Course Catalogue
July 2, 2026
Nourish is transforming how health care systems in Canada approach food.
Mutually reinforcing food and health systems are possible – when we understand that food is more than sustenance, more than a commodity we buy
Food is culture Food is connection Food is care
As an essential part of health and healing, food can prevent disease, send it into remission, advance health equity, be a pillar of climate strategy, and be a pathway to Truth and Reconciliation Food is regenerative - life giving - especially when we value it as such.
Started in 2016 with the McConnell Foundation, Nourish is a national charity with a mission to build more regenerative food and health systems
We work across institutional, community, and policy scales to support healthcare institutions to harness the power of food to advance health, equity, and climate action - or planetary health, for short
With the support of dedicated funders, champions, and members of the Nourish Commons, our network now impacts over 20 million meals across Canada through our leadership programs, as well as through partnerships with global climate leaders like the World Resources Institute.
We are recognized by The Lancet as a critical ally to health care in facing the climate crisis, and we recommit ourselves to allyship on Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous communities as a fundamental part of our organizational principles.
Join the Nourish Commons
The NourishCommons is a national membership community for collective learning, collective impact, and collective leverage focused on the power of food for health and well-being We’re on a mission to change the way food is served in health care settings and to show the power of food as medicine The Nourish Commons enables this mission by providing an online gathering space for our network - a space where we can gather together for shared learning, connection, and action.
AllofNourish’sself-guidedcoursesandanimatedlearningjourneysareaccessiblevia theCommons. You or your organization must become a member of the Nourish Commons to access learning opportunities.
Become a member of the Nourish Commons and start your learning journey today!
MembershipTiers
ExploreMembership
Choose the membership option that’s right for you and what you want to accomplish.
OrganizationMembership
Join as an organization or work team A paid membership tier designed for hospitals and health facilities serious about achieving thier strategic goals and maximizing their food for health outcomes.
IndividualProfessionalMembership
Join as an individual professional A paid membership tier designed for individuals taking bold steps in their food for health leadership and professional development who may not have the backing of an organization.
NetworkMembership
Join as an individual network member. An open-access membership tier designed for individuals seeking a community of changemakers, a way to stay informed, and the flexibility to build their own food for health learning journey
Self-Guided Courses
Self-Guided Courses
Food is Our Medicine:
Self-Guided Journey
Overview
Nourish’s Food is Our Medicine Truth and Reconciliation learning journey guides health care leaders on the history and importance of Indigenous Foodways to the health and well-being of Indigenous communities. Learners reflect on the ways organizations can meaningfully support access to traditional foods in health care. For more information, visit the FIOM page on the Nourish website.
Format
LearningObjectives
Recognize and value the wisdom of Indigenous foodways and the diversity of practices Provide health care leaders with knowledge and tools to decolonize food in health care and use it as an organizational pathway to deepen conversations about systemic racism, and Truth and Reconciliation.
Inspire action, engagement, and responsibility around Indigenous Foodways in health care settings.
Audience
Health care leaders seeking to deepen their understanding of the relationships between colonization, health, and Truth and Reconciliation.
Individuals seeking to understand the importance and role of food in health and wellbeing, and the connections among food, culture, and health - particularly in relation to Indigenous foodways in health care
This course can benefit anyone at any stage of their Truth and Reconciliation journeyIndigenous and others.
Pre-requisites
None.
“BygoingthroughFoodIsOur Medicine,itreinforcedforme howmuchwehavetolearn fromIndigenouscommunities abouthowtheypractice sustainablefoodpracticesas wetrytotackleourplanetary healthchallenges.”
Elaine Eppler, Clinical Dietitian Vancouver Coastal Health
Commitment
Allowing a few hours to complete the required reading and reflection of the five modules, expect to spend fifteen hours on this course. To explore the deeper dive resources, allow much longer to follow your curiosity -- or revisit the course a second or third time, as many learners do.
TakethisCourse
This course is available on-demand on the Nourish Commons. Start anytime.
“TheFoodisourMedicinecoursewasahelpfulintroductiontotheteamtolearnandunderstand abouttheimportanceoffoodasmedicineandhowitrelatestothecommunity.Onedietitian reflectedonherexperiencetakingthecourseandtheyfeelthattheycanconnectdifferentlywith Indigenouspatientscomparedtopