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Healthy Eating is in Store for You™
Healthy Eating is in Store for You ™ is an educational program about the nutritional information on food labels that will help consumers to make food choices that will lead to overall health and reduce the risk of developing a chronic illness, such as type 2 diabetes. New Canadian regulations for the mandatory labelling of packaged foods ensure that consumers have access to more information, on more foods, in an easier to find format.
Healthy Eating is in Store for You ™ is a collaborative partnership between the Canadian Diabetes Association and Dietitians of Canada.
To access the website click here.
Healthy Eating Is In Store For You™ is a program to provide consumers with the necessary tools to read and interpret food labels.
Copy of the ad that appeared in Canadian Grocer, a trade publication for the grocery retail industry. This ad supplies compelling reasons why a grocery retailer will want you to do some consumer education about the new nutrition labels in his/her store.
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What is Healthy Eating is in Store for You™?
This is an educational program that supports the change in Canadian regulations for mandatory labelling of packaged foods with nutrition information. The details of the regulations were published in Canada Gazette Part II (http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partII/2003/20030101/pdf/g2-13701.pdf) on January 1, 2003. These new regulations ensure that consumers will have access to more information, on more foods, in an easier to find format, about the nutritional value of packaged foods. Healthy Eating is in Store for You™ is a collaborative partnership between the Canadian Diabetes Association and Dietitians of Canada.
What are the objectives of the program?
The program’s ultimate goal is to help consumers make food choices that can lead to overall health and reduce the risk of developing chronic illness, including type 2 diabetes. There are three outcome objectives:
- Consumers will develop and/or enhance their knowledge and skills needed to interpret nutrition information on packaged foods.
- Consumers will use their knowledge of labelling to select healthy food choices.
- Consumers will recognize the sponsors of the initiative (Canadian Diabetes Association and Dietitians of Canada) as trusted sources of nutrition information on packaged food labels.
Who is involved in the initiative?
Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association are the sponsors of Healthy Eating is in Store for You™. Financial support for the development, implementation and evaluation of the project is provided through the Health Canada National Diabetes Strategy, Prevention and Promotion Contribution Program. In addition, nine collaborating organizations comprise a National Advisory Committee that will help to guide all aspects of the project. They include:
- Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors
- Canadian Home Economics Association
- Canadian Public Health Association
- Consumers’ Association of Canada
- Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada – Health Check™ Program
- Kraft Canada Inc.
- National Institute of Nutrition
- Shop Smart Tours Inc
Who is the program trying to reach?
The target populations for the project are:
- Adult women with families
- Low income Canadians and those with low literacy, including seniors on limited and fixed incomes Individuals who have type 2 diabetes, or who are at risk for developing the illness
- Intermediary targets are community health educators (dietitians, diabetes educators, home economists, public health nurses, recreation and fitness leaders), as well as grocery retailers and manufacturers.
Where is the financial support coming from for this project?
Financial support for the development, implementation and evaluation of the project is provided through the Health Canada National Diabetes Strategy, Prevention and Promotion Contribution Program.
How will the target groups and the materials differ from those produced by Health Canada?
The Health Canada materials are designed for health professionals and the general public. The HESY project complements the Health Canada educational materials by focussing on specific target groups. As a community health educator, you will find these ‘ready-to-use’ education tools and resources for consumers suitable for use in the classroom, at the store, or in the community centre. The target groups for HESY are
- Adult women with families ,
- Low income Canadians and those with low literacy,
- Individuals who have type 2 diabetes, or who are at risk for developing the illness, and
- Intermediary targets - community health educators (dietitians, diabetes educators, home economists, public health nurses, recreation and fitness leaders), as well as grocery retailers and manufacturers.
How do we access the program resources?
A dedicated website (www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca) hosted by DC and CDA will provide easy access to the project materials. This site will be live in April 2003.
What will I find on this dedicated web site?
This comprehensive web site includes the following sections:
- About us - information about the partnership of Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association and the nine collaborators which are representatives on the project Advisory
Committee. - About Healthy Eating is in Store for You ™- a description of the project and regular updates such as news releases which will be linked to the ‘What’s Happening section (see below).
- A link to the Health Canada Nutrition Labelling Policy and Resources
- Nutrition Labelling Education Resources
This searchable inventory on the web site will include: - The ALL NEW resources developed for this project – the tools and resources and the “Add Value in-Store Nutrition Education document (see below – The New Resources)
- Background documents from the project
- Educational resources reviewed for this project as well as international literature and notes from interviews with experts.
