Table 1.
Number of servings per food category presented according to the 2014 Health Canada’s Surveillance Tool (HCST) Tier System nutrient profiling model, among Canadian children 2–18 years
| Category | Tier | 2–3 Years | 4–8 years | 9–13 years | 9–13 years | 14–18 years | 14–18 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | Girls | Boys | Girls | ||||
| Mean (SEM) | |||||||
| Vegetables and Fruits | Tier 1 | 2.9 (0.1) | 2.8 (0.1) | 2.4 (0.2) | 2.6 (0.2) | 2.3 (0.2) | 2.5 (0.2) |
| Tier 2 | 1.1 (0.1) | 1.3 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 1.2 (0.1) | 0.8 (0.1) | |
| Tier 3 | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.7 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | |
| Tier 4 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Tier 1–3 | 4.4 (0.2) | 4.4 (0.2) | 3.9 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.3) | 3.8 (0.2) | |
| Total | Tiers 1–4 | 4.5 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4 (0.2) | 4.2 (0.2) | 4.2 (0.3) | 3.8 (0.2) |
| EWCFG Rec. | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | |
| Mean (SEM) | |||||||
| Grain Products | Tier 1 | 1.2 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 1.3 (0.2) | 1.4 (0.1) | 1.3 (0.2) | 1.2 (0.1) |
| Tier 2 | 2.5 (0.1) | 3.1 (0.1) | 3.5 (0.2) | 3 (0.2) | 3.7 (0.2) | 2.8 (0.1) | |
| Tier 3 | 0.8 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | 0.8 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | |
| Tier 4 | 0.7 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.7 (0.1) | |
| Tier 1–3 | 4.4 (0.2) | 5.3 (0.2) | 5.8 (0.2) | 5.3 (0.2) | 5.8 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.2) | |
| Total | Tiers 1–4 | 5.1 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.2) | 6.8 (0.2) | 6.4 (0.2) | 6.4 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.2) |
| EWCFG Rec. | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | |
| Mean (SEM) | |||||||
| Milk and Alternatives | Tier 1 | 0.2 (0) | 0.2 (0) | 0.3 (0) | 0.3 (0) | 0.2 (0) | 0.2 (0) |
| Tier 2 | 1 (0.1) | 0.8 (0) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.4 (0) | |
| Tier 3 | 1.7 (0.1) | 1.2 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 1.2 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | |
| Tier 4 | 0.1 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) | |
| Tier 1–3 | 2.9 (0.1) | 2.2 (0.1) | 2.0 (0.1) | 2.1 (0.1) | 1.7 (0.1) | 1.7 (0.1) | |
| Total | Tiers 1–4 | 3 (0.1) | 2.3 (0.1) | 2.1 (0.1) | 2.1 (0.1) | 1.8 (0.1) | 1.8 (0.1) |
| EWCFG Rec. | 2 | 2 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 3–4 | |
| Mean (SEM) | |||||||
| Meat and Alternatives | Tier 1 | 0.1 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) |
| Tier 2 | 0.4 (0) | 0.3 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.5 (0.1) | |
| Tier 3 | 0.8 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) | 0.8 (0.1) | 1.2 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | |
| Tier 4 | 0.3 (0.1) | 0.3 (0.1) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.3 (0.1) | |
| Tier 1–3 | 1.3 (0.1) | 1.4 (0.1) | 1.4 (0.1) | 1.2 (0.1) | 1.8 (0.1) | 1.6 (0.1) | |
| Total | Tiers 1–4 | 1.6 (0.1) | 1.6 (0.1) | 1.6 (0.1) | 1.5 (0.1) | 2.1 (0.2) | 1.9 (0.1) |
| EWCFG Rec. | 1 | 1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3 | 2 | |
Tiers are classified according to lower and upper thresholds for nutrients of public health concern: sodium, saturated fats, total fats and sugars. Lower thresholds: total fat: ≤ 3 g/RA, sugars: ≤ 6 g/RA and sodium: ≤ 140 mg/RA [8]. Upper thresholds: total fat: > 10 g/RA, sugars: > 19 g/RA, sodium: > 360 mg/RA, and saturated fats: > 2 g/RA [8]. Tier 1 foods do not exceed any lower thresholds for total fat, sugar and sodium. Tier 2 may exceed one or two lower thresholds but no upper thresholds. Tier 3 Vegetable and Fruit, and Grain Products: exceeds all lower thresholds and no upper thresholds, or only one upper threshold. Tier 3 Milk and Alternatives, and Meat and Alternatives: exceeds all lower thresholds and no upper thresholds, or only one upper threshold for total fat, sugars, or sodium. Tier 4 Vegetable and Fruit, and Grain Products: exceeds two upper thresholds. Tier 4 Milk and Alternatives, and Meat and Alternatives: exceeds upper thresholds for total fat, sugars, or sodium [8]
Data is presented as mean (SEM: standard error of the mean). Servings per/day are classified according to EWCFG: Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide. Rec: Recommendations
Results are weighted, nationally representative and energy adjusted