Balance of Food

New Canada Food Guide offers true steps to better nutrition and eating

The new Canada Food Guide offers very encouraging steps for better nutrition. The new guide de-emphasizes meat and dairy, focusing on protein options. The guide encourages water as a beverage of choice to the detriment of other drink options.

The approach also doesn't suck up to food interests, either from growers or food companies.

Cooking at home is also encouraged, a wonderful step that we have supported here at BalanceofFood.com.

The guide doesn't use the 4 food groups as a guide and doesn't focus on portion size. Lentils and tofu are mentioned as protein options. Fruit juice is discouraged.

The guidelines are classified in 3 primary sections: healthy eating, foods and beverages that go against healthy eating, and food skills.

While a nicer presentation, the plate looks very similar to the MyPlate concept in the United States.

This was the first revamp in 12 years to the food guide. The Trudeau Government has promised that revisions won't wait another 12 years.

Food guides are important but only if they are followed. As CanadianCrossing.com readers will tell you, I do have a fondness for Canada. The country has a lot of issues with even getting something like this to be used in practicality.

Food costs are higher in Canada than in the United States, even for so-called "cheaper" foods. The climate doesn't encourage as much local healthy food.

An improved food guide won't make all the difference, but having one is a good first step.

Canada picks food industry over consumers on added sugars

Canadian Senate suggests food policy changes U.S. should copy

What's Tempting: Canada's approach to improving food supply

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

The meat and dairy people aren't thrilled with the new guide. You can consume meat and dairy and lentils and tofu. You can even get protein from vegetables and plant-based foods.

The fruit juice people aren't thrilled with the new guide. Doesn't mean you can't get an occasional glass; just be more conscious about your fruit juice consumption. One of my favorite tricks is to mix 50-50 of water and juice. A great way to get flavor with your water and less juice consumption.

Make your calories work for you. Eat your calories rather than drink them. If you are trying for 1800-2000 calories a day, drinking 500 calories means less food.

Food guides are effective in presenting information, but this version of the food guide offers guidelines without worrying about too many specifics. That is great unless you need specifics.

Use the guide but adapt it to your preferences and limitations. Pickled and frozen vegetables can be useful. Freezing summer fruit and eating them in winter is a great idea. Be creative and you'll be pleasantly surprised how effective your eating can be with a sense of nutrition priorities.

photos credit: Health Canada; CTV/Health Canada

Ranking food and drink Super Bowl LIII ads

The Burger King Super Bowl ad used footage from the 1982 film 66 Scenes of America from Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth. The fact that the Heinz ketchup doesn't pour well lends authenticity since Heinz promoted the thickness of its ketchup throughout the 1970s. The Whopper is also very minimalist, so if there are other ingredients, they aren't visible.

We are invited in the ad to #EatLikeAndy, which would be inviting if we could consume the product from that time. The bun Warhol eats likely didn't have high-fructose corn syrup and the ketchup would have been free of high-fructose corn syrup. That burger would taste better than the current model.

Leth said in an interview that Warhol initially suggested they use McDonald's.

Unlike most companies who use dead celebrities, you could likely conclude that Warhol would appreciate the idea of using the footage in an ad.

The target audience of younger people may not be that familiar with Warhol. If people are going to #EatLikeAndy, they will eat a small bite of a Whopper and not eat any other Burger King food.

---

Kristin Chenoweth was in the latest Avocados from Mexico ad with a reverse play on dog shows where human performed the tricks. The guacamole was incorporated in the ad unlike a lot of food ads. This ad was closer to the best than the worst of the Avocados from Mexico ads. The hard part is that avocados haven't looked as good in the stores and have gone up in price. Then again, the avocados I saw in the Santa Monica farmers market last week looked gorgeous. I would pay more to get the avocados of old.

Chenoweth added sparkle to the ad and nice on the part to have a female lead in the series of ads.

---

Super Bowl ads can be good to publicize a little known company. Devour frozen foods from Kraft Heinz have been around for about 3 years. That was literally news to me. The ad features a couple where the husband has turned into the "3-minute man" — a double entendre that ties into the food porn mentality of the company. The entrees are more exotic than typical frozen food.

The ad was rather good to spark curiosity. However, frozen food doesn't inspire food porn IRL.

---

Chance The Rapper combined with the Backstreet Boys to remake I Want It That Way for the new Flamin' Hot flavor for Doritos. I remembered the song but had to look up which boy group did the song. Yes, I recognized Chance better than the Backstreet Boys. Flamin' hot snacks have a certain niche appeal and this ad will help out that flavor. That said: Cheetos (fellow Frito-Lay product) does it pretty well. A good ad for the target audience for the product.

