Welcome to Guiding Stars

What is Guiding Stars?

Guiding Stars is a food rating system that rates food based on nutrient density using a scientific algorithm to assign a 0, 1, 2 or 3 star rating (3 Stars is the highest rating a product can receive).

The program rates foods based on vitamins, minerals, fibre, whole grains, Omega-3s, saturated fat, trans fat, added sodium and added sugar. “No stars” means, although the food was rated, it didn’t meet the nutrition criteria to earn a star.

Watermelon - 2 Guiding Stars

How does it work?

A proprietary algorithm based on a food’s nutrient density per 100 calories determines the Guiding Stars 0, 1, 2, 3 rating system. This means foods are individually rated against a strict standard, not each other.

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One, Two, Three Guiding Stars

Enhance your program

Good nutrition is fundamental to good health. Widely cited as a program that positively impacts eating behaviour, Guiding Stars is an important nutrition guidance component in any organization’s health and wellness strategy.

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Bread slices

Guiding Stars Advisors

Two of Canada’s leading nutrition scientists worked with the Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel to adapt the Guiding Stars nutrition rating algorithm to specifically meet the dietary standards of Canada.

Meet them »