An apple a day keeps the doctor away: Policy options to increase the consumption of plant-based foods in Canada

Research shows that Canadians report consuming a range of plant-based foods below recommended levels, leading to a potentially avoidable economic strain in the form of both direct and indirect health care costs. Importantly, dietary behaviour has been recognized as a function of many different determinants and contexts. As such, through analysis of publicly available data on fruit and vegetable consumption, the use of expert informant interviews, and a jurisdictional scan, this study seeks to identify possible barriers to plant-based food intake in Canada, as well as propose three federal policy options to support the increased consumption of these foods.