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 complete and rich meal. It consists of eggs, sausages or pork bacon, cooked potatoes, toast, pancakes or French toast with maple syrup, cereals or oatmeal. In today's fast-paced lifestyle, most active Canadians make do with one or two of the items listed above and a cup or 2 of hot beverage.

Lunch is often light and prepared in advance for Canadians who are working or studying. At lunchtime, 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 fast food.

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 like. 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 (cereals, pasta, potatoes or bread).

Notable Habits in the Canadian Diet

We notice certain trends in the country's diet. Canadians, for example, are quite adventurous. They like new things and regularly try places they don't know yet.

Eat outside

Canadian households spend at least a quarter of their budget eating out, but paradoxically, most don't find eating out cost-effective. Young working people eat out because they don't have time to cook.

fast food

It is especially young people who like fast food. Older people don't find the value for money good enough for them to make it a habit. Additionally, the majority of what is sold in fast food is not healthy. And yet most Canadian children go to fast food at least once a week.

Many Canadians eat breakfast out on the go. This alternative is more practical because they do not have to cook at home. Moreover, the best-selling fast food products in Canada are coffee and drinks in general.

The delivery

Since the pandemic, about a third more orders are being placed online. This is pushing many companies in the food industry to invest in online sales platforms.

The people who most often have food delivered are wealthy households and families with children. What do we ship the most to Canada? First there is fast food (children's favorite), except in New Brunswick where they prefer canned foods and on Prince Edward Island where they prefer fresh fruits and vegetables. This last category constitutes the second largest delivery order, followed by dairy products in 3rd place.

British Columbia and Ontario are the provinces with the fewest orders for delivery.

Eat healthy

According to the Ipsos website, approximately 3 in 4 Canadians believe they have a balanced diet, while only 1 in 5 eat the recommended 5 fruits and vegetables per day.

Cooking all your dishes is not yet a habit in Canada (facts only by 25% of the population examined), even if the majority of Canadians prefer to cook as much as possible. It is women who most often eat a healthy diet compared to men.

Wealthy people also eat healthier. Low-income households tend to consume a lot of frozen meals. It is estimated that more than half of Canadians eat frozen meals or outside food at least once a week.

However, recent inflation is causing many Canadians to re-evaluate their diet. They have to get used to ordering less and eating out less. Rising costs mean we have to prepare more meals at home. It'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 through pasta and bread, and has been since the 2000s.

In the 1970s, red meat was widely consumed. The financial and environmental cost of its production has pushed 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. Consumption of seafood and fish remains constant, with slightly more fish consumed than before with the development of transport.

Milk is in decline, in favor of its plant-based substitutes based on almonds and coconuts. If we put eggs and dairy products together, they form the food category most consumed by Canadians. Cheese, 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 there. In the country, we like everything we can eat in salad. For what ? Because it's quick to prepare, delicious and full of vitamins. So, onions, lettuce, carrots, avocados and tomatoes are popular. As for fruits, bananas are eaten by everyone. Blueberries and cranberries, once uncommon, are now enjoyed and eaten across Canada. Food waste remains a problem: vegetables and then fruits constitute the majority of food wasted in homes.

Coffee has been the undisputed star of drinks for several decades. We have noticed a decline in the consumption of sugary drinks, linked to a desire to eat healthier since the 2000s. Wine is also increasingly popular, especially as the country also produces better and better wine.