Canada’s first food guide, the Official Food Rules, was introduced to the public in July 1942.

This guide acknowledged wartime food rationing, while endeavouring to prevent nutritional deficiencies and to improve the health of Canadians.

Since 1942, the guide has been transformed many times — it has adopted new names, looks and new messages, yet has never wavered from its

original purpose of guiding food selection and promoting the nutritional health of Canadians.

Unlike the general-portion recommendations in the old guide, the latest edition offers detailed suggestions based on age and sex.

For example, recommendations for adult women are seven to eight servings of vegetables and fruits, six to seven servings of grain products, two servings of milk and alternatives and two servings meat and alternatives.

Health Canada has added a range of new foods to the guide, like bok choy, quinoa and fortified soy beverages, in an effort to recognize the needs of a culturally diverse population.

The guide also places a stronger emphasis on physical activity as a means of curbing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

It’s not enough for us to eat well — we must also exercise regularly.

My favourite aspect of the new guide is the educational component.

This version contains simple messages on the best nutritional choices within each food group and actionable steps throughout.

Here are some of the key messages:

■ Vegetables and fruit: Vegetables and fruit make up the largest arc of Canada’s Food Guide rainbow.

A serving size is one-half cup fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and fruits, one small fruit or one cup of raw leafy vegetables.

A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer and heart disease.

Having at least one vegetable or fruit at every meal and as a snack will help you get the amount of vegetables and fruit you need each day.

Explore the variety of colours, tastes and textures this food group offers.

To boost your antioxidants, eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day.

Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.

Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice.

Fruit juice does not have much fibre and are high-glycemic — which means the sugar is absorbed quickly into the blood stream and can spike your blood sugars — which is not recommended.

■ Grain products: Choose whole grains rather than processed-flour products, which are often made with white flour and little fibre.

A serving is one slice of bread, one-half cup of cooked pasta, rice, bulgur or quinoa, 30 grams of cereal or three-quarts cup of hot cereal.

Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day.

Enjoy whole grain breads, oatmeal and whole-wheat pasta.

The healthiest choices for breads are those made with sprouted wheat.

These are loaded in fibre and are low glycemic.

Try some new whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oats, and quinoa and wild rice.

■ Milk and alternatives: Milk and alternatives contain important nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D which are good for your bones.

A serving size is one cup of milk, fortified soy beverage, three-quarters of a cup of yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese.

Drink 500 millilitres (two cups) of skim or one per cent milk each day.

Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk.

Select lower-fat milk alternatives.

Low-fat cheese has 15 per cent milk fat or less.

■ Meat and alternatives: Meat and alternatives provide protein, fat and many other important nutrients, including iron, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins.

A serving size is 2.5 ounces of cooked fish, poultry, lean meat, three-quarters of a cup of legumes or tofu, two eggs, two tablespoons of peanut butter or one-quarter cup of shelled nuts and seeds.

Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often.

Eat at least two food guide servings of fish each week.

Choose fish such as char, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout.

Use cooking methods such as roasting, baking or poaching that require little or no added fat.

For more information, interactive tools or additional copies visit Canada’s Food Guide online at healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide.

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