How many Canada food guides are there? An overview of Canadian dietary history

November 2, 2025 •

3 min read

First published in 1942 as 'Canada's Official Food Rules' during World War II, the nation's dietary advice has evolved dramatically. To truly understand how many Canada food guides are there, one must trace the history of its revisions, which reflect profound changes in nutritional science and public health priorities.

Quick Summary

The evolution of Canada's official dietary advice spans from the 1942 wartime 'Food Rules' to the modern 2019 plate model. The guide has undergone significant revisions, reflecting shifting public health concerns, scientific knowledge, and societal changes, influencing nutrition guidance for decades.

Key Points

Nine Iterations: Since 1942, Health Canada has released at least nine official versions or revisions of the food guide, from the initial 'Food Rules' to the current 2019 version.
1942 Origins: The first guide, Canada's Official Food Rules, was introduced during WWII to combat malnutrition caused by rationing.
Shift from 'Rules' to 'Guide': In 1961, the name was officially changed to Canada's Food Guide, reflecting a more flexible philosophy towards healthy eating.
Visual Evolution: The guide transitioned from a text-based format to the iconic 1992 rainbow and most recently to the 2019 'plate model,' which emphasizes proportions over serving sizes.
Emphasis on Plants: The 2019 guide heavily promotes plant-based proteins and a high intake of fruits and vegetables, while encouraging water as the primary beverage.
Mindful Eating: The most recent guide also incorporates broader healthy eating habits, such as cooking more often, eating with others, and being mindful of food marketing.
Culturally Diverse Guidance: Specialized, culturally appropriate guides have been developed for Indigenous peoples, such as the Gifts From Our Relations: Indigenous Original Food Guide (2020).

The question of how many distinct Canada Food Guides exist is best answered by exploring the full timeline, which reveals a series of revisions that transformed both the advice and the visual representation over eight decades. From its humble origins rooted in addressing wartime malnutrition, the guide has evolved into a modern, web-based tool emphasizing overall eating patterns rather than specific serving counts.

The Genesis: Canada's First Food Guides (1940s–1950s)

Canada's first official dietary guideline, Canada's Official Food Rules, was released in July 1942. Created to address widespread malnutrition exacerbated by the Great Depression and wartime rationing, this guide emphasized six food groups: Milk; Fruit; Vegetables; Cereals and Breads; Meat, Fish, etc.; and Eggs.

1944 Revision: The rules were first revised, with changes including increased serving recommendations for milk and a consolidation of food groups into five by moving cheese and eggs.
1949 Revision: This update saw the release of Canada's first-ever colour food guide and emphasized the importance of moderation for the first time.

Naming and Numbering: The Shift to 'Guide' (1960s–1980s)

In 1961, the name officially changed from 'Rules' to Canada's Food Guide, reflecting a more flexible approach to dietary advice. This version and subsequent updates in this era marked a shift towards a broader view of healthy eating.

1961: The guide retained five food groups and introduced more specific milk recommendations for different life stages.
1977: A significant update saw the reduction of food groups from five to four, with Fruits and Vegetables being combined. This guide also for the first time provided specific serving sizes for each food group.
1982: This version marked a growing focus on the link between diet and chronic illnesses, recommending limits on fat, sugar, and salt, and promoting a balance of food intake and physical activity.

The Rainbow and the Plates: Modernizing the Guide (1990s–Present)

The late 20th and early 21st centuries brought dramatic visual and philosophical changes to Canada's dietary guidance, moving away from simple rules and towards a more holistic approach to health.

The 1992 Rainbow

One of the most recognizable versions, the 1992 guide, titled Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, introduced the iconic rainbow visual. It placed a strong emphasis on reducing fat intake and promoting lower-fat food options.

Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (2007)

The 2007 guide, Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide, maintained the four food groups but provided more comprehensive information on healthy eating behaviours and emphasized whole grains.

The 2019 Revolution

The 2019 guide marked a revolutionary change, replacing the traditional food groups with a plate model. This visual shift emphasizes the proportion of food types at each meal:

Half a plate: Fruits and vegetables
A quarter plate: Whole grains
A quarter plate: Protein foods (with an emphasis on plant-based sources)

Key changes in the 2019 version include:

No more recommended serving sizes, replaced by proportions.
Lumping milk and alternatives into the general 'Protein Foods' category.
Encouraging more mindful eating habits and cooking more often.
Recommending water as the drink of choice.

Comparison of Key Canada Food Guide Versions


Feature	1942: Official Food Rules	1992: Food Guide to Healthy Eating	2019: Canada's Food Guide
Visual Representation	Text-based rules	Rainbow	Plate model
Food Groups	6 groups: Milk; Fruit; Vegetables; Cereals & Breads; Meat, Fish, etc.; Eggs	4 groups: Vegetables & Fruit; Grain Products; Milk Products; Meat & Alternatives	3 categories: Vegetables & Fruits; Whole Grains; Protein Foods
Serving Guidance	Specific serving sizes for all groups	Recommended serving numbers	No specific serving numbers, focus on proportions
Emphasis	Wartime rationing and preventing malnutrition	Reducing fat intake and food groups	Mindful eating, plant-based proteins, and water
Beverage Advice	Promotion of milk	No specific beverage emphasis	Recommends water as drink of choice
Context	Post-Great Depression, WWII	Growing awareness of chronic disease links to diet	Addressing modern health issues and eating habits

In total, Health Canada has released at least nine distinct iterations of its dietary guidelines, from the initial 1942 Food Rules to the transformative 2019 guide. These revisions demonstrate a consistent effort to update public health messaging based on evolving scientific consensus and societal context. Canada also has specialized guidance for Indigenous peoples, such as the Gifts From Our Relations: Indigenous Original Food Guide (2020), which offers culturally appropriate guidance. The history of the Canadian Food Guide is a compelling story of adapting nutrition science for public benefit.

For more detailed information, Health Canada offers extensive resources on the history of the Food Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

The first official dietary guideline, then called Canada's Official Food Rules, was published in July 1942 during the Second World War.

The most significant change in the 2019 guide is the move away from specific serving counts and food groups toward a 'plate model' that visually emphasizes the proportion of food types to consume, with a strong focus on plant-based foods.

The guides were revised to reflect evolving nutritional science, address changing public health priorities like chronic disease, and to provide more practical advice to Canadians.

No, the 2019 guide shifted from providing specific serving numbers to using a plate model that illustrates the proportions of different food types for a balanced diet.

Yes, culturally appropriate guidance has been developed for Indigenous peoples. One example is the Gifts From Our Relations: Indigenous Original Food Guide, a resource for Inuit, First Nations, and Métis communities.

In the 2019 guide, milk and other dairy products were combined with meat and plant-based options under the broader category of 'Protein Foods,' with an emphasis on choosing plant-based proteins more often.

The 2019 guide emphasizes mindful eating habits, cooking more often, enjoying food, and eating with others, acknowledging that healthy eating is about more than just food choices.