Nutrition Resource Centre

Our Programs

The Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC) works to ensure the effective dissemination and implementation of several provincial nutrition promotion programs and resources. At present, the NRC manages the following provincial nutrition programs:

Colour It Up
Community Food Advisor
Eat Smart!^®
NutriSTEP^®

We support each of the programs and resources in several ways, including:

Assisting with program implementation or starting up a new program
Material distribution
Maintaining and updating program materials and resources
Monitoring and evaluation
Providing updates about key developments in the field of community nutrition.

Ontario Public Health Standards

Our programs meet the requirements outlined in the new Public Health Standards. See Nutrition Resource Centre Programs mapped to the Ontario Public Health Standards (2010) [PDF: 459 KB].

Colour It Up Program Coordinator: Sarah Evason RD
Colour It Up / Plus de couleur is a community-based, behaviour-change program designed to promote increased vegetable and fruit consumption to women between the ages of 19-50 and their families.
Program materials and promotional items are available in English and French.
All programming materials are available electronically on the Colour It Up website (a facilitator's login is required).
Print copies of the Colour It Up Leader's Manual, as well as promotional materials for participants, are available for a reasonable cost, plus shipping fees, from the NRC.
Order Form for Colour It Up Leader's Manual and Promotional Items [PDF: 124 KB]

Community Food Advisor Program Coordinator:Elizabeth Smith RD
The Community Food Advisor Program is a volunteer-based peer education program.
Volunteers are trained to provide reliable information and education to promote safe and nutritious food selection, preparation, and storage to consumers in Ontario.
There are currently 16 sites throughout Ontario with close to 400 volunteers participating.
Read the latest issue of The Advisor, the newsletter for the Community Food Advisor Program. [PDF: 1494 KB]

Eat Smart!^® Program Coordinator: Heather Harvey RD
Eat Smart!^® Recreation Centre Program Coordinator: Mary Ellen Prange RD
Eat Smart!^® / À votre santé!^® is an award program that recognizes and promotes schools, workplaces and recreation centres that meet exceptional standards in healthy food choices, safe food handling and 100% smoke-free environment.
Nutrition Considerations for Implementing the Ministry of Education's School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM150) On March 22nd, the Ministry of Health Promotion, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Nutrition Resource Centre, hosted a webcast on the new School Food and Beverage Policy. The slides are provided here in PDF format (981 KB).

NutriSTEP^® Program Coordinator: Lee Rysdale RD
NutriSTEP^® is a parent education and skill-building program.
It includes a parent-administered 17-item questionnaire covering the nutritional risk constructs for the preschool population (3-5 years):
- food and nutrient intake,
- physical growth, developmental and physical capabilities,
- physical activity,
- food security and the feeding environment.
NutriSTEP^® (Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler) is a fast and simple way to assess eating habits and identify nutrition problems early, including growth and overweight issues.
On June 24, 2009, NutriSTEP^® hosted a webcast on "NutriSTEP^® in Ontario". View the PowerPoint slides [PDF: 661 KB, 35 slides].
Registered Dietitians at EatRight Ontario are available to provide nutrition advice to parents who have completed the NutriSTEP^® questionnaire. Call toll-free 1-877-510-510-2 or email your question to EatRight Ontario.