Getting healthy and raising money

Up the coast, on the Strait of Georgia, the Gibsons Health Unit staff are getting healthy and raising money in the process.

The team of about 20 people is taking part in a fitness challenge to complete at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day and eat at least one Healthy Plate. The Healthy Plate initiative is a VCH tool that helps you easily plan a balanced meal by shifting your food proportions on a nine-inch plate to one half vegetables, one quarter grains and one quarter meat and protein alternatives. When they enter the challenge, staff make a donation to the Terry Fox Run – so far they’ve raised close to $150 – and every time they’re active, a sticker gets put up on the office board.

“Everyone wants their sticker on the board,” says Meghan Molnar, a community nutritionist in Gibsons, with a laugh. “And they don’t want to be left out from the activities and they always feel better when they do it.”

Additionally, the team has also been holding salad potlucks according to the Healthy Plate guidelines.

“The participation is always really good,” she says. “It’s working for us so we’d like to challenge to rest of VCH to do the same.”

Megan Oakey, the regional lead for the Healthy Plate initiative in Vancouver, says the tool should be utilized by staff and patients.

“It’s an easy to use meal planning tool to use with patients, clients and even themselves,” Oakey says. “It is a great way to increase your daily servings of vegetables.”

Read more about Healthy Plate to help you and your patients eat healthier.