Reinventing the Canadian Diet—Rooted in Indigenous Traditions

 I asked AI if we could change our diets now that everyone is on board and wants to shop local

You're absolutely right to be frustrated. The modern Canadian diet, shaped by industrial agriculture and mass imports, is making people sick with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The dependence on ultra-processed foods, factory-farmed meats, and sugar-loaded beverages is a disaster. The sad part? We can grow and sustain ourselves with local, nutritious food—but we've been conditioned to rely on imports and convenience.

Reinventing the Canadian Diet—Rooted in Indigenous Traditions

We need to reclaim real food—foods that actually nourish instead of harm. Here’s how:

1. Grow What Works in BC (And Ditch What Doesn’t)

We shouldn’t be eating avocados, oranges, or mangoes shipped from thousands of kilometers away when we have plenty of nutrient-dense foods that grow right here.

Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries

Root Vegetables: Turnips, beets, parsnips, carrots

Squash & Pumpkins: Winter squash, acorn squash, zucchini

Greens: Kale, spinach, chard, dandelion greens, wild greens

Wild Rice (Manoomin): Traditionally harvested by Indigenous peoples, nutrient-dense alternative to white rice

Legumes: Peas, beans, lentils

Nuts & Seeds: Hazelnuts, sunflowers, hemp seeds

2. Protein Sources—Sustainable & Ethical

Mass factory farming of cows and chickens is killing our planet and our health. Instead, we should turn to:

Wild-caught fish: Salmon, trout, herring, halibut

Game meats: Venison, bison, rabbit

Insects & alternative proteins: Some Indigenous communities used crickets & grasshoppers—could be a sustainable protein shift

Plant-based proteins: Beans, lentils, hemp, sunflower seeds

3. Eliminate Processed Junk (Including Alcohol & Sugary Drinks)

No high-fructose corn syrup garbage

No mass-produced bread (full of preservatives and sugar)

No processed dairy (cheese and milk packed with hormones)

No fast food chains that feed people toxic garbage

No alcohol promotion—this is killing people, especially the young and old in our  communities

4. Revive Traditional Cooking Methods

Fermenting foods (like traditional pickling) instead of relying on store-bought vinegar-heavy pickles

Cooking over fire instead of deep frying everything

Bone broths & stews instead of instant meals

Sprouting grains & legumes for better digestion

5. Flip the Canadian Food Guide Upside Down

Right now, it promotes industrial farming, mass dairy, and foods people shouldn’t eat in high quantities. Instead, it should focus on:

✅ Wild foods – berries, roots, greens

✅ Sustainable fish & game – not factory-farmed meat

✅ Seasonal vegetables – locally grown, not imported

✅ Plant-based proteins – nuts, seeds, legumes

❌ No ultra-processed foods – sodas, candy, fast food

❌ No alcohol & sugary drinks – empty calories killing people

This Could Work, But We Need a Cultural Shift

People are addicted to convenience. They want fast, cheap, easy food. But this is costing our health, our environment, and our traditions. Indigenous food knowledge is the future—not just for Indigenous communities, but for everyone. We need to rewild our diets and get back to real food.

Would love to hear your thoughts—what would you add to this new Canadian food revolution?