Our shifting diet
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For two decades, Canadians have been shifting to a diet that includes more fruits and vegetables, and less red meat, oils and fats.
In 2009, fresh fruit intake, including citrus, reached a record 39.3 kg per person, up slightly from 2008. Fresh vegetable intake (excluding potatoes) reached a record 40.7 kg per person. Fresh apples available for consumption rose by 8.2% from 2008, as did strawberries (7.9%), avocados (13.2%), cranberries (26.8%) and cherries (33.3%).
Red meat consumption has declined over the last 20 years, falling to 23.4 kg per person in 2009. In contrast, poultry in the diet has risen to 13.4 kg per person.
Oil and fat consumption continued to decline, falling to 17.9 kg per person in 2009, down from the peak of 21.4 kg per person in 1998.
After six years of consumption decline, the amount of sugar and syrup in the Canadian diet has increased for two years in a row, reaching 23.8 kg per person in 2009.
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