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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 31 ,2 01 9 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised family of newspapers is comprised f of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. 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OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM EDITORIAL Canada's Food Guide matters. You may not consult it, but chances are you've at least scanned it at some point. Odds are most of us are aware of some of the basic premises recommended by the guide. It's not just the impact of those food guidelines on individual Canadian consumers that matters. The guide is also used as a basis for good nutrition in in- stitutional settings - hospitals, schools, daycare centres and long-term care facilities, for example. So news that significant changes have been made to the guide is notable. Health Canada's food blueprint no longer has four food groups. Say goodbye to vegetables and fruit, grains, milk and alternatives and meat and alternatives. Consumers are instead encouraged to eat more of nearly 30 different food products. The biggest change is around meat and dairy. Health Canada wants us to eat less of both, and consume more plant-based protein - vegetables, fruit and whole grains - which are known to have health benefits over red meat and saturated fat alternatives. Another change: sweetened fruit juices like orange juice have disap- peared. The new food recommendations aren't going over well with everyone. The beef and dairy sectors are worried about what the increased competition will have on their bottom lines. The same goes for makers of sugary fruit drinks. But Health Canada did a smart thing early in the process of updating the food guide, which hasn't been modernized since about 2007. It said it was not going to base its recommendations on research linked to any food-industry sector. It was only interested in evidencefood-industry sector. It was only interested in evidencef around health and diet. And we know what that evi- dence says about too much red meat, dairy and sugar. Less is more. Health Canada was quick to assure concerned food sectors that it's not labelling meat and dairy as bad choices. It will still recommend lean meats and low-fat dairy products, just in more moderation. And there's no denying it: The new guidelines show a preference for food types that offer the same or more benefitsfor food types that offer the same or more benefitsf while not carrying the same health baggage as red meat and high-fat dairy products. It's not wrong for lobby groups representing meat and dairy to express concerns. Their job is to represent the best interests of their constituents. But Health Canada's job is to represent the interests of every Cana- dian, based on the best evidence available. It cannot and should not be swayed by economic arguments, only by evidence about healthy food options. WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT CANADA'S NEW FOOD GUIDE How is it possible that in Halton there were 11,000 children living in low in- come households in 2016? This number shows that one in ten children in our community were living in poverty. Higher education is a valuable opportunity for all Canadians. For many, post-secondary education can also be a route out of poverty for people living on low incomes. Long before a low in- come student reaches the halls of a college or univer- sity, many of them will have had to navigate a wide range of barriers including the obvious financial diffi- culties, food security and nutritional barriers, social inclusion, acceptance and well-being, psychological barriers, family issues and often times lack of societal supports. In collaboration with our partners, the Halton Poverty Roundtable has created and supported the local initiative, Smart Start Halton, which has a common goal of helping el- igible local families regis- ter their children for the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). This is a Government of Canada program that pro- vides a total of $2,000 for post-secondary education to children born on or after January 1, 2004 for families who have income less than $45,000. The CLB is retro- active and there is no fami- ly contribution required. To date, this initiative has successfully increased the take-up rate for the Canada Learning Bond from 27 per cent to 42 per cent and $32,614,000 in funds have come into Hal- ton communities, for post- secondary education sav- ings for children living in lower income families. Programs like Smart Start Halton that focus on fundamental decision making skills may give parents the confidence they need to take the first step towards education savings for their children's future. For more information about the Canada Learn- ing Bond program or to start your own application please go to https:// www.smartsaver.org/. SMART START HALTON PROVIDES EDUCATION SAVINGS GUIDANCE FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES HIGHER EDUCATON IS A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL CANADIANS, WRITES SABIHUDDIN SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM SARAH SABIHUDDIN Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM