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INUVIK - You probably couldn't find finer healthy food advocates than Jennifer Cockney and Annalee Heidl.

On Saturday afternoon, the pair were stationed just inside NorthMart's entrance, offering passersby vegetable plate samplings and a Healthy Foods North cloth grocery bag jammed with all kinds of goodies, including healthy recipes and meal planning tips.

From left, JoAnne Kendi appears overwhelmed as she's offered a veggie plate and a bag of nutritional goodies from Healthy Foods North employees Jennifer Cockney and Annalee Heidl while they host a regular interactive in-store event at NorthMart on Saturday. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

They agree they're passionate advocates for healthy living but they also say it hasn't been a lifelong calling.

The awakening began after they were hired several months ago by Healthy Foods North, a pilot project based here and in Tuktoyaktuk that aims to create a healthier population through nutrition and exercise promotion programs, while having a research component as well.

Cockney joined Healthy Foods North last November on the advice of her sister, who is a project employee in Tuktoyaktuk. Heidl, who came on board last September, needed a part-time job while enrolled at Aurora College.

They said that at the time they were addicted to fats, sweets and preservatives and made little effort to incorporate fruits and vegetable in their diets.

In their new jobs, they've seen the research illustrating worrisome obesity and diabetes rates in the North. Through taking part in healthier cooking and meal planning programs, which among other things encourages incorporating vegetables into traditional meals, they've come to understand the importance of eating well. They've since been involved in projects such as Wednesday walking clinics, healthy recipe contests and regular information and tasting sessions at local grocery stores.

"It's changed my lifestyle and what I serve to my family," said Cockney. "We have much healthier meals. Sometimes you don't need to make that much of an effort. My children love noodles so I just toss in a few peas here and there, so that's just a small practical example," said the mother of five.

They've injected far more fruits into their diets, cutting out fat and pre-packaged meals. They've converted from two per cent milk to one per cent. Heidl even tricked a few of her friends into following suit.

"I was trying to get them to drink one per cent because it tastes better and it's got more vitamins and minerals. But they didn't want to try it. Later on they came for supper and asked for milk and after drinking it, they turned around and said 'This is really good milk.' I said 'It's one per cent.' Now they're drinking one per cent, so that made me feel really good."

Both women have been shedding weight, which many of their friends have acknowledged. They said they feel better and say their energy levels have skyrocketed.

Cockney has since got her grandfather, who's a diabetic, to alter some of his eating habits, while Heidl has encouraged her father to change from eating white to whole wheat bread and he's also eating more fruit.

Cockney's children have joined the healthy eating train. Just a few weeks ago, she packed some broccoli in her son Jeremy's lunch for a school trip on the land. He gobbled it all up.

"I asked 'Did you share it?' and he said nobody else wanted any. But he ate it. That made me stand up a little taller."

As the vice chair of the food bank, Cockney is now shopping for more healthy food, opting for whole grain pasta instead of white.

"I always make them eat their veggies," she said. "I try to make that lifestyle change any way I can."

For Cockney, she doesn't have to see earth-shattering results to feel motivated. It can be as simple as someone's reaction to tasting a delicious vegetable or coming back for another sampling of lentil soup.

"I know you can't go wrong with going healthy, a healthier choice of living."

Heidl couldn't agree more.

"It's so important to help show and teach people that healthy eating can be fun and easy and tasty."