Post by Souriquois on Jan 13, 2019 23:19:30 GMT -4
I had no idea how to start this thread, because quite frankly, a thread about Canada's new food guide sound like the most boring idea for a thread ever... but, I promise you, it's interesting and hilarious.
Basically, the new food guide was updated since... I dunno, the 70s or 80s, maybe, and the right is losing their minds over it.
The new food guide has a few recommendations. For one, while the old food guide recommended your daily food intake should be 50% carbohydrates, the new one lowers that to 15%. The most of your daily diet should be protein, however, and this is the most contentious part about it, that protein should be mostly from plant-based sources. Basically, the new Canadian food guide recommends that you eat a largely vegetarian diet. It does not say you shouldn't eat meat, just that you should eat less of it, and opt for plants high in protein instead.
This is where people are losing their minds lol. Like, why are people so emotionally invested in eating meat that they will physically threaten politicians over it?
The rhetoric is all around "THE GUVMINT IS TRYING TO MAKE US SOYBOYS HURR DURR DURR!"
Other people losing their minds are industry groups. The meat and dairy industry folks are pissed, and so are the wheat and sugar industries.
It was talked about on the news that in the past, these industries lobbied governments to promote people eating their products. This is why so many food guides around the world recommended 50% carbohydrates, the wheat lobby is powerful. Also why we were told to drink 5 glasses of milk per day growing up (or at least I was). The sugar industry also lobbied governments to convince people that fat was the worst thing you can eat... it's not, sugar is.
Not doubting that there was some government lobbying involved in this food guide. Industry has changed in Canada in the past 30-40 years. Lentils are now Canada's top agricultural product, not wheat like in the past. Lentils just happen to be a high protein plant. There is a lentil lobby in this country, too. Yes, a lentil lobby... which has me convinced that being a lobbyist must be the most boring job on the planet. How could you not go insane spending 40+ hours a week talking to elected officials about lentils?
Basically, the new food guide was updated since... I dunno, the 70s or 80s, maybe, and the right is losing their minds over it.
The new food guide has a few recommendations. For one, while the old food guide recommended your daily food intake should be 50% carbohydrates, the new one lowers that to 15%. The most of your daily diet should be protein, however, and this is the most contentious part about it, that protein should be mostly from plant-based sources. Basically, the new Canadian food guide recommends that you eat a largely vegetarian diet. It does not say you shouldn't eat meat, just that you should eat less of it, and opt for plants high in protein instead.
This is where people are losing their minds lol. Like, why are people so emotionally invested in eating meat that they will physically threaten politicians over it?
The rhetoric is all around "THE GUVMINT IS TRYING TO MAKE US SOYBOYS HURR DURR DURR!"
Other people losing their minds are industry groups. The meat and dairy industry folks are pissed, and so are the wheat and sugar industries.
It was talked about on the news that in the past, these industries lobbied governments to promote people eating their products. This is why so many food guides around the world recommended 50% carbohydrates, the wheat lobby is powerful. Also why we were told to drink 5 glasses of milk per day growing up (or at least I was). The sugar industry also lobbied governments to convince people that fat was the worst thing you can eat... it's not, sugar is.
Not doubting that there was some government lobbying involved in this food guide. Industry has changed in Canada in the past 30-40 years. Lentils are now Canada's top agricultural product, not wheat like in the past. Lentils just happen to be a high protein plant. There is a lentil lobby in this country, too. Yes, a lentil lobby... which has me convinced that being a lobbyist must be the most boring job on the planet. How could you not go insane spending 40+ hours a week talking to elected officials about lentils?