Canada's food guide
Welcome to the October food guide newsletter!
This month we feature: nourishing soups and freezer-friendly meals
In this issue
New! Recipe of the month
Mushroom soup
Just in time for soup season! Try this NEW earthy mushroom soup recipe, just added to Canada’s food guide kitchen. Homemade soups can be a great alternative to many store-bought varieties, which tend to be higher in sodium.
Benefits of batch cooking
Preparing large quantities of freezer-friendly meals, such as soups, is a tried-and-true way to help you eat healthily. This is especially helpful when schedules are full.
Prepare large batches of meals that include a variety of vegetables, whole grains, and protein foods, including plant-based proteins such as legumes or tofu. Freeze them in meal-sized portions to use another day. This can help reduce how often you opt for takeout, stretch your food budget, and limit highly processed foods. Homemade meals can be full of flavour and help you limit your intake of sodium, sugars, and saturated fat.
Batch cooking with Canada's food guide plate
The food guide plate is a planning tool for all kinds of meals and snacks. This month, we focus on using the plate to make freezer-friendly meals, such as soups, casseroles, baked goods, and snacks. With more than 50 freezer-friendly meals, the Canada's food guide kitchen can help you get started.
Tip: The food guide plate promotes a variety of healthy foods. The food examples included are just that – examples. Use the plate's proportions as a reference tool to help you include a variety of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and protein foods in your overall eating pattern.
You can use the plate to guide you, whether your meal or snack is served:
- in a bowl
- on a plate
- in a lunch box
- on a shared platter
Recipe inspiration using the food guide plate
Explore simple meal ideas using the food guide plate.
Transcript | With described video
Breakfast
This egg and veggie scramble comes together quickly and is loaded with vegetables. Serve with whole grain toast or roll this scramble up into a small whole grain tortilla to take this breakfast on the go.
Family meal
This tender, juicy, flavourful
pineapple ginger chicken recipe is quick to prepare with just a few ingredients. Serve it over brown rice or quinoa with a fresh, green salad for a great evening meal.
Transcript | With described video
Transcript | With described video
Mixed dish
This delicious Three Sisters soup is prepared with corn, squash, and beans. In some Indigenous communities, these crops are called the "Three Sisters" because they help each other grow when planted side by side.
Healthy eating recommendation of the month
Prepare meals and snacks using healthy ingredients
Translated food guide snapshot of the month
Canada's food guide is a suite of online resources made to meet different needs. It includes the food guide snapshot, available online in many languages.
This month, discover the snapshot in Ukrainian.
Next month
In November, we'll explore nourishing pantry cooking.
Originally published: October 6, 2025