What kind of foods does the Canadian food guide encourage Canadians to avoid?

November 3, 2025 •

3 min read

According to Health Canada, diet-related factors are the leading risk for death in the country, and highly processed foods are a major contributor. The Canadian Food Guide provides clear recommendations on what kind of foods Canadians should limit or avoid to improve their health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Quick Summary

The Canadian Food Guide recommends limiting or avoiding highly processed foods and beverages that are high in sodium, sugars, and saturated fat. This includes sugary drinks, fast food, and many packaged baked goods.

Key Points

Limit Highly Processed Foods: The Canadian Food Guide advises against the regular consumption of foods and beverages that are highly processed.
Avoid Excess Sugar: Cut back on sugary drinks like soft drinks, energy drinks, and fruit punch, and limit confectionery items.
Reduce Sodium Intake: Decrease consumption of high-sodium processed foods such as deli meats, salty snacks, frozen dinners, and canned soups.
Choose Healthy Fats: Limit foods high in saturated fats, like fatty meats and butter, and replace them with healthy unsaturated fats from plant-based sources.
Make Water Your Primary Drink: The guide encourages Canadians to make water their drink of choice to avoid the added sugars and calories found in other beverages.
Use Food Labels: Use the Nutrition Facts table on packaging to compare products and identify those lower in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat.

The 2019 revision of the Canadian Food Guide marked a significant shift in dietary guidance, moving away from a prescriptive focus on specific food groups and towards a more holistic, plant-based approach. A core principle of the updated guide is the recommendation to limit highly processed foods and beverages. These items are often high in nutrients that undermine healthy eating, such as sodium, sugar, and saturated fat. By advising against the regular consumption of these foods, the guide aims to help Canadians make more informed and health-conscious choices.

The Problem with Highly Processed Foods

Highly processed foods, which include many convenient and ready-to-eat products, are engineered to be palatable and have a long shelf life. However, this often comes at the expense of nutritional quality. The guide highlights that these items contribute to an excess intake of three specific components that pose health risks: free sugars, sodium, and saturated fat. Regular and excessive consumption of these foods is linked to increased rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Sugary Drinks and Confectioneries

One of the most emphasized categories for avoidance is sugary drinks. The guide states unequivocally that Canadians should make water their beverage of choice.

Sugary beverages include: soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit-flavoured drinks, and sports drinks.
Sweetened hot or cold drinks, like specialty coffees and teas, are also discouraged.
The guide's rationale is that these beverages contribute significant amounts of free sugars with little to no nutritive value.
The guide also recommends minimizing confectioneries, such as candies and chocolate.

High-Sodium and High-Fat Processed Foods

Beyond just sugar, the Canadian Food Guide specifically points to the high sodium and saturated fat content in many processed foods. This applies to both packaged goods and fast food items.

Salty snacks: This includes products like chips, pretzels, and many flavoured nuts.
Processed meats: Items such as deli meats, sausages, wieners, and canned meats are high in both sodium and saturated fat.
Frozen and packaged meals: This category covers frozen dinners, pizzas, and canned soups, which are often laden with sodium to enhance flavour and preservation.
Bakery products: Many commercially produced cakes, cookies, and muffins are high in saturated fat and added sugars.

Table: Highly Processed vs. Healthier Alternatives


Highly Processed Food (to limit)	Healthier Alternative (to choose more often)
Sugary drinks (soda, fruit punch)	Water, unsweetened milk, or herbal tea
Processed deli meats (salami, bologna)	Leftover cooked lean chicken or fish, homemade roast beef
Salty snacks (chips, pretzels)	Unsalted nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, or vegetable sticks
Store-bought cakes, cookies	Homemade baked goods with less sugar, or fresh fruit
Frozen entrées (pizza, pasta dishes)	Homemade meals like baked chicken with vegetables
Sweetened yogurt	Plain yogurt with fresh fruit
Fast food (burgers, fries)	Homemade burgers using lean meat, baked potato wedges

The Broader Context of Healthy Eating

It is important to remember that the Canadian Food Guide’s recommendations extend beyond just specific foods to avoid. The guide emphasizes overall eating patterns and lifestyle factors. Limiting highly processed foods is intended to create more space in one's diet for nutritious, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The guide also encourages healthier behaviours, such as cooking more often, planning meals, and being mindful of eating habits.

Reading Labels to Make Informed Choices

The guide stresses the importance of using food labels to compare products and make informed choices. By checking the Nutrition Facts table and ingredient list, consumers can identify items high in sodium, sugars, and saturated fat. This is particularly crucial for processed foods that may market themselves as healthy but contain high levels of these undesirable nutrients. The guide suggests looking for “low sodium” or “no added salt” options and comparing similar products to find healthier options.

Conclusion

The Canadian Food Guide clearly advises Canadians to limit or avoid highly processed foods that are high in sodium, sugars, and saturated fat. Examples range from sugary beverages and fast food to processed meats and salty snacks. By reducing consumption of these items, Canadians can lower their risk of chronic disease and make more room for nutrient-dense, whole foods that form the foundation of a healthy diet. This advice, coupled with healthy eating behaviours, is a cornerstone of the modern guide's strategy for better public health.

Here is an example of an authoritative outbound link for further reading on Canadian dietary guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

The guide characterizes highly processed foods as prepared items and drinks that add excess sodium, sugars, or saturated fat to the diet. Examples include sugary drinks, fast food, and frozen packaged meals.

No, the guide does not ban foods entirely. Instead, it advises limiting or reducing the intake of highly processed foods and sugary beverages. The emphasis is on moderation and making healthier choices more often.

The guide recommends limiting sugary drinks because they are a major source of free sugars and empty calories, with little to no nutritional value. Consuming too many can increase the risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and dental decay.

The Canadian Food Guide encourages choosing foods with healthy, unsaturated fats more often while limiting those high in saturated fat. Foods to limit include fatty meats, high-fat dairy, butter, and processed baked goods.

No, not all processed foods are discouraged. The guide focuses on highly processed foods high in sodium, sugar, and fat. Minimally processed foods, like canned beans or frozen vegetables with no added salt, can be convenient and healthy options.

To reduce sodium, the guide suggests limiting processed foods, cooking more meals at home with little or no added salt, and choosing products labeled 'low sodium' or 'no added salt.' Rinsing canned vegetables is also a recommended tip.

The guide recommends limiting fast foods that are typically high in sodium, saturated fat, and calories. This includes common items such as burgers, french fries, and fried chicken.