Retrospect: the food groups, part 1

Self-tutoring about people and events from the past: the tutor mentions the food groups.

I recall the food groups showing up around 1980. Posters about them appeared in the school hallways: Meat and Meat Alternatives, Dairy, Fruits and Vegetables, and Breads and Cereals. I think it was called the Canada Food Guide. All of a sudden it was everywhere, and would remain front-and-centre for at least three years.

As kids, we had to make posters and/or collages about the food groups, which would be hung in the hallways. I always enjoyed looking at those posters, especially ones from the younger grades. “Lettuce Eat Properly” was the title of one of them. We’d be given old magazines we could cut pictures from to stick to the poster board.

I seem to recall, back then, that the suggested allotments per day were 4-5 servings of meat and meat alternatives, 5 servings per day of dairy, 5 of breads and cereals, and 7-10 of fruits and vegetables.

The food groups and the posters surrounding them were very cool. I still smile today, thinking about them.