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Canada's healthy eating recommendations have gone through several changes since 1942. Fortunately it stopped pushing liver

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Canada's first food guide, the Official Food Rules, was introduced to the public in July 1942. This guide acknowledged wartime food rationing, while endeavoring to improve the health of Canadians. It identified six food groups: milk; fruit; vegetables; cereals and breads; meat, fish, etc.; and eggs.

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In 1944, the Canadian Council on Nutrition approved Canada's Food Rules, removing the term "official." At this time, numerous changes to the content of the publication were made. For example, due to a limited supply of kidney and heart, references to these meats were removed.

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The food guide has been transformed many times, yet has never wavered from its original purpose of guiding food selection and promoting the nutritional health of Canadians. In 1949, the Canadian Council on Nutrition clarified the Food Rules and included a plea to avoid excess.

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In the 1961 version of the Food Guide, food choices broadened and language softened. "Guide" replaced "Rules" in the title. For the first time, the milk group specified intakes for expectant and nursing mothers, and liver began to lose its foothold.

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The landmark Report of the Committee on Diet and Cardiovascular Disease in 1977 advised the government to take action to prevent diet-related chronic diseases. As a result, Canadians were encouraged to limit fat, sugar, salt, and alcohol.

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Historic changes accompanied the 1992 revision. A rainbow graphic displayed the four food groups, all of which bore new names: grain products, vegetables and fruit, milk products, and meat and alternatives. The guide encouraged more servings of grains, vegetables and fruits.

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The current issue of the guide, released in 2007, was praised for providing advice targeted to specific groups such as children and older adults, but also criticized for its potential to promote weight gain by suggesting too much food.

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