Healthy Foods, Healthy Hearts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arlene Cristall, M. Sc., R . D. N., Community Nutritionist, Simon Fraser Health Rexion, Piiblic Health Services, 11940 Hatzey Place, Maple R i d ~ e , British Colnmbia; Canada V2X 6G1; E l : (604) 466-7200; Fax: (604) 463- 6057; E-mail: afcrista@bcsc02.gov. bc.ca

Since the late 1980s, the supermarket has become a widely accepted venue for promoting healthy eating messages to the public.' The presence of shelf la- bels, food labels, consumer pamphlets, and grocery store tours are all evidence of the successful partnering of corpo- rate (supermarket chains) and profes- sional sectors (dietitians) in order to enable the consumer to make healthier food choices. O f the various health promotion strategies, the supermarket tour has a dual advantage; it is a highly interactive learning experience and is led by a registered dietitian. According to formal evaluation,' the success and popularity of the tours is due to their "hands-on" nature and the presence of a qualified professional who can answer participants' questions.

However, a nunlber of individuals and organizations, who have expressed interest in the guided supermarket tours, are unable to participate in them. For example, schools, seniors, and cor- porate and community groups often . - .

cannot access tours because of partici- pant numbers, transportation limita- tions, and/or mobility limitations. In o rder t o reach these groups, t h e Healthy Foods, Healthy Hearts module was developed. It is, in essence, a portable version of the guided super- market tour.

Over 100 typical supermarket food items are used in the Healthy Foods, Healthv Hearts module to h e l ~ con- sumers understand product or label in- formation and its relevance to Canada's Food Guide To Healthy Eating recom- mendations. The nlodule consists of

The author w15hel to esprcn her gratitude to thc B r ~ t ~ r h Columbia M ~ n ~ r t r y of Health, Nutri t~on Branch. for its financial and orofesslonal ruooort.

Figure 1. View of the logo.

two lightweight tabletop display units containing 16 panels. They have been arranged so that panels of oversized photographs of the supermarket aisles alternate with nutrition infornlation panels (Figs. 1-2). Renlovable shelving has been used to display the food prod- ucts selected to represent each food group.The food itenls themselves have all been shrinkwrapped in order to

- : Products 20% 111.' or x s s

preserve their integrity during han- dling by tour participants. The entire display is easily transported in two car- rying cases (for the tabletop panels) and four Tupperware boxes (for the food items).

The overall nutrition message pro- motes heart-healthy food choices that are low in fat, high in fiber, and pro- duced locally in British Columbia.The

L' ,

which brought t h ~ r project to complet~on. Figure 2. View of vegetable photograph and message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

presence of a registered dietitian or community nutritionist helps the con- sumer to interpret this message within the context of the total diet a p p r ~ a c h . ~ The following features of the display are intended to reinforce the basic nu- trition education principles of the tour:

The logo (see Fig. 1) at the top of each of the information panels de- picts a heart in a shopping cart that moves across the Food Guide rain- bow. The nutrition information panels have been color coded to corre- spond to the colors of the Food Guide (e.g., ell ow for grain prod- ucts, red for meat and alternatives, blue for milk products, and green for vegetables and fruit). The large supermarket photographs are not only meant to evoke the at- mosphere of the supermarket but also are meant to inform. A singu- lar message has been digitized over each of the photographs in an at- tempt to capture the prevailing theme for a particular food group. For example, the photograph of the vegetable aisle (see Fig. 2) urges the consumer to "Choose more Color." By selecting a more colorful array of foods from the produce section of the supermarket, consumers not only enhance the taste, texture, and appearance but also the ~lutritional quality of their food choices.' The food products that accompany the display represent a sampling of the myriad of food items found in the supermarket and do not neces- sarily reflect the most nutritious choices available. For example (see Fig. I ) , in the milk group, samples of both "light" and regular varieties of sour cream, yoghurt, and various cheeses can be found. As in the on- site supermarket tour, an important goal here is to enable the consumer

Figure 3. Healthy Foods, Healthy Hearts display at a health fair.

to understand the labelling infor- mation on the food products and make informed choices. A handout summarizing the nutri- tion information on the panels is available for distribution to all tour participants.

The nutrition information and the food items can be easily adapted to dif- ferent cultural or economic situations as well as modified to keep pace with research and marketing trends.

Since its completion in September 1996, the display has been used in hos- pitals, schools, community centers, shopping malls, health fairs, and work- sites throughout British Columbia (Fig. 3). Informal feedback from the dietitians who have used the display indicates that this unit has been very popular with a wide variety of audi- ences in all of its various settings. At the time this paper was submitted, evaluation forms were still being col- lected and suggestions and comments

will be reviewed in the next few months.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to acknowledge Jan Stephens, R.D.N. for her valuable con- tribution of time and effort to this pro- ject.

REFERENCES

Supermarkets the media: nutrition the message. Rapport (National In- stitute of Nutrition) 1991;6: 1-16. Crawford S, Kalina L, Leung S.The supermarket tour. Nutrition and Dietetics Lecture Series. University of British Columbia, 1991. "All Foods Can Fit." March 1997 National Nutrition Month theme. Dietitians of Canada. Feast on Phytochemicals.American Institute for Cancer Research Newsletter 1996; Spring:(5 1): 1.