Eating Healthy Together

Eating Healthy Together is an initiative that aims to provide a supportive, informative, and healthy food environment for consumers at our Hospital. This is accomplished by removing ultra-processed foods and beverages to ensure nutritious items are available.

In Northwestern Ontario, health data from the North West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) shows that our chronic disease rates, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, are higher than the rest of the province. Research shows unhealthy eating behaviour as one of the contributing factors to chronic disease and mortality in Canada. We also know that system level efforts to modify risk of chronic disease often have a greater impact than efforts to change behaviour on an individual level.

As a health care facility, we should not be selling the foods that contribute to the acute and chronic conditions we are treating.

What is Eating Healthy Together?

The Eating Healthy Together initiative takes a holistic approach to healthy eating by focusing on four fundamental pillars. These pillars are:

– Creating a healthy nutrition environment
– TBRHSC Eating Healthy Together Nutrition Standards
– Promotion, training and education
– Evaluation

All food and beverages sold or catered on our Hospital’s premise from a donated or purchased source must comply with the Eating Healthy Together Nutrition Standards in the next coming months. The Eating Healthy Together Nutrition Standards are evidence-based with an emphasis on serving natural or minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods.

Food and beverages brought to the Hospital for personal consumption or offered at off-site Hospital events will not be impacted. Additionally, meals provided to inpatients and outpatients are not within the scope of Eating Healthy Together. Nutrition and Food Services provides healthy, nutritious meals to patients that meet their diverse nutrition needs.

A variety of educational opportunities focused on healthy eating and nutrition knowledge continue to be offered. Check out our Hospital’s Facebook page to hear about upcoming events.