A grassroots public health movement for British Columbia  ·  Take the FoodWise Pledge →
FoodWise Movement · British Columbia

Building a culture of food literacy and health.

Food is Medicine. Healing Begins at Home.

Improving food literacy, supporting healthier food environments, and reducing the burden of chronic disease through education, community engagement, and evidence-based policy.

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Strawberry Snack Bar Ultra-processed
INGREDIENTS: glucose-fructose, enriched wheat flour, modified corn starch, palm oil, dextrose, natural & artificial flavour, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, carrageenan, citric acid, colour (Red 40), sucralose…
17 ingredients · 3 added sugars
Strawberries Whole food
INGREDIENTS: strawberries.
1 ingredient
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Why FoodWise?

Modern food environments make unhealthy choices easy and healthy choices difficult.

FoodWise exists to help individuals, families, healthcare professionals, schools, and communities reclaim food literacy and create healthier futures.

While occasional consumption of ultra-processed foods is unlikely to cause harm, their routine normalization in homes, schools, sports environments, and healthcare settings has contributed to a growing burden of chronic disease.

For the Public

Learn, eat well, find resources

Label guides, grocery tips, meal planning and recipes for everyday families.

Explore resources → For Healthcare Professionals

Education, presentations, toolkits

Grand Rounds talks, patient handouts, referral tools and 30-second counselling scripts.

Open the toolkit → For Policy Makers & Advocates

Research, advocacy, municipal action

Global case studies and a practical policy roadmap for Victoria and BC.

See the policy agenda →
Our Mission

A healthier British Columbia, and ultimately a healthier Canada.

Our Vision

To create a healthier British Columbia, and ultimately a healthier Canada, by improving food literacy, strengthening communities, and advancing policies that make healthy food the easy choice.

Our Mission

FoodWise is a grassroots public health initiative dedicated to:

  • Improving food literacy
  • Reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods
  • Empowering informed food choices
  • Supporting healthier food environments
  • Promoting evidence-based nutrition education
  • Advocating for policies that improve population health
✓ Evidence-Based✓ Non-Partisan✓ Community Driven✓ Culturally Inclusive✓ Free of Commercial Influence
Why It Matters

The challenge we face

Ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods now account for a substantial proportion of calories consumed in many Western countries. High consumption has been associated with:

Obesity & metabolic syndromeType 2 diabetesCardiovascular diseaseCertain cancersDepression & anxietyCognitive declineIncreased mortality

Food environments matter

People do not make food choices in a vacuum. Choices are shaped by:

AvailabilityAffordabilityMarketingSchool environmentsRecreation facilitiesHealthcare settingsCommunity norms
The goal is not perfection. It is creating healthier food environments that make the healthy choice the easy choice.FoodWise long-term vision
Advocacy

Building healthier food environments

FoodWise supports evidence-based policies that help make healthy choices easier.

Healthy Procurement

Healthy food standards in:

  • Recreation centres
  • Municipal facilities
  • Public institutions
  • Hospitals
  • Schools

Child Protection

  • Restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children
  • Healthier food environments around schools
  • Reduced exposure to aggressive food advertising

Food Affordability

  • Fresh food incentives
  • Community food access
  • Healthy retail initiatives

Municipal Action

  • Healthy procurement bylaws
  • Healthy food zones near schools
  • Ad limits on city-owned property
  • Incentives for fresh-food retail

Lessons from around the world

Proven ideas we can adapt for Victoria and BC.

Chile

Front-of-package warning labels

Black warning labels for foods high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat, plus limits on marketing to children.

Measurable drop in excess weight among young school children.

Mexico · 2014

Sugary drink tax

A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, later paired with school bans and warning labels.

Fewer sugary drinks bought, more water bought.

Brazil

Dietary guidelines

Built around minimally processed foods, avoiding ultra-processed foods, cooking skills and food culture.

A global model for food-based guidance.

Finland

North Karelia Project

Community-wide cardiovascular prevention with food system and agricultural changes.

Major reduction in heart disease mortality.

