Development of Canada's food guide

Learn about the process to develop Canada’s food guide.

On this page

• Making Canada's food guide easier to use
• Engagement and consultation
• Stay informed

Making Canada's food guide easier to use

The current version of Canada’s food guide provides people in Canada with easier access to information about healthy eating. The food guide:

• is designed to be flexible
• includes tips for healthy eating habits
• recommends a variety of healthy food choices

Foods included in food guide resources are based on a number of considerations such as:

• cost
• variety
• cultural relevance
• availability in various forms, including fresh, frozen, canned, or dried

Health Canada published the current version of Canada’s food guide in 2019. The goal of revising the previous version at that time was to:

• strengthen healthy eating recommendations
• communicate guidance in ways that better meet the needs of different users, such as:
  • the public
  • policy makers
  • health professionals

We built on the best available scientific evidence and on the feedback received about past versions of Canada's food guide. This means we moved away from the all-in-one format of the previous Canada’s food guide that acted as both a policy and educational tool.

We also heard that many people found the previous food guide challenging to use in their daily lives. For this reason, the current food guide moved away from recommendations based on the number and size of servings.

The current format makes Canada's food guide easier for people to understand and use every day.

Engagement and consultation

Throughout the development of the current Canada’s food guide, Health Canada engaged with stakeholders and people in Canada to ensure the guide is:

• useful
• easy to apply
• easy to understand

This involved a multi-step process of consultation and testing:

• We held open consultations with stakeholders and the general public about their needs and expectations for a revised Canada's food guide. The Canada's Food Guide Consultation - Phase 1 What We Heard Report summarizes the almost 20,000 responses we received.
• We hosted an online stakeholder discussion forum. Participants shared their opinions and engaged in conversation on a series of topics. We also conducted focus groups with stakeholders and the general public to learn how they use healthy eating information. A report summarizing this research is available.
• We held a second open consultation. We asked stakeholders and interested people to provide feedback on our proposed healthy eating recommendations. The Canada's Food Guide Consultation - Phase 2 What We Heard Report summarizes the responses from about 6,700 contributors.

• We did extensive focus testing with the public and health professionals to help inform the development of the food guide's messages. Again, a report summarizing this research is available.
• We engaged with Indigenous academics, health professionals, and those with experience working with Indigenous populations to contribute to Indigenous considerations in Canada’s food guide. Health Canada and Indigenous Services Canada continue to work with Indigenous partners to support the development of Indigenous-led healthy eating tools.

The final recommendations reflect input from stakeholders, experts and the public.

Stay informed

Keep up to date on Canada's food guide by registering for the Consultation and Stakeholder Information Management System. On the 'areas of interest' page, select 'Canada's Food Guide / Nutrition.'

For questions about Canada's food guide, email us at [email protected].