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HealthWellnessNutrition15TuesdayMarch192013GrocerycrashcoursestransformshoppingexperienceByRENEFRANCOEUREatinghealthyintheNorthisntalwaystheeasiestthingwithlimitedselectionandsoar-ingpricetagsinthemoreiso-latedcommunities.ButaccordingtoCanadiandietitianssomethingassim-pleasonegrocerystoretourcanprovideindividualsandfamilieswiththetoolstomakesmartermealchoicesandsparksomepositivedietarychangewithoutbreakingthebank.DietitiansofCanadacon-ductedapollinspring2012anddiscovered63percentofCanadiansstrugglewithhealthyfoodchoicesatleasthalfthetimetheyshop.Morethanathirdofthosesurveyedstruggledatleast75percentofthetime.Freegrocerystoretoursfromdietitiansareofferedperiodi-callythroughouttheNorthwestTerritoriesincludingoneforexpectantmothersfromtheNWTPrenatalNutritionPro-grambasedinInuvikandYel-lowknifetocombatconsumerconfusion.RobertaDowlingthereg-istereddietitianinFortSmithisholdinggrocerystoretoursallmonthlongincelebrationofNationalNutritionMonth.Theyaresohands-onvisualtactileandapplicabletoevery-onebecauseweallhavetoeatweallhavetoshopDowlingwhoarrivedintheNorthinOc-tobersaid.Thesearethethingsmyclientsndthemostusefulintheirlives.Thefocusofthetoursisproperlabelreadingsome-thingshesaidalmosteveryonedoeswrong.Peoplearelookingatthewrongpartofthelabelorlookingforthewrongingredientinthewrongsection.Ifyourelookingatfatinthebreadaisleorbreinthecheesesectionyourewast-ingyourtime.PeoplejustneedtobedirectedsotheyrenotinthegrocerystoreformultiplehoursDowlingsaid.AlsoifyourelookingforthatwonderproductthatshighbrelowfatlowsalthighinvitaminCitsnotoutthere.Youneedtoknowwhichnutrienttolookforinwhichsection.Otherlessonsfromamoregeneralsupermarkettourincludeunderstandingthatbasiccere-alshavethebestvaluebasedonnutritionandpricecannedsardinesdriedbeansandsun-flowerseedsarealternativesourcesofcalciumaswellasfortiedorangejuiceandsoymilkandfrozenvegetablesarejustashealthyachoiceasfreshvegetablesinapinch.ThenumberoneproblemisthecatchyiconsandslogansonproductssuchasredhealthcheckmarksandthegreenboxesthatscreamsensiblesolutionsDowlingsaid.Peoplewillseetheseandjustgrabthem.Butthesegraphicsaremostlymarketingploys.Youhavetolookcloseratthelabels.Takethetime.OnthetoursDowlingdoesntsteerparticipantsawayfromthechipaisleshecallsherselfarealisticdietitian.Thepointofthetourisnttotellpeoplewhattoeatandwhatnottoeat.Idontdothat.Illtellyouhowtoeatitinhealthyportionsthough.Thepointistogivepeoplethetoolstomakethedecisionsforthemselvesandshowthemhowtounderstandlabelsforeachsection.WhileDowlinghasadmin-isteredsupermarketcrashcoursesinotherregionsin-cludingherhomeprovinceofPrinceEdwardIslandMarchmarkedthefirsttimeshestartedthemupinFortSmith.Peoplesofarhavebeenimpressedtheyvesaiditsmadethingsclearereasierandtheyrefeelingmoreeducatedontheirchoicesshesaid.AttheendofeverytourDowlingsaidIalwaystellthemYourearmedanddan-gerousnow.Sheplanstocontinuetoursafternutritionmonthandtailorfutureonesforspecichealthconditionssuchasdiabetesheartdiseasehighcholesterolandsoon.IndustryAgricultureFarmersmarketsettoopeninYellowknifeByRENEFRANCOEURPickinguplocallyharvestedfishhomemadepreservesorvegetablesfreshfromtheNorthernsoilisabouttobe-comeeasierinYellowknife.Anofcialfarmersmarkettherstoneinthecitysincethe90sisslatedtorunonceaweekfromJunetoSeptember.Thecommunityissoreadyforit.EveryoneItalkedtooverthelastyeartoldmetheyfeltliketheyjustneededsomeonetostepupandmakeithap-pensaidAmyLizotteoneofthemainforcesbehindthefarmersmarket.LizottebeganonlinesurveyslastyeartocollectmarketdataonYellowknifesfoodprefer-enceforherMastersresearchatRoyalRoadsUniversity.Almostallofthepartici-pants96or97percentsaidtheywouldattendafarmersmarketifitwasavailablehere.ItwasoneoftheonlyquestionswheresuchamajorityagreedshetoldTheJournal.AfterLizottesreportde-tailingthepotentialforurbanfarmingwasreleasedlastfallagrouppassionateaboutthelocalfoodmovementgath-eredtotalkaboutrejuvenat-ingtheonce-thrivingYellow-knifefarmersmarket.Thatgroupnowthevolun-teer-basedYellowknifeCom-monsCooperativeisprepar-ingtolaunchthemarketthissummerinfrontofcityhallontherstweekendinJune.Theco-opissonewinfactthattheyarestillwaitingonapprovalfromthecorporateregistriestobeofciallyde-claredacooperative.Theirpaperworkiscurrentlybeingprocessed.Yellowknifehadaour-ishingfarmersmarketinthe1950sandtodaytheinterestinlocalfoodisincreasingagainasseeninthebrimmingcom-munitygardenswheretherearewaitinglistseveryyearLizotteafoundingmemberofthenewcooperativenoted.Butthefarmersmarketun-likethecommunitygardensisaboutsmallscaleurbanfarm-ersreapingmorethanoneprotfromtheirhardlabour.Thepurposeofwhattheco-optryingtodoisresaleandallowpeopletogeneratetheirownmoneyfromthis.Thecommunitygardensarenotaprotablethingforusers.TheyregreatbuttheyreaboutgrowingfoodforyourselfLizotteexplained.Fivevendorshavecommit-tedsofarbutLizotteishopefulmorewillrollinasspringar-rivesandthecooperativepumpsupitsrecruitmentefforts.Wedliketosee10tableswherepeoplearesellingandmaybesomesellingoutofthebedoftheirtrucks...AnyonewhogrowsharvestsormakesfoodisinvitedtocontactustosetupshopLizottesaid.Youdonthavetohaveabusinesstobeavendor.Youcansellthebreadsalsasandjamsyoumakeinyourownkitchen.Thecooperativeplanstonotonlyfacilitatethemar-ketbutgoonestepfurtherandsecurelandwithinYel-lowknifethatcanbespeci-callydesignatedforurbanfarmerswhowanttoreselltheirproducetothepublic.Tobecomeavendororgetmoreinfoemailyellowknife-commonscoopgmail.com.PhotoReneFrancoeurFortSmithdietitianRobertaDowlingisofferinggrocerystoretourstohelpconsumersunderstandfoodlabels.PhotoFranceBenoit