10 Recipes and Partnerships Promote Healthy Eating for Nunavummiut

Iqaluit, Nunavut (September 27, 2012) – The creation of 10 healthy recipes and a new collaboration with retailers in the Arctic are enabling the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) to promote basic food preparation skills and important nutrition messages to a broad audience across Nunavut.

The North West Company and Arctic Cooperatives Ltd., along with several independent retailers are working with HSS to promote the recipes and the Nunavut Food Guide throughout the territory.

“I am thrilled that this collaboration was established,” said Jennifer Wakegijig, Nunavut’s territorial nutritionist. “The 10 core recipes were developed and tested by Nunavummiut across the territory. The recipes include important nutrients, foods that are available in our stores, and basic cooking skills that people have told us they need. This partnership allows us to take these recipes and healthy eating messages beyond the cooking class setting to the whole community.”

Stores began featuring the first recipe, fish chowder, on September 20, 2012. A new recipe will be featured each month and participating retailers will display the recipes and ingredients, and some stores will offer sale pricing on ingredients. The recipes will also be promoted in store flyers.

This project was funded through Health Canada’s disease prevention and health promotion investments, and the nutrition education component of Nutrition North Canada. Retailers have also invested in this initiative through shipping costs, staff time, display space, flyer promotions, and sale pricing on ingredients.

All of the recipes and the Nunavut Food Guide can be viewed at http://www.hss.gov.nu.ca/en/yourhealthnunavutnutrition.aspx

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Media Contact:
Ron Wassink, Communications Specialist
Department of Health and Social Services
867-975-2272
rwassink@gov.nu.ca

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