Healthy Eating

Introduction

 

Healthy food choices contribute to overall health and vitality and reduce a person’s risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Recent surveys suggest that many Simcoe Muskoka residents could benefit from reliable nutrition information and environments that support their efforts to choose healthy foods.

Only 42% of Simcoe Muskoka respondents aged 12 and over report consuming 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. This amount is below the recommendation for most age groups in “Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide”.

We spend a considerable portion of our day at work, so the workplace is the ideal setting to provide opportunities to make healthier eating choices.

Be Aware - of the benefits of healthy eating
This section provides resources that will inform employers and employees how to integrate healthy eating into everyday life for health benefits. Resources include fact sheets, newsletter inserts, posters and brochures. This information can be used for messages and quick tips to post on bulletin boards, to include in monthly e-bulletins, newsletters, with pay cheques or to print for a brochure rack.

Make It Easy - to eat healthy every day
This section provides resources to help make healthy eating easy and fun. Resources include contests, challenges, activities and quizzes.

Be Involved – with colleagues to support healthy eating at work and in communities
This section provides information on how to develop and sustain a wellness program in the workplace. There are also links to community activities that promote healthy eating.

Speak Out - for healthy eating opportunities that will make your workplace and community a healthier place
This section addresses how a workplace can support healthier eating choices through sustainable policies. It also provides examples of how to support local community groups to make healthy eating more accessible and affordable.