Why You Should Ignore Canada’s Food Guide and Follow Brazil’s Instead
Last year Brazil made radical changes to its food guide. Unlike most national food guides, which categorize foods based on type (grains, vegetables, dairy, etc.), Brazil has categorized foods based on processing. Their four food categories are:
- naturally or minimally processed foods;
- oils, fats, salt and sugar;
- processed foods (these include bread, cheeses, cured meats and pickles); and
- ultra-processed foods.
Brazil’s guide also makes an explicit connection between healthy diet and sustainable food production and distribution practices. Though on first reading the guide, it seems that sustainability is glossed over in a single sentence, the recommendation to avoid ultra-processed foods is, in and of itself, a move toward more sustainable food practices.
Read Why You Should Ignore Canada’s Food Guide and Follow Brazil’s Instead by Genevieve Fullan at Alternatives Journal.