted to food guides, we will first see the constraints faced by those who develop them. We will then take a look at three food guides with their respective recommendations. Finally, we will try to see in which direction the food guides are currently evolving, based, among other things, on the suggestions of organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO).

Indeed, to help the different countries to establish their food guides, the WHO regularly publishes various guidance documents.4. These deal as much with the nutritional content (based on the most recent scientific research) as with the best ways of getting the new recommendations accepted by the various populations according to their customs, habits, traditions and socio-economic characteristics. It was following such suggestions that a few years ago, food guides began to suggest eating certain foods or food groups rather than recommending ingesting a whole series of specific nutrients.

When consulting a food guide, it is important to know that it is not just a scientific document. Its development must also take into account cultural, political and economic factors. Thus, it is not only nutrition specialists who take part in decisions, but also the food industry, which can create conflicts of interest. Let us mention in this regard that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which advocates vegetarianism, filed a complaint, and won, against the US Department of Agriculture in 2000.⁵. The ruling found that the Ministry intentionally withheld information about links between food guide officials and the dairy, meat and egg industries.

In addition, when developing their guides, governments must take into account domestic policy constraints: self-sufficiency, support for agriculture, land use, promotion of resource regions, etc. Finally, it would be counterproductive to promote a diet – no matter how beneficial for health – which would require such changes in eating or cooking habits that it would have little chance of being achieved. adopted by the population.

These are all factors that explain why, despite similar basic principles, there are several differences between the Guides, and that many pressure groups criticize them.

In its most recent edition, (February 2007), the Food guide Canadian¹ gives a large place to fruits and vegetables. He advises reducing fats, especially trans and saturated fats. Servings of grain products are 3 to 8 per day. Half of them should be whole grains.

When it comes to meats and alternatives, the Guide recommends eating at least two meals of fish per week and often consuming legumes or tofu. Soy drinks are part of the milk and alternatives group. Other foods from the country’s ethnic communities are also featured: kefir, bulgur, quinoa, etc.

The portions are precise. In fact, the age and sex of consumers are taken into account. Canadians are also encouraged to read food labels carefully so that they choose choices that are low in fat, sugar and salt.

Health Canada believes that consuming the recommended amounts and types of foods can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and osteoporosis. He also insists on the need for daily physical exercise and weight control to prevent the risk of obesity and diabetes.

To find out more about Canada’s Food Guide, you can consult the analysis of dietitian Hélène Baribeau.

The American Food Guide is in the form of a pyramid (named MyPyramid²). It was revised in April 2005 and now takes physical activity into account. The guide has also been personalized based on 12 different individual profiles based on age, gender and propensity to be physically active.

The pyramid focuses on moderation and variety and divides foods into six categories. She places more emphasis on fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products, and advises reducing the consumption of meat and fat.

However, although the United States is the country with the highest proportion of obese people in the world, the new pyramid was not shaped to make Americans lose weight. Rather, it aims to keep them at a healthy weight. We want it to serve as a trigger to get people to gradually change their eating habits and lifestyle.

French guideEntitled Health comes in eating³, presents basic recommendations, quite similar to those of other food guides. However, it distinguishes between different types of fat and less emphasis is placed on meat substitutes. The guide has, moreover, an interesting particularity: it offers a series of personalized advice from 25 very precise portraits, which range from The food, I don’t care à I am vegetarian, Via I tend to snack between meals, I often eat fast food, I only eat “organic” et I restrict myself so as not to gain weight, I am on a diet. The advice is presented in a clear, concrete and fun way. See Places of interest.

Food guides are constantly being updated, and there is of course always room for improvement. Several experts believe, for example, that the recommended portions are often too high or should be more specific according to the characteristics of the people (male or female, active or sedentary, etc.). Others feel that too much emphasis is placed on meat and dairy products. In the light of various studies⁶, we also suggest, particularly in the fight against obesity, to explain which fats to avoid and to favor, rather than simply advocating a reduction in their total consumption.

Some research groups have recently presented new recommendations that may influence future guide updates. We present to you some of their findings.

The team of D^r Walter Willett, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, published his own version of the American Food Pyramid in 2001 in the book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. It was updated and reissued in 2005. This pyramid is based on nutrition research carried out over the past 20 years and on multiple epidemiological studies, including one involving 121 women.

The pyramid proposed by D^r Willett’s objective was to correct certain shortcomings in the Canadian and American guides for which she criticized, among other things, a lack of distinction between types of food within the same group. The most recent version of Canada’s Food Guide took up, in part, certain principles of Willett’s pyramid. Others were also applied in the New American Pyramid, but the D^r Willett considers that the latter still has significant deficiencies⁷. Here are the main recommendations of Willett’s pyramid.

The foundations of the pyramid: exercise and weight control. It is the base of the pyramid. Young and old, young or old, we all need to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. This measure, associated with a healthy diet, does not aim to lose weight, but rather to control it, among other things by balancing energy intake and expenditure. If you are overweight, you should take the necessary steps to remedy it.

Look for good fats. Harvard researchers say so, and numerous studies confirm it^8-11 , it’s not so much the amount of fat that affects cardiovascular health, but rather the types of fat consumed. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts, avocados, fish, olives and most vegetable oils, have been observed to play an important role in preventing coronary heart disease. Likewise, the results of a meta-analysis⁹ reveal that the substitution of a portion of carbohydrates by a portion of “good fat” with an equivalent energy value is associated with a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease, while the substitution of a “bad fat” (trans fat, oil hydrogenated vegetable, butter, animal fat) by a vegetable “good fat” is associated with a 45% reduction in risks. (See our File Trans fat: not in my pie!)

