SHA promotes food security with the “Apple-a-Day” initiative

Nutrition and Food Service is launching the Apple-A-Day (AAD) initiative – a program aimed at supporting individuals who are experiencing food insecurity. It’s designed as a weekly, free of cost, ‘prescription’ box of fresh fruits and vegetables for patients requiring improved nutrition. The contents of the food boxes will be sourced as close to home as possible, drawing from the local food growers markets. It will be tested and evaluated for one year at three locations: Pasqua Hospital in Regina, Battleford Union Hospital and the La Ronge Community Health Centre.

While our main goal is to help those who are unable to afford or secure fresh, healthy food with a regular source, part of this project is to better understand the local food growers market and look for more opportunities to partner with them to bring sustainably sourced and delicious foods to all persons accessing care in Saskatchewan.

This initiative is one of many that a team of health leaders from across Saskatchewan are working on in partnership with Nourish, a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health of people and the planet using food as a lever for change.  In 2020, the SHA was selected as one of seven organizations from across Canada to participate in the Nourish Anchor Collaborative. The Nourish Leadership Team support each Collaborative to experiment with opportunities around food as an upstream determinant of social and ecological health.

 “This may well be a watershed moment, where multiple sectors work together to find innovative approaches to addressing malnutrition and food insecurity while supporting the local food economy,” says Stephanie Cook Executive Director, Nutrition and Food Services, SHA.

This initiative is made possible through the support of Nourish Leadership and Abbott Nutrition.

For more information about Nourish Leadership and the work of the Saskatchewan team, visit https://www.nourishleadership.ca/ac-team-saskatchewan

                                   Boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables are put together for patients