Healthy Northland works to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. How do we know if what we are doing works? All the work we do has evidence behind it - we only use strategies that have been proven to work. In 2018, we wanted to dig a little deeper to show the impact these strategies are having locally. In... Continue Reading
A student’s behavior, ability to focus, and academic performance improve simply by eating a healthy breakfast and lunch! Make sure your children get meals at school. For more than 70 years schools have been providing free or low-cost meals to students. Schools are reimbursed through the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program. Over 30 million students... Continue Reading
Do you read food labels? Labels can be helpful if you know what you’re looking for. And they can be enlightening when you compare one label to another. For example, did you know that Trix cereal has less sugar than Vanilla Almond Special K? Who would have guessed that? There are 10 grams of sugar in Trix and 12 in... Continue Reading
The average person makes 227 decisions just around food a day! Making decisions is taxing! It can wear us out. It’s no wonder we can loose all control and become impulsive or make unhealthy choices at the end of the day. It even has a name. It’s called “decision fatigue” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. The quality of... Continue Reading
The application deadline for the grant has passed. The benefits of breastfeeding are extensive. Breastfed babies received added immunity from many illnesses, such as asthma, ear infections, and diabetes. Mothers that breastfeed have lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and breast and ovarian cancer. But, did you know that breastfeeding benefits workplaces, too? Becoming a breastfeeding supportive business delivers a... Continue Reading
Students in Cook County are learning to grow plants and snacking on fresh veggies during class, thanks to gardens transported into the classroom. Cook County has had a school district wellness committee since 2007. One result of the committee’s work has been a school-based agriculture project at the elementary school. During the 2016-2017 school year, a teacher found a way... Continue Reading
By Heidi Klingelhofer, Aitkin County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership intern When consumers, producers, distributors, and purchasers come together, it is amazing the things that can be accomplished. On Friday, December 1st, 2017 nearly sixty people from Northeastern Minnesota came together at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mountain Iron to discuss a common goal: increasing access to locally-sourced foods. Among the attendees... Continue Reading
When norms change, we change. That has certainly been the case regarding food and portion sizes. In Dr. Wendy Scinta’s blog The History of Portion Sizes: How They’ve Changed Over Time. It’s hard to dispute the simplicity of her point: the new norms around portion sizes of our favorite foods is hurting us. See the graphic below to understand how much... Continue Reading
Are you passionate about local food? Are you a farmer, a distributor, a purchaser, or even just someone who eats? If so, you’re invited to the Northeastern Minnesota Food Charter in Action event, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mountain Iron. Join others to talk about all things food. The focus is how... Continue Reading
This month, students at McGregor School District will be eating squash grown by Gilby’s Nursery & Orchard in Palisade, MN. If you or your school aren’t sure what to do with squash, you can stop wondering now! Learn everything you need to know from this Squash-Harvest of The Month Family Newsletter provided by Aitkin County SHIP and partners. You’ll find... Continue Reading