Cereals… whole! Whole grains should be a part of most meals while refined ones (rice and white bread, for example) should only be eaten exceptionally. The fact that they convert very quickly into sugars during digestion associates them more with treats than with healthy foods.

Better sources of protein. Less red meat and more legumes, nuts, fish, poultry and eggs.

Lots of vegetables and fruit, but less potatoes. There is no restriction on the amount of vegetables to eat. They are considered beneficial in preventing a variety of diseases, including cancer¹². On the other hand, potatoes would have a harmful effect on blood sugar and insulin levels.

Less dairy products, especially those high in fat. Instead, calcium should come from green vegetables and tofu, for example, or even supplements, which are a cheaper source than dairy products.

Alcohol, in moderation. After analyzing the many studies on the subject, the team of D^r Willett concludes that one consumption per day would have a favorable effect on health, in particular in the face of cardiovascular disease. But overconsumption can have devastating effects. So, someone who already drinks moderately shouldn’t refrain, but someone who doesn’t drink might not want to start.

One multivitamin per day, for prevention. This is one of the most controversial recommendations of the new pyramid. According to Willett, faced with the current pace of life, even the most conscious people of their diet are likely to have certain deficiencies. For pennies a day, a multivitamin would be a good insurance policy.

In a document dated January 2003¹³, WHO proposes strategies intended, among other things, to inspire the next revisions of food guides. One of the objectives is to reduce the occurrence of chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, dental caries, etc.) related to dietetic factors and physical activity. Developed through extensive research, here are the main WHO recommendations.

• Increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.
• Substantially increase the practice of physical activity throughout life.
• Replace saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats, and reduce total fat intake.
• Favor fish, lean meats and low-fat dairy products if you consume animal products.
• Reduce the consumption of “simple” sugars.
• Reduce the consumption of salt, from all sources.
• Reduce intensive marketing aimed at children for products high in fat and sugar.

According to the WHO, the implementation of these measures should be done in a concerted manner, and over a long period of time. They could lead to the biggest and most significant change in public health ever.

Since the 1950s, the benefits of feeding Mediterranean populations have been noted. In 1960, life expectancy in adulthood was one of the highest in the world, while the incidence of coronary heart disease, some cancers, and other diet-related illnesses was high. among the weakest in the world. Although dietary factors alone are not sufficient to explain the excellent health of the Mediterranean, and although some studies have been blamed for a lack of methodology, there is sufficient evidence to show that the Mediterranean model^14-16 provides protection, among other things, against cardiovascular disease and diabetes. No wonder the Mediterranean diet is increasingly seen as a source of inspiration for food guides.

Although there are variations by region, the traditional Mediterranean diet is high in carbohydrates and monounsaturated fat (olive oil), and low in saturated fat (dairy products and meats). It is characterized by high consumption of foods of plant origin (grain products, legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds); low to moderate foods of animal origin (red meat and dairy products, fish) with olive oil as the main source of fat. Alcohol, which is usually wine, is consumed in moderation with meals, and weight control is a tradition. (See our Mediterranean Diet sheet.)

Food guides: a good basis.

The vast majority of nutrition specialists, whether official or more “alternative”, agree that food guides provide an excellent basis for guiding food choices. There are certainly very few people who could not take advantage of at least some of the advice therein, and thus improve their health. Everyone then decides to what extent they want to study them, comply with them, adapt them to their situation or even go beyond them …

Edited by Edith. The Mediterranean diet: why is the Mediterranean diet so healthy? Effective prevention of myocardial infarction, Vigot, France, 2000.

A diet to get back into shape and health.

Willett WC et al. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy — The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, Simon & Schuster, United States, 2001.

Director of the Nutrition Department at Harvard University School of Public Health, Dr.^r Willett presents his new food pyramid and lots of recipes and healthy menus.

Nutrition.gov

Everything about the nutrition and health of Americans. To access the new food pyramid, click on MyPyramid.gov.

www.nutrition.gov

Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating

The official nutrition recommendations, updated in 2007.

www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Harmony Health

A site dedicated to nutrition professionals and researchers, but also to the general public. Harmonie Santé offers a wealth of information, often alternative, and nutritional advice, as well as a fairly extensive directory of recipes!

www.harmoniesante.com

Harvard School of Public Health

A comprehensive file on the essentials of healthy eating. There is the food pyramid developed by the team of D^r Willett. Section Fats & cholesterol is particularly useful for learning about good and bad fats.

www.hsph.harvard.edu

National Nutrition-Health Program PNNS of France

The PNNS provides a lot of useful nutrition information and benchmarks.

www.sante.gouv.fr

France’s Food Guide – Health comes with eating

The official guide. Original, simple and suitable for 25 different life portraits. The section Landmarks is particularly user-friendly and gives advice that is easy to put into practice.

www.inpes.sante.fr

The olive oil website

Everything about olive oil: history, manufacturing processes, producing countries and applications in the therapeutic, cosmetic and culinary fields.

www.info-huiledolive.net

Mediterranean diet and diabetes

A team of experts presents a historical dossier on the characteristics and effects of the Mediterranean diet on the health of several populations in Europe and the United States.

http://euxin.fltr.ucl.ac.be