Catalogue no. 82-620-MIE — No. 2 ISSN: 1716-6713 ISBN: 0-662-4317-2 Research Paper Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey Overview of Canadians' Eating Habits 2004 by Didier Garriguet Health Statistics Division Main Building, Ottawa, K1A 0T6 Telephone: 1 800 263-1136 How to obtain more information Specific inquiries about this product and related statistics or services should be directed to: Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6 (telephone: (613) 951-1746) or by e-mail at [email protected]. For information on the wide range of data available from Statistics Canada, you can contact us by calling one of our toll-free numbers. You can also contact us by e-mail or by visiting our website. 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Statistics Canada Health Statistics Division Canadians’ Eating Habits 2004 Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © Minister of Industry, 2006 All rights reserved. The content of this electronic publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, and by any means, without further permission from Statistics Canada, subject to the following conditions: that it be done solely for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary, and/or for non-commercial purposes; and that Statistics Canada be fully acknowledged as follows: Source (or “Adapted from”, if appropriate): Statistics Canada, year of publication, name of product, catalogue number, volume and issue numbers, reference period and page(s). 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Symbols The following standard symbols are used in Statistics Canada publications: . not available for any reference period .. not available for specific reference period ... not applicable p preliminary figures r revised figures x suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act E use with caution F too unreliable to be published Canadians’ Eating Habits Table of Contents Highlights....................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 3 Findings.......................................................................................................................................... 4 Calorie intake..........................................................................................................................................................4 Choices determine a balanced diet ........................................................................................................................4 Not enough vegetables and fruit ............................................................................................................................5 One in three children below recommended minimum for milk products..........................................................5 Consumption of meat and alternatives high among men ....................................................................................5 Consumption of grain products declines with age ...............................................................................................6 "Other foods”..........................................................................................................................................................6 Macronutrient balance...........................................................................................................................................6 Many exceed upper limit for fat ............................................................................................................................7 Canadians within acceptable ranges for protein..................................................................................................7 Carbohydrates primary source of energy.............................................................................................................8 More calories from snacks than breakfast............................................................................................................8 A quarter eat food prepared in a fast-food restaurant........................................................................................8 Regional consumption patterns .............................................................................................................................9 Adult diet linked to household income..................................................................................................................9 Children’s diets less closely tied to income .........................................................................................................10 Concluding remarks .............................................................................................................................................10 Methods, concepts and data quality.......................................................................................... 11 Appendix A - Data sources and analytical techniques.......................................................................................11 Appendix B – One-day versus usual intake ........................................................................................................13 Appendix C - Definitions......................................................................................................................................13 Appendix D - Limitations.....................................................................................................................................15 References.................................................................................................................................... 16 Charts........................................................................................................................................... 18 Tables ........................................................................................................................................... 35 Statistics Canada – Cat. No. 82-620-XIE 1 Canadians’ Eating Habits Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey (Cycle 2.2) Overview of Canadians’ Eating Habits Didier Garriguet Highlights • Although a minimum of five daily servings of vegetables and fruit is recommended, seven out of 10 children aged 4 to 8 and half of adults do not meet this minimum. • More than a third (37%) of children aged 4 to 9 do not have the recommended two daily servings of milk products. By age 30, more than two-thirds of Canadians do not attain the minimum daily levels. • Over a quarter of Canadians aged 31 to 50 get more than 35% of their total calories from fat, the threshold beyond which health risks increase, according to the Institute of Medicine, an independent, non-governmental organization in the US, which provides science-based advice on health issues. • Snacks, that is food and drink consumed between meals, account for more calories than breakfast, and about the same number of calories as lunch. • Adults in low and lower-middle income households are less likely than those in the highest income households to get more than 35% of their daily calories from fat. • Members of the highest income households are more likely than lower income groups to eat food prepared in a fast-food outlet. • The food consumption patterns of children and adolescents are not as closely associated with household income as are those of adults. Statistics Canada – Cat. No. 82-620-XIE 2 Canadians’ Eating Habits Introduction At home, at work or at school, in a five-star restaurant or in a neighbourhood take-out, Canadians are confronted