Supporting Healthy Relationships with Food and Our Bodies
Nourish Nova Scotia’s Statement on Healthy Eating
Healthy* eating involves a variety of foods that make us feel good and give us energy to do the things we love. There are no good or bad foods. Healthy eating includes sharing food experiences with others. Healthy foods nourish our body, mind, and spirit.
Nourish Nova recognizes that the term healthy* in relation to food means something different to every individual and group. We provide this statement not to define it for you, but rather to clarify to our audience what we mean when we use the term, and keep it standard across our content.
We understand that not everyone has access to foods they enjoy and consider healthy. We also recognize that the term healthy is often used to oppress and stigmatize people, in particular those living in larger bodies, those with disabilities, lower-income folks, and racialized communities. As we listen and learn from a widening variety of groups who have faced healthy or body-related oppression, this statement will evolve.
To support more inclusive dialogue around healthy eating among youth and the people who support them (ie. educators, caregivers, youth support workers, etc.), we have developed a Positive Food Environment Toolkit for dialogue with practical activities for different age groups.