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Adam Hansen is very impressed with Canada’s new food guide

The record holder for the most consecutive Grand Tours ridden endorses the new guidelines on how Canadians should eat

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January 24, 2019
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Aussie pro Adam Hansen of Belgian squad Lotto-Soudal has taken note of Canada’s new food guide and he’s quite impressed. The man who holds the record for the most consecutive Grand Tours ridden has noticed the major changes to the dietary recommendations issued by the Canadian government.

“I’m very impressed with Canada’s new food guide. Looks like the world is turning circles a little here. Tobacco all over again,” Hansen wrote in a Tweet on Wednesday.

The new food guide did away with the four food groups that included dairy and alternatives, and meat and alternatives. In their place, the new food guide includes three main categories: whole grains, vegetables and fruits, and protein.

Vegetables and fruits should make up half of your diet according to the guidelines with proteins and whole grains each making up a quarter of your diet. The food guide recommends eating proteins from mostly plant-based sources. There is no longer a category for dairy products with the food guide recommending water over other beverages.

In July, Hansen who is lactose intolerant told Rouleur that he eats mostly vegan. “I don’t have any dairy, meat, eggs. It’s nice that this type of diet helps animals too, but it’s more for health reasons.”

Perhaps diet had a small part to play in Hansen’s Grand Tour consecutive streak which ended at 20 last May when he completed the 2018 Giro d’Italia. He had ridden and finished every single Grand Tour going all the way back to the 2011 Vuelta a España.

“I’m lactose intolerant. This cuts out a lot of the stuff I can have on a race. Most desserts have dairy in so I just go four weeks without a single dessert. I love raw cakes so I might come home and have one of those,” Hansen explained to Rouleur in July. “And I’m on a plant-based diet, so I get the side dishes at the races, not the main courses. So I’ll do different roast veggies, chia seeds, just more healthy food.”

In response to Hansen’s endorsement, Canadian Ben Perry who rides for the Israel Cycling Academy Tweeted a host of reactions including a crying emoji presumably because how proud he is, the hug emoji, devils horns and a shaka sign.

Explore the full Canada food guide at food-guide.canada.ca/.