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Science for Canadians: alternative to the Canada Food Guide

In the second article in our series of science relevant to Canadians, but which you might not hear about because of the assinine rules governing issuing press releases under Stephen Harper's PMO, I bring you an article published in the June issue of my journal. Should Canadians stick to the Canada Food Guide, or is the traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) a decent alternative?
I will leave the ultimate choice to you, but here are the basic facts to help you make your decisions:

The Canada Food Guide is designed with life in an area devoid of sunlight for much of the year in mind. The TMD is designed for people who live where it's bright and sunny much of the year. People there can make much of their own vitamin D, and have access to fresh fruit and vegetables that haven't travelled as freight from Costa Rica for several days.

The Canada Food Guide is designed by a team of scientists and food lobbyists (e.g., from the dairy and beef industries). The TMD is a diet that has developed over the course of generations, derived mostly from what is locally available to the area. Both emphasize balanced nutrition including protein from animal sources; however, the Canada Food Guide does not emphasize diversity of these animal sources, and places no limit on the amount of red meat a Canadian should consume, even though diets high in red meat have been shown to cause health problems.

Saedigh.com's conclusion: There are pros and cons for both dietary guidelines. As with most things in life, the middle path is probably the best option. Canadians require vitamin D supplementation, but could likely stand to increase the amounts of grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts in their diets, rather than relying so heavily on Alberta beef to meet their protein requirements.