Educators may submit additional resources for peer-review to assess their suitability for inclusion in the inventory, ensuring dynamic support to nutrition educators. This inventory will be a great place for Community Health Educators to find what they need to provide a sound education program on the new nutrition information on packaged food label.
- Virtual Grocery Store (VGS) – The Rainbow Mart Mounted on the new web site http://www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca, this interactive web-based feature will help consumers learn the basics about nutrition information on packaged food labels using a game-like approach to learning. The VGS uses flash software which adds to the fun of the pop-up menus, quizzes, and lifelike sounds. The Virtual Grocery Store will be an excellent educational tool as a ‘stand alone’ and as a complement to the education program resources developed through the HESY project.
- What’s Happening? This section will inform consumers and educators events being held about the nutrition information on packaged food labels in their region. It will be a means for Community Health Educators to submit and profile their events and happenings. It’s as easy as this:
- fill out and submit a form on-line
- the event submission will be reviewed;
- the event – grocery tour, demonstration, educational session, and professional development - will be posted for all to see
All the events will automatically be removed from the ‘What’s Happening?’ listing after the date of the event is past.
What types of resources will be available to me?
The New Resources - Nutrition Labelling Education Tools and Resources
Also accessible from the web site and included within the ‘Nutrition Labelling Resource Inventory’ section will be the education program developed for this project which provides a step-by-step educational approach to using the nutrition information on packaged food labels for community health educators. It is designed for use in a variety of community-based settings, including grocery retail outlets, community recreation centres, seniors’ centres, and diabetes education centres, with any of the target populations. Resources that have been created include:
- An Instructor kit with two modules which include detailed instructions on the step-by-step educational process for nutrition labelling education and guidance on preparing for, setting up and teaching the modules; includes an Instructor Guide, Instructor Sheets, Fact Sheets, FAQ sheets, Activity sheets, and supplementary sheets for people with diabetes. See the following chart.
Instructor sheets
- Learning outcomes
- Look at the label
- All about health claims
- Nutrition Facts table
- The importance of nutrients
- Get less or get more
- Serving size
- Grocery cart
Fact sheets
- Look at the label (explains the sections of the label)
- All about nutrients
- Take 5 to read the facts
- Using percent Daily Value (% Daily Value)
- Serving up nutrition facts
- All about carbohydrate
F.A.Q. sheets
- All about nutrient claims
- Words to watch for
- The importance of nutrients (a list of nutrients with function) FAQ for people with diabetes
- All about “sugar” claims
Activity sheets
- Figure out the facts
- Figure out the facts (blank)
- Compare foods using % Daily Value
- Compare foods using % Daily Value (blank)
- Serve it up or serve it down.
- Plan meals with carbohydrates in mind
- Compare the facts for carbohydrate
- Carbohydrate counter for serving size
- A Community Heath Educator (CHE) flyer and Power Point presentation which informs CHE’s about the HESY program, how to access it and use it.
- A consumer brochure which summarizes the program and encourages the consumer to become involved in the program.
Add Value Through In-Store Nutrition Education
This resource is designed to promote the potential opportunities and benefits for grocery retail managers to partner with dietitians and home economists in promoting healthy eating through in-store education. This document is for use by educators to approach retailers as partners, and to inform retailers about the project and how they can use the resources. This document will also be on the web site in French and English. Targeted communication has already gone directly to retailers, providing them with a copy of this brochure and information on how to get involved in the program.
How will we know if the project has been successful?
All aspects of the project will be evaluated to assess the process, outcomes and impact on the target groups. An evaluation report will be widely disseminated through the project partners and collaborators.
How can I volunteer with the project?
The project requires volunteers to review submissions for the Nutrition Labelling Education Resources section of the web site. A review process and guideline for reviewers have been developed. Contact the National Project Coordinator to get involved.
Where can I get more information about the project?
The web site and all elements of the project will be ready for use by educators and consumers in April 2003. Through the implementation of a comprehensive communication plan the Dietitians of Canada, the Canadian Diabetes Association and The project collaborators will ensure educators and consumers are well informed.
National Project Coordinator:
Susan Roberts
Phone: (780) 484-9045
Fax: (780) 484-9099
Email: