by the Diabetes Team

The theme for this year’s Nutrition Month Campaign is Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy! Healthy eating begins at the grocery store and this year’s campaign is designed to help our community members make more informed food choices to best support their health. The campaign also aims to increase the profile of Registered Dietitians as being the most trusted source of nutrition information.

Traditional eating practices in First Nation communities, such as hunting, fishing and gathering are becoming less common. “The main source of food comes from the grocery store and navigating through the shelves can be overwhelming. There are so many messages being marketed to the public that the basics of healthy eating are often forgotten.” says Janna MacKay, Diabetes Community Consultant and Registered Dietitian at The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq. “Some grocery stores have dietitians; ask to participate in a grocery store tour. Or contact your community’s dietitian or public health nutritionist for more information.”

Here are some tips for your next grocery shopping trip:

Plan

Before heading to the grocery store, decide what meals you’d like to make for the week. Use store flyers to look for specials, check your fridge and pantry to see what you need and how you can use up the food you already have, then make a grocery list.

Shop

Try and choose foods from the perimeter of the store. “Fill your cart with vegetab ...

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