Message from the Minister of Health – Nutrition Month (March 2022)
Statement
March 1, 2022 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked together to protect and care for our loved ones, friends and even strangers, but paying attention to our own well-being is just as important.
March is Nutrition Month—a time to remember to take care of our families and ourselves by practising healthy eating habits. This year’s theme, “Ingredients for a Healthier Tomorrow,” encourages us to think about the key “ingredients” we all need to help us live longer and healthier lives.
These days, many of us are spending a lot of time at home. Make the most of this time by following the recommendations in Canada’s food guide, such as planning meals, cooking more often and involving your kids in the kitchen. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and healthy eating, plays an important role in maintaining good health and can help to prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
This Nutrition Month, I encourage you to learn about how marketing can influence food choices and how some fad diets can make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with food, as well as be harmful to your health.
We have also finalized and introduced some labelling changes to make it easier to find, read and understand the Nutrition Facts Table and the list of ingredients on food labels. But our work is not done. Our government recognizes that more can and needs to be done to help Canadians make healthier food choices. To this end, we are continuing our work to finalize the front-of-package labelling regulations to promote healthy food choices and to support restrictions on the commercial marketing of food and beverages to children. These are key priorities for our government – and key “ingredients” for a healthier tomorrow.
In the meantime, we have made a number of healthy eating resources available to you and your family. From simple, delicious and affordable recipe ideas inspired by Canada’s food guide to meal planning advice and the food guide newsletter, we are here to help.
Happy Nutrition Month!
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Health
Contacts
Marie-France Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
613-957-0200
Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca