Corner stores can be a great place to make a pit stop and grab some snacks, but most food found there wouldn't be considered healthy. In a new initiative, Ottawa Public Health is looking to change this by adding some healthier options to corner-markets.
The pilot project aims to get more fresh produce, low-fat dairy products and meat alternatives onto the shelves of corner stores, especially in neighbourhoods that lack a full-scale grocery store.
Participating stores have agreed to carry at least three different fresh vegetables, three different fresh fruits, whole-grain products, and other healthier alternatives.
OPH helps with marketing and promotion, product displays and, behind the scenes, links stores with wholesalers and the group-buying power of Just Food to purchase stock, said Krystal Taylor, the public health dietitian driving the initiative.
It has been launched in three stores — Little Italy’s Preston Food Market, Lowertown’s Lauzon Meats and Food Frenz on the Carling Avenue side of Michele Heights across the street from Britannia Woods — and, according to Taylor, OPH is hoping a major convenience store chain will soon sell fresh fruit and veggies at two or three of its Ottawa locations. Similar projects have been launched in Montreal and Toronto.
By summer, Taylor said OPH will use sales data and lessons learned during the pilot to expand the initiative to other low-income neighbourhoods.
