Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (June 27/05) - Put down the hamburger and pick up your rifle. Country foods are the way to go when it comes to healthy living, say Nunavummiut.

"It's just healthier food," said Remi, a resident of Kugaaruk.

This is not to say nutritious food cannot be found in the store, but shoppers must be careful what they buy.

'Country foods are healthy'

"All country foods are healthy, it's the store-bought foods that are the trickier part," said Amy Caughey, health promotion specialist in nutrition with the Government of Nunavut.

A good idea is to follow the Nunavut Food Guide, she said.

It lists food into four groups, those which help provide: strong muscles, strong bones and teeth, good eyes, skin and less infection, and foods that provide energy.

These are roughly similar to the categories of meat and beans, milk products and bones, vegetables and fruits, and breads and carbohydrates. Not all foods fit where you might think.

Fish skin and oil, which has vitamin D, is important for building strong bones, Caughey said.

People need to eat a variety of food from each group, Caughey said.

Traditionally, Inuit would eat berries, seaweed, a variety of animals, and eat all different parts of the animal.

"When people were doing that they were getting all the nutrients they needed to be healthy," Caughey said.

Nowadays, if people are not eating enough from one group, such as fruits and vegetables, they should buy those foods from the store to supplement the country food they are eating, Caughey said.

Caribou is a favourite of people in Kugaaruk, Remi said. People there still do a lot of hunting.

The guide also lists "sometimes food" like pop and chips.

These foods do not give people the nutrients they need, and are high in sugar and fat, Caughey said. They should not be eaten every day.

"Country foods have very healthy fats," Caughey said. Fat from fish and marine mammals is the healthiest, she said.

Healthy living goes beyond food.

"It's important to drink water every day," Caughey said.

People should also get exercise to stay healthy, and burn off extra energy, Caughey said.