OTTAWA – A new Ottawa Public Health (OPH) initiative is helping bring fresh and healthier foods to local corner stores, reports the Ottawa Citizen. 

The goal of the pilot project is to bring more fresh produce, low-fat dairy products and meat alternatives to corner stores, particularly in areas that don’t have a full-scale grocery store. Participating corner stores have agreed to carry at least three different fresh vegetables, three different fresh fruits, whole-grain products, low-fat milk products and at least two different meat alternatives, such as beans, canned fish, eggs, lentils or tofu, at prices comparable to grocery store prices, writes the news source. 

OPH helps store owners with marketing the availability of healthier foods, and helps stores link up with wholesalers and the group-buying power of Just Food to purchase stock, according to Krystal Taylor, a public health dietitian who is leading the initiative. By summer, Taylor said OPH will use sales data and other information learned during the pilot to expand the initiative to other low-income neighborhoods.

To date, the OPH initiative is testing in three stores: Little Italy’s Preston Food Market, Lowertown’s Lauzon Meats and Food Friends. Taylor commented that OPH is hoping a major convenience store chain will soon sell fresh fruit and veggies at two or three of its Ottawa locations.

“This is one strategy to increase access to good food in low-income neighborhoods,” Taylor told the news source, adding that she hopes the initiative will expand. “In five to 10 years, I would hope it’s the norm to have a corner store supply all the ingredients for a good meal, and that people shop there.”