Starting in January, visitors to Bracebridge Sportsplex will be invited to eat smart.

Bracebridge culture and recreation department, along with Oliver’s Coffee and Stillar Vending Services, has entered into an agreement with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit to be an Eat Smart recreation centre pilot project site.

The sportsplex is one of the first six sites to participate in the project.

“Due to the nature of our business, we promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging physical activity,” said culture and recreation manager Leo Broere. “This would be an excellent way to complement healthy lifestyles by offering healthy food choices to eat. Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School has been an Eat Smart school cafeteria site for two years and has been awarded recognition, so our participation dovetails nicely with our neighbour.”

The Eat Smart program was created by an advisory group comprising food service companies, vending companies, Ontario recreation centres and public health agencies. It is administered through the Ontario Public Health Association. As a pilot site Bracebridge Sportsplex will have the assistance of a public health dietitian.

A certain percentage of products (still to be determined) in vending machines and at the snack bar will be labelled with a sticker as Eat Smart products to promote them as healthy choices.

The pilot project will run from January 2008 to June 2008. Based on evaluations the final Eat Smart recreation centre program will be available across the province in the fall of 2008.