Super Bowl ad analysis in recent years

2018   2017   2016   2015   2014   2013   2011

Corn syrup came up in a non-food ad for Bud Light. The Budweiser product noted that Miller Lite and Coors Light had corn syrup while Bud Light did not. Corn syrup is different from high-fructose corn syrup but having corn syrup in a beer does seem odd. Then again, there are beers outside of the 3 listed options that taste better and don't have corn syrup.

---

Pringles had another stackables ad. The concept hasn't changed, incorporating jalapeno, cheddar, as well as sour cream and onion. The problem is that people aren't going to buy 3 different canisters to produce these combinations. The ad hits the target audience but will get lost in the wave of Super Bowl ads that were more clever.

---

Planters had a really good ad, complete with a Planters peanut-shaped vehicle and a funny Charlie Sheen cameo. Mr. Peanut saves a guy from eating kale chips, giving him mixed nuts. The only drawback was having Alex Rodriguez in the ad. Planters promotes protein; Rodriguez is known for (allegedly) using steroids. He didn't get strong (allegedly) from eating nuts. Rodriguez doesn't add anything to the ad and is a detriment.

---

Drink and candy ads were:

• Michael Bublé for Bubly. This felt like a spin-off on the Bai Super Bowl commercial with Justin Timberlake and Christopher Walken. The latter ad will be better remembered than the 2019 spin-off.
• The Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer ad was a bit muddled in the beginning and kept thinking this was a goof ad. If this ad keeps running, the ad may improve with more visiblity.
• The Pepsi ad with Steve Carell, Cardi B, and Lil Jon fell within the Pepsi ad spectrum where the ad is about visual distractions. I've never seen a Pepsi ad to this day that reflects on the quality of the actual product. The commercial also likely suffered being at the end of the first quarter when people are running for the bathrooms.
• Christina Applegate was in a cute spot for the M&Ms chocolate bar. This ad actually incorporated the product since the M&Ms were stuck together in the chocolate bar. Was fun watching the actress who played Kelly Bundy be the mom. A good ad that will need more exposure in the coming weeks.

photo credit: Burger King

Resolutions for those who already gave up on resolutions in 2019

If you started resolutions in 2019, chances are they are toast, unless your resolution involved toast. Since today is February 1, you can start fresh with a resolution and only have 11 months to consider instead of 12.

You can even make some short-term resolutions, ones that only last a short period of time.

Make this finally the Year of the Pulses

Be fashionably late to this trend since the United Nations named 2016 the International Year of Pulses. You are late this year; why not be late to 2016.

Pulses are primarily defined as legumes but with a low oil content, such as dried beans, chickpeas, and lentils. They are great with providing protein and fiber and are very cheap. Beans and rice make a complete protein.

Pulses are also good as a source of protein with much less water used for growing.

If you make hummus for Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, you have met your resolution.

Eat like a relatively normal human on Super Bowl Sunday

Whether you make hummus on Sunday, try and eat like a normal human being. Have a typical Sunday breakfast and lunch or a Sunday brunch but maybe cut back on the mimosas. You can certainly have guacamole and/or hummus, both healthy choices. Chicken wings in moderation is not a bad choice. Taco salads can have lettuce and tomato and a bit of cheese.

The Super Bowl eating numbers from 4 years ago were Americans on Super Bowl Sunday eating 1.25 billion chicken wings and 11.2 million lbs. of potato chips.

If your team is in the Super Bowl, you might be too tense to eat a lot. If your team just missed the Super Bowl, perhaps you'll be too sad to eat too much.

You could even try and eat only until halftime, unless you are on the West Coast of North America.

BalanceofFood.com holidays coverage

Eat in Lent like you are giving something up

Ash Wednesday doesn't kick in until March 6 and Lent lasts until April 21. The idea behind Lent is that you give up something for 40 days. Since there are 46 days of Lent, you can rest from your Lenten obligation on Sundays.

You could use the term "cheating weekends" if the religious theme isn't to your liking. Eat well during the week and go a little off the path on weekends. The idea is sacrifice but never for longer than a week. You may find eating better easier if you have a short-term escape.

You can have a practice Lent from now until March 6.

You can still do well enough to fit into your bathing suit

Thinking about bathing suits on January 1 seems like a pipe dream. A bathing suit on February 1 might be a more viable goal.

The stomach is a crucial area for both men and women for bathing suit season.

Even if you don't get completely to where you want to be by the time the weather is warm enough, everything you do now will make a difference.

Love yourself on Valentine's Day

Whether you have someone or are alone on February 14, you don't need to reach for bad chocolates or eating ice cream by the freezer door. The heart is the symbol for Valentine's Day so you can pick something heart-healthy for a special dinner. Celebrating love is a beautiful thing but real love happens 365 days a year.

Have a bit of good chocolate as part of your celebration if you need to have something that feels symbolic.

Live by the Chinese New Year and wait until February 5

Tuesday marks Chinese New Year – the Year of the Pig. That could mean some well-grown bacon.

If you wait until Tuesday, they can still be New Year's resolutions.

photo credit: here