Mon May 31, 10:20 AM
 

SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - Canadians are consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables and cutting calories, a report by Statistics Canada shows.

Canadians ate a record 40.7 kilograms of fresh vegetables per person in 2009, with cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and onions showing the largest percentage increases in annual consumption. That was higher than the annual average of 38.6 kg per person for the previous five years.

On a per capita basis, the Canadian diet also included more fruit, cereals, coffee and fish in 2009 compared with 2008, Statistics Canada reported Thursday. Total daily intake of calories per person fell to 2,358 in 2009, down nearly 156 calories from the peak in 2001 of more than 2,500 calories. "In the past two decades, Canadians have shifted towards a diet which includes more fruits and vegetables, cereal products, and nuts and beans," the report said. During the last 20 years, poultry consumption has increased while appetite for red meat like pork and beef has declined by 5.2 kilograms per person. Canadians are also showing a sweet tooth. After six years of declines, the amount of sugar and syrup in the Canadian diet has risen for two years in a row, reaching nearly 24 kilograms per person. Intake of a Canadian trademark, maple syrup, rose to 0.2 kilograms per person, the highest level since 1984. Dairy consumption fell for a second year in a row, as Canadians consumed 16 kilograms per person, down 3.5 per cent from 2008. Oil and fat consumption, which peaked in 1998, is also steadily declining, falling to 17.9 kilograms per person in 2009 from a peak of 21.4 kilograms per person in 1998. In terms of beverages, Canadians over 15 drank about 99.44 litres of alcoholic beverages per person last year, up 0.2 litres from 2008. Coffee consumption increased 3.6 per cent to 90 litres per person in 2009, an increase of 14 litres per person from 1989.

The report offers a snapshot of food and beverage consumption based on total available supply. A formula is then applied to estimate how much would have been consumed after adjusting for losses in cooking, storage and waste at homes, restaurants and institutions.
The report does not include a breakdown of food consumption by age, geographic location or income bracket.

Join me on Twitter  Facebook or read our past archives of newsletters .
Caruso Homeopathic Clinic www.carusohomeopathy.com