Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
The eating habits of Canadians
A “Western” base
The Canadian diet is essentially made up of three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The traditional breakfast is a full and rich meal. It consists of eggs, pork sausages or bacon, cooked potatoes, toast, pancakes or French toast with maple syrup, cereal or oatmeal. In today's fast-paced lifestyle, most active Canadians get by with one or two of the items listed above and a cup or two of hot beverage.
Lunch is often light and prepared in advance for Canadians who work or study. At noon, it is not uncommon for them to settle for a sandwich, soup or salad. When they have more time, they sometimes go out to eat: in a restaurant and more rarely in a fast food restaurant.
Dinner is more substantial than lunch, and it is also better prepared. In the evening, Canadians want to have a good time and eat things they enjoy. So it is not uncommon for them to prepare a lot of food for this evening meal. Generally speaking, the Canadian dinner includes meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish), cooked vegetables and starchy foods (grains, pasta, potatoes or bread).
Notable habits in the Canadian diet
There are some trends in the country's diet. Canadians, for example, are quite adventurous. They like novelty and regularly try places they don't know yet.
Eating out
Canadian households spend at least a quarter of their budget on eating out, but paradoxically, most don't find eating out cost-effective. Young professionals eat out because they don't have time to cook.
fast food
It is mostly young people who like fast food. Older people do not find the value for money good enough to make it a habit. In addition, most of what is sold in fast food restaurants is not healthy. And yet most Canadian children go to fast food restaurants at least once a week.
Many Canadians eat breakfast out on the go. This alternative is more convenient because they don't have to cook at home. In fact, the best-selling fast food products in Canada are coffee and beverages in general.
Delivery
Since the pandemic, about a third more orders are being made online. This is pushing many companies in the food industry to invest in online sales platforms.
The people who get food delivered the most are wealthy households and families with children. What is delivered the most in Canada? First, there is fast food (the children's favorite), except in New Brunswick where canned goods are preferred and on Prince Edward Island where fresh fruits and vegetables are preferred. This last category is the second largest delivery order, followed by dairy products in 3rd place.
British Columbia and Ontario are the provinces where orders for delivery are the least popular.
Eat healthy
According to the Ipsos website, approximately 3 out of 4 Canadians consider themselves to have a balanced diet, while only 1 in 5 eats the recommended 5 fruits and vegetables per day.
Cooking all your own meals is not yet a habit in Canada (done only by 25% of the population examined), although the majority of Canadians prefer to cook as much as possible. It is women who most often have a healthy diet compared to men.
Wealthy people also eat healthier. Lower-income households tend to consume a lot of frozen food. It is estimated that more than half of Canadians eat frozen food or take-out food at least once a week.
However, recent inflation is causing many Canadians to reevaluate their diet. They must get used to ordering less and eating out less. Rising costs are forcing people to prepare more meals at home. That's about 80% of the population who had to change their habits.
Diet
Canadians used to eat a lot of potatoes. Today, carbohydrate intake is mainly from pasta and bread, and this has been the case since the 2000s.
In the 1970s, red meat was massively consumed. The financial and environmental cost of its production has led many Canadians to eat less of it and turn to other meats. The most popular animal protein today is poultry (chicken and turkey). The much more affordable price of chicken is the reason why it is widely consumed in the territory. The consumption of seafood and fish remains constant, with a little more fish consumed than before with the development of transportation.
Milk is in decline, in favor of its plant-based substitutes based on almond or coconut. If we put eggs and dairy products together, they form the most consumed food category by Canadians. Cheeses, cream and dairy products generally occupy an ever-increasing place in the diet.
They are closely followed by fruits and vegetables, which are very popular. In the country, we love anything that can be eaten in a salad. Why? Because it is quick to prepare, delicious and full of vitamins. Thus, onions, lettuce, carrots, avocados and tomatoes are popular. As for fruits, bananas are eaten by everyone. Blueberries and cranberries, once rare, are now appreciated and eaten throughout Canada. Food waste remains a problem: vegetables and then fruits make up the largest share of food wasted in homes.
Coffee has been the undisputed star of beverages for several decades. There has been a decline in the consumption of sugary drinks, linked to a desire to eat healthier since the 2000s. Wine is also increasingly popular, especially since the country is also producing better and better wine.
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