October 24th 2017

1. Making the Healthy Choice the
easy choice
Presenter: Chelsea Brown, RD
Public Health Dietitian
Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region

2. We have a shared goal:
★Better nutrition = Better oral health

3. Public Health Nutrition

4. What do we do?
• Work to make the healthy choice the easy choice in the
places we live work learn and play.
• Build capacity in our members and others – education,
mentorship and training.
• Work with and through partnerships (schools, community
organizations, child care facilities, University, etc.)
• Do community assessments, program planning, research
and evaluation of current conditions.
• Collaboratively respond to Health Canada in review and
consultations for healthy public policy.
• Develop resources that are used provincially.
• Try to break down barriers to healthy eating for all

5. The Food Environment

6. The Food Environment
Why do we care?
= Has a greater impact on the food
choices we make than an individual’s
knowledge about healthy eating.

7. How has your food environment
impacted your food choices?
Lets find out….

8. Lets take a poll…
1. On your phone’s web browser enter the
address: kahoot.it/
2. Then enter the game code that pops up on
the screen…

9. ...had doughnuts at a staff meeting?

10. ...had healthy snacks brought in to
a staff meeting?

11. ...wanted healthy food when donuts
was all there was?

12. ...have an area in your office where
people leave leftover goodies to 'help
yourselves'

13. ...brought leftover healthy snacks
to share at the office.

14. ...had a cookie or pastry at an
organization’s open house or community
event.

15. ...had veggies at an organization’s open
house or community event?

16. ...bought a chocolate bar at a store even if
that’s not what you went into the store to
get?

17. …have seen a checkout counter that
looked like this?

18. ...seen healthy options at a child’s
sporting event?

19. ...more commonly see these types of
options?

20. ...gotten a healthy meal or snack from
a refrigerated vending machine?

21. ...had chips and a pop for supper
because that’s all that was available...

22. ...got plant baskets for a school or
program fundraiser.

23. ...got chocolates as part of a
fundraiser.

24. ...ate Halloween candy for a full
month before Halloween at work,
home, mall...etc.

25. ...gave away or received non-candy
giveaways at Halloween.

26. ...had unhealthy foods at a health fair?

27. ...had healthy foods at a health fair

28. Ever noticed that this is very cheap
and easily accessible…

29. …would like to see more of this
around?

30. ...have received candy as a reward
for good behaviour?

31. …rewarded children with non-food
rewards, e.g. frisbee, colouring book,
activities, etc.

32. ...purchased a box of cereal with a
cartoon character on the front for a
child?

33. …think this cereal has the same target
audience?

34. ...been able to smell fast food from at
least 2 blocks away

35. So what can you do??
• Bring healthy foods to meetings and community events
instead of sweets.
• Ask for healthier foods – the more demand there is the
more likely people will be to offer them.
• Support local fresh food businesses.
• Do not give candy out as a reward or incentive.
• Suggest non-food or healthy food fundraisers
• Do what you can to help make the healthy choice the easy
choice not only for yourself but those around you.
• Lets work together to promote the message and normalcy
of less sugar and food with low nutrition for better oral and
overall health.

36. How can we work together?
Better nutrition helps support better oral health.
• Oral health and nutrition status in older adults go hand in hand.
• We both work with schools and school age kids, so lets support
each other.
• Oral health and nutrition are both common concerns in those new
to Canada.
• Infant feeding practices and infant oral health are commonly
linked (open cup, bottle propping, juice, etc.)
• Eating disorders impact on teeth, nutrition and body image.
• Improving Food Security can help to improve oral health and
overall health.
• If you need any information, resources, research re: Nutrition or
healthy eating come to us!

37. ★We can each work to share,
support and advocate for
that consistent message:
healthier foods and
beverages for healthier
bodies, teeth and mouths.
One of the biggest ways we
can impact eating habits
and in turn oral health, is by
impacting our food
environments to support
making those healthy
choices.

38. Contact Information
Chelsea Brown, RD
Public Health Dietitian
Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region
Chelsea.brown@rqhealth.ca
306-766-7157