TUKTOYAKTUK - When Marjorie Ovayuak was growing up in Tuktoyaktuk, her family's kitchen was stocked with homemade staples: bannock, caribou stew, muktuk, quaq. Fresh fruit was a rarity.

For many community residents, it still is today. Ovayuak wants to help change that.

She recently accepted a job with Healthy Foods North in Tuk, collecting survey data for research that aims to lower the high food prices residents face in many Northern communities.

Years ago, the mother of three came down with an illness she attributes to poor nutrition.

"I never knew what fresh fruit was. I never knew what milk was - until I ended up in the hospital," she said.

Since then, Ovayuak said she has always tried to encourage her family and friends to eat healthier foods.

Growing up as a middle child between five brothers and five sisters, Ovayuak helped look after her younger siblings, cleaned, cooked and kept house. Before she signed on to help with the survey project, Ovayuak would work odd jobs around the community, often babysitting, house-sitting or sewing.

Now, she said her work is more rewarding because, by getting involved with Healthy Foods North, she hopes to help others improve their nutrition.

"I think we accomplish more when we work with our community with surveys like this," she said. "This one is very intense but it's worth it."

Ovayuak said some people in her community can only afford to buy fresh produce once a month.

"The food that we pay for in the outlying communities is so high-priced, so we're going for the least healthiest food," she said. "Some people that can afford (healthy food) could eat it every day," she added, but many can't afford it.

She said it's important to her to support community hunts and continue cooking traditional food - not just for tradition's sake, but for good nutrition.

"When I was growing up as a young girl, we always had native food. Very seldom we had sweet stuff like candy, pop and chips.

"But nowadays it's so handy. I find myself, now that all my kids are grown up, I still tend to try and keep healthy food like homemade bannock," she said. "I keep it around because I know it's our basic staple when we run out of high-priced food."