Amsterdam

Healthy Weight Program

Healthy school environments, water promotion and community-wide action.

Overweight children fell from 21% to 18.5% (2012–2015).

A roadmap for Victoria

  1. Establish a joint task force between City Council, the Victoria Urban Food Table, and Island Health.
  2. Audit all current food vendors operating on municipal property.
  3. Draft Healthy Procurement and Healthy Food Zoning amendments for the next council reading.
Sign the Pledge

The FoodWise Pledge

Small, personal commitments add up to a shift in community norms. Add your name and show BC's leaders that families, clinicians and communities want healthier food environments.

Together we can make the healthy choice the easy choice.

I commit to:

Tick the commitments you're making.

Research

Evidence Hub

Explore the science behind food environments, food literacy, and chronic disease prevention.

Ultra-Processed Foods

Reviews and plain-language evidence summaries.

Food Policy Around the World

Case studies from Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Finland and Amsterdam.

Lifestyle Medicine

Nutrition and chronic disease prevention.

Healthcare Toolkits

Resources for clinicians and educators.

Featured Research

A searchable library of peer-reviewed studies.

Coming soon

Trusted Sources

Health Canada, BCCDC, PHAC, Heart & Stroke, Diabetes Canada, ACLM and the Canadian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Key references

  1. Paraje G, Valdés N, Macaya A, et al. The impact of Chile's multipronged food labelling and advertising law on early childhood excess weight: a cohort difference-in-differences study. The Lancet. 2026.
  2. Reyes-García A, Junquera-Badilla I, Batis C, et al. How Could Taxes on Sugary Drinks and Foods Help Reduce the Burden of Type 2 Diabetes? Curr Diab Rep. 2023;23(10):265–275.
  3. Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Moubarac JC, et al. Dietary guidelines to nourish humanity and the planet in the twenty-first century. A blueprint from Brazil. Public Health Nutr. 2015;18(13):2311–22.
  4. Puska P, Jaini P. The North Karelia Project: Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Finland Through Population-Based Lifestyle Interventions. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020;14(5):495–499.
  5. Healthy Weight Programme, Amsterdam: Urban Food Policy Snapshot. NYC Food Policy Center.
Resources

Practical tools for every table

    Events

    Meet us in the community

    FoodWise Community Kiosks

    One 2–3 hour pop-up every month, somewhere busy near you.

    • Food label interpretation
    • Healthy shopping demonstrations
    • Community discussions
    • Interactive exhibits and take-home materials
    HospitalsRecreation centresLibrariesFarmers' marketsSchools & universitiesMalls & festivals

    Upcoming events

    —TBA

    First Community Kiosk

    Location and date to be announced. Join the mailing list to hear first.

    —TBA

    Lifestyle Medicine Grand Rounds

    Specialty-specific talks for clinicians across Vancouver Island.

    —TBA

    Food Policy for Victoria

    Public talk on adapting global food policy for municipal impact.

    Volunteer at an event
    Get Involved

    Join the movement

    An interdisciplinary movement maximizes credibility, reach and impact. There's a place for you here.

    Volunteer

    Staff a community kiosk, help with events, or share your skills.

    Become a Community Ambassador

    Bring FoodWise to your school, clinic, sports club or neighbourhood.

    Partner With Us

    Universities, libraries, museums, recreation and community organizations.

    Donate

    Help fund educational materials, kiosks and public events.

    FoodWise welcomes:PhysiciansNursesDietitiansPharmacistsPublic Health ProfessionalsResearchersStudentsCommunity OrganizationsMembers of the Public
    Team

    The people behind FoodWise

    Dr. Anvita Pauranik, MD FRCPC

    Co-founder · Physician

    Physician, educator, and advocate for food literacy, lifestyle medicine, and chronic disease prevention.

    Priyanka Gupta

    Co-founder · Engineer

    Engineer, innovator and dreamer with a passion for hearty, home-cooked, nourishing meals.

    Join our mailing list

    Event dates, new resources and ways to take action. No spam, ever.