The national nutritional resource, Canada's Food Guide, has gone digital and is now available as an online interactive program in more than 10 different languages.
Health Minister Tony Clement, launched earlier this week as part of the new Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide initiative.
"Canada's Food Guide has been providing Canadians with important tips and messages on healthy living for 65 years and today, Canada's New Government is proud to launch this online tool in 10 additional languages," Clement said on Tuesday in a
"Along with providing more culturally relevant foods from a variety of ethnic cuisines, this updated interactive tool will help make healthy eating information available to Canadians who are new to the country or less familiar with English or French."
The new online version allows users to personalize the nutritional information based on age and sex, along with, food and exercise preferences.
The guide can be printed in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Urdu, French and English.
In February, the government released a long-awaited update to the food guide marking the first revision to the nutritional resource in more than 14 years.
For the first time, the new guide accounts for the different caloric intakes of men and women and provides clear advice on portion sizes.
In another first, it also includes more culturally relevant foods from a variety of ethnic cuisines.
The nutritional standards bible encourages eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and recommends limiting foods high in calories, fat, sugar and salt.
It also emphasizes the importance of combining regular physical activity with healthy eating.
The Canada Food Guide was first published during the Second World War under the name Official Food Rules. Since 1942, it has been transformed many times, adopting new names, new looks, and new messages.
It is the second-most requested government document -- after income tax forms.
The latest guide cost $1.5 million and nearly two years to develop, and used input from advisory committees that included dietitians, physicians, food industry representatives and other stakeholders with a specific focus on nutrient standards and the prevention of chronic disease.
