This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.

Justin Trudeau Says Vacation Calories Don't Count And He's Never Seemed More Human

They don't count during the holidays, either... right?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Sina Weibo Headquarters on Dec. 4, 2017 in Beijing, China.
Wang Jun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Sina Weibo Headquarters on Dec. 4, 2017 in Beijing, China.

Who among us hasn't justified a spectacularly bad-for-you treat while on vacation?

We all know calories don't count when you're a tourist. Or during the holidays. Or after 10 p.m. Or when you're tired. Or on, um, a Monday...

Well, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to know what's what, anyway. Trudeau β€” who is currently in Beijing to talk trade and tourism with Chinese Premier Li Keqiangβ€” may not have been able to announce the start of formal free trade talks, but his tourism pitch was A+.

At a panel discussion Monday that touched on Canadian tourism draws (including beer and wine, reportedly), Trudeau joked that meals eaten by tourists in Canada "contain zero calories."

"I stand by this assertion β€” come see for yourself," Trudeau tweeted Sunday night (Monday morning in Beijing).

And, just like that, our fancy-footed, selfie-taking, photobombing prime minister has never seemed more human to those of us who bulk buy cheese and wear elastic waistband pants on Taco Tuesday.

Some Twitter users responded to Trudeau's tweet with enthusiastic agreement.

While others were a little more realistic.

Next year is the China-Canada Year Of Tourism, an initiative intended to build closer ties between the two countries. More than 610,000 Chinese tourists visited Canada in 2016, according to the Government of Canada's China-Canada Year of Tourism web page.

"We're ready to welcome record numbers of Chinese visitors, and Canadian tourism operators are ready to show off all the excitement and adventure that our country has to offer," boasts the web page.

With foodie culture growing in China (45 per cent now consider themselves "adventurous foodies," according to a 2016 survey), Trudeau may be onto something with his "zero calories" pitch.

Justin Trudeau orders food at a counter during his visit at a Jollibee fast food restaurant in Tondo city, metro Manila, Philippines Nov. 12, 2017.
Czar Dancel / Reuters
Justin Trudeau orders food at a counter during his visit at a Jollibee fast food restaurant in Tondo city, metro Manila, Philippines Nov. 12, 2017.

Trudeau doesn't hide his own love of food. He's revealed that his favourite food is sushi, and that he prefers beer over wine, and on a recent trip to the Philippines he took selfies with fans while ordering some fried chicken (we can relate to one of these actions).

Well, he may be a lot more relatable with this latest tweet, but can we really trust someone who admits he doesn't drink coffee?

Also on HuffPost:

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.