Eating in Ontario: What Do We Know? Vegetable and fruit consumption, food insecurity, self-rated health, and physical activity based on CCHS 2017 and implications related to COVID-19 (PDF)

This report reveals the troubling depths of food insecurity among female lone-parent households, Indigenous populations, and low-income Ontarians. It also identifies the degree to which too many Ontarians are not being sufficiently nourished, and face challenges feeding their families. This is due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to mental health concerns and increasing risk of serious long-term health complications including chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Eating in Ontario: What Do We Know? Comparing intake of key nutrients, vegetables and fruit in Ontario with Canadian intake and dietary recommendations: a report based on CCHS 2015 – Nutrition (PDF)

This report provides  information on the dietary intakes of Ontarians over the age of two, based on the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2015 nutrition component. Results for Ontario, which are similar to national results, reveal that the intake of some key nutrients, as well as vegetables and fruit, were not in keeping with current dietary recommendations.

Beverage Intakes in Ontario: What Do We Know? (PDF)

This report provides information on the beverage intakes of Ontarians over the age of two, based on the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2015 nutrition component.

Patterns of beverage consumption in Ontario have not previously been reported and are similar to national results. Examining and identifying concerns about dietary intake at the
provincial level is important to inform policy and programming in Ontario to improve eating patterns, promote health and prevent chronic disease.

Policies that Influence Food Literacy among Children and Youth in Ontario (PDF)

This NC report provides an overview and analysis of provincial and federal policies that have implications for food literacy among children and youth in Ontario. It describes implications for policy and practice and recommendations for how to better support food literacy in Ontario through policy. It is part of Nutrition Connections’ series on the State of Healthy Eating and Food Literacy in Ontario.

Food Literacy Programming in Ontario: A Focus on Programs Offered to Children, Youth, Parents and Caregivers (PDF)

This NC report presents the results of a scan of food literacy programs offered by public health units, community health centres, family health teams, community organizations and non-profits in Ontario, with a focus on programs targeting children, youth, parents, or caregivers. It identifies opportunities and barriers to running these programs as well as discussing gaps and priority areas for more collaborative work in supporting food literacy programs.

Effective Education Strategies to Increase Food and Nutrition Knowledge in Children and Youth (PDF)

This NC evidence brief provides an overview of effective approaches to increase food and nutrition knowledge in children, youth, and their parents and identifies implications for food literacy policy and practice. It is part of a series on The State of Healthy Eating and Food Literacy in Ontario.

This evidence brief is also available in French.

Effective Approaches to Increase Food Skills in Children, Youth, and their Parents (PDF)

This NC evidence brief provides an overview of effective approaches to increase food skills in children, youth, and their parents and identifies implications for food literacy policy and practice. It is part of a series on The State of Healthy Eating and Food Literacy in Ontario.

The Current State of Local Food Use and Food Literacy in Meal and Snack Programs Targeted to Young Children in Ontario (PDF)

This NC report describes the current situation in Ontario, with respect to local food use and food literacy in meal and snack programs targeting young children. It also outlines the challenges, barriers and opportunities to support more local food use and food literacy in child care and student nutrition programs. The conclusions of this report have also been summarized an infographic.

Opportunities for Local Food and Food Literacy in Child Care and Student Nutrition Programs (JPG)

This infographic summarizes the conclusions of an NC report that describes the current status of local food use and food literacy in meal and snack programs targeting young children in Ontario, and al. It also outlines the challenges, barriers and opportunities to support more local food use and food literacy in child care and student nutrition programs.

Food Skills Programming for Newcomers to Ontario (PDF)

This report provides background about newcomers in Ontario and features information gathered from facilitators of food skills programs targeted to newcomers.

Aboriginal Food Skills Programming (PDF)

This report highlights work done in this area, along with a summary of information gathered from key informants involved in food skill programming in Aboriginal communities.

Food Skills Programming Environmental Scan (PDF)

This resource was produced in 2013 to give public health professionals with a deeper understanding of the programs and resources being utilized to address food skills development in the general population.

Effective Interventions to Increase Vegetable and Fruit Intake in School Aged Children (PDF)

This 2016 report provides evidence-based recommendations for interventions and specific health promotion strategies that would be cost-effective and feasible to implement in community-based settings to increase vegetable and fruit consumption among school-aged children. Also available in French.

Community-Based Programs or Interventions that Support Vegetable and Fruit Intake in Children and Youth in Ontario (PDF)

This 2016 report shares Ontario-based examples of comprehensive community programs or interventions to increase vegetable and fruit consumption, among children, youth and families. Also avaiable in French.

Toolkit – Guidelines for Implementing Promising Practices in Diabetes Prevention (PDF)

This report was developed to inform a range of diabetes prevention projects/programs by highlighting promising practices that can be implemented to achieve an effective diabetes prevention project/program. The document provides a guiding framework and principles as the foundation for planning diabetes prevention activities, as well as a reference to an evidence base to support the development of health promotion programming. The report should be used to embed evidence-informed practices in diabetes prevention projects/programs and to provide assistance to develop projects into a best or promising practice program.

Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy

The Ontario Public Health Association was one of the leading organizations involved in developing the Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy.  This is a cross government, multi-stakeholder coordinated approach to food policy development and a plan for healthy food and food systems in Ontario.