March is Nutrition Month - favourite tips and tricks

Best Food Forward:
Plan Shop Cook Enjoy!

Healthy eating begins at the grocery store. It’s where most consumers purchase much of their food. Yet this is also where they are faced with a multitude of choices. This year’s Nutrition Month Campaign – Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy! – is dedicated to serving up practical advice on navigating the grocery store from dietitians, the food and
nutrition experts.

Throughout the month, we have been tweeting our favourite tips and tricks, as provided by the Dietitians of Canada:

- Fill your cart with the healthiest choices! Plan healthy meals and snacks before you head to the store. 
- A pantry worth raiding! 5 foods to stock: low-sodium canned tomatoes, salmon & legumes, whole grains & dried fruit.
- Feeding a family with different needs? A meal plan will save you time at the grocery store!
- Find nutrient-rich choices in every aisle with this cool virtual grocery store tour: http://ow.ly/eqDjf
- Save $ on groceries. Check flyers, clip coupons, compare prices & bring a calculator: http://ow.ly/e2l3V
- Grocery cart makeover! Put more vegetables & fruit in your cart & few, if any, packaged snacks or treats.
- Shop healthy! Use the % DV* on food labels to compare foods and make wise choices: http://ow.ly/e4GJW
- Save time in the kitchen with health convenience foods like pre-cut veggies. More time savers: http://ow.ly/e194p

Please visit the Dietitians of Canada website for nutritious and useful advice on how to Plan Shop Cook Enjoy!

*DV - Daily Value

Edmonton-area PCN Fun Walk/Run

The 9 Edmonton-area PCNs are organizing a 5km Fun Walk/Run at Rundle Park in May. We invite all area PCN staff, member clinic staff and member physicians, patients and the public to participate in the 5km run/walk, followed by a health fair put on by PCN healthcare professionals. Healthy snacks will be provided and there is a bouncy castle for the kids.

To register, please visit the Running Room website.

The 9 Edmonton-area PCNs include:

Alberta Heartland Primary Care Network

Edmonton Oliver Primary Care Network

Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network

Edmonton West Primary Care Network

Edmonton North Primary Care Network

Westview Primary Care Network

Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network

Sherwood Park - Strathcona County Primary Care Network

St. Albert & Sturgeon Primary Care Network

National Dietitians Day

March 20^th marks the 4^th anniversary of National Dietitians Day in Canada. The day is dedicated to celebrating dietitians across the country and their commitment to improving the health of our Canadians.

We are very proud and fortunate to have the expertise and skill of Registered Dietitians Andrea Shackel and Sally Ho at our LBD PCN office; our patients receive excellent care from them both.  

To access the services of our Registered Dietitians, please see your Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network family physician.

Pharmacist Awareness Month

Your pharmacist is your medication expert, and so much more! March is Pharmacist Awareness Month. As a key member of your health care team, pharmacists want to make sure that you understand the full range of services they can offer. In addition to filling your prescriptions and providing expert medication advice, did you know that pharmacists can also:

- Refill a prescription that’s run out

- Change a medication so it’s easier to take

- Give you a flu shot or other vaccinations

- Help you quit smoking

Ask your pharmacist about managing long-term conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure; they can help you understand what it is and how to treat it. They can let you know if you should see your doctor or other health professional.

Your pharmacist is your most accessible health care practitioner, providing you with convenient, high quality care. Now more than ever, pharmacists can work with you and your doctor to make sure you’re as healthy as you can be.

During Pharmacist Awareness Month 2013, ask your pharmacist how you can work together.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network's Registered Pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Educator is Nandini Desai. 

Meal Planning

Save time! A little planning before going to the grocery store helps you navigate isles quickly.

It helps to know what you’re going to cook before you head to the store. A meal plan and grocery list make shopping simple. At the beginning of each week, take a few minutes to plan healthy meals and snacks – even just a few days’ worth.

Check store flyers and online coupon sites for specials. They can inspire meal ideas and help you save money! Check what foods you already have, then create a grocery list based on your meal plan. At the store, use your list to stay on track and shop only for foods you need.


For more planning tips, visit:
• http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Plan-Shop-Cook/Plan-Well.aspx
• http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/MenuPlanner.aspx

To print a copy of our blank meal plan, click here.

Using a meal plan will help save time, save money and reduce the stress surrounding planning meals.

March is Nutrition Month

Best Food Forward:
Plan Shop Cook Enjoy!

Healthy eating begins at the grocery store. It’s where most consumers purchase much of their food. Yet this is also where they are faced with a multitude of choices. This year’s

Nutrition Month Campaign – Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy! – is dedicated to serving up practical advice on navigating the grocery store from dietitians, the food and
nutrition experts.

HOW DO CANADIANS PLAN, SHOP AND COOK?

Dietitians of Canada conducted an Ipsos Reid poll in the Spring, 2012. More than 2000 adults across Canada were surveyed online about their grocery shopping habits and
they told us that:

• 63% of Canadians struggle with making healthier food choices in the grocery store at least half the time they shop; more than one third struggle at least
75% of the time.
• 37% plan meals in advance.
• 67% of Canadians prepare a grocery list before going shopping for food; that is, they always or very often write a list.
• 52% of Canadians always or very often read the nutrition label on a food before purchasing. Only 11% rarely or never read labels.
• 58% of Canadians report that they always or very often cook a balanced meal for themselves or their family.

Take a look at the grocery store through a consumer’s eye…

Overwhelmed by towering aisles of packaged food products juxtaposed with vast sections of fresh food choices.

Teased to try something new, but finding comfort in familiar choices. 

Tempted by the aroma of the bakery treats and the convenience of deli counter ready-to-eat meals. 

Checking prices. 

Deciphering food labels. 

Determined to make the best choice in the extensive selection throughout every aisle of the store. 

Dietitians have unique knowledge of food and nutrition needed to provide Canadian consumers with practical advice they need to put healthier food in their grocery cart.

The Dietitians of Canada have put together a campaign of practical ideas on how to plan, shop and cook. Check their website for daily ideas or follow our Twitter feed for helpful tips.

March is Nutrition Month

Nutrition Month 2013

Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy!

Healthy eating begins at the grocery store. It’s where most consumers purchase much of their food. Yet this is also where they are faced with a multitude of choices. This year’s Nutrition Month Campaign – Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy! – is dedicated to serving up practical advice on navigating the grocery store from dietitians, the food and nutrition experts.

Please see the Dietitians of Canada website for ideas on planning, shopping, cooking and enjoying healthy meals.

We will be including tips on our blog and Twitter account all month. Please check back often!