NT Government – March is Nutrition Month: “What’s On Your Plate?” The Easy and Healthy Recipe Contest

Across Canada, March is Nutrition Month, and this year, dietitians are helping Canadians realize the potential for food to improve health, fuel activities, and bring people together.

Research consistently shows that a healthy diet can help prevent illness and can lower the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. To encourage NWT residents to make good nutrition habits part of their daily lives, the Department of Health and Social Services is launching a new recipe contest as part of Nutrition Month.

Beginning today, residents can take part in the “What’s on Your Plate?” easy and healthy home cooking recipe contest The contest is comprised of two phases: regional submissions and “People’s Choice” territorial voting. Prizes include:

• $100.00 grocery gift card for each regional winner (Beaufort Delta, Sahtu, Dehcho, Tłı̨chǫ, Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife). Winners will progress to the “People’s Choice” round.
• $200.00 grocery gift card for the “People’s Choice” winner. Votes will be accepted until March 31 at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time.

Please visit  https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/aliments-et-nutrition/easy-and-healthy-home-cooking-recipe-contest to submit an entry. Submissions will be received until March 10, 2019 at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time.

This Nutrition Month, practice healthy eating by:

• Planning ahead: Keep-ready-to-eat cut up veggies, nuts and cubed cheese. Being prepared helps you to avoid less-healthy snacks.
• Cooking healthy meals together:  When parents, children and other family members cook together, chances are that kids will continue this good habit as they grow.
• Shopping wisely: Unhealthy drinks and foods can cost more than you think. Make a shopping list to help you stay focused on buying vegetables (frozen, dried, canned or fresh), whole grains, dried beans and lentils and lean meats and fish.
• Eating locally:  Learn to harvest and prepare local wild game meats, birds and fish. Try gardening this year to bring more vegetables to your table.

For more information on healthy eating, please visit www.hss.gov.nt.ca and www.nutritionmonth2019.ca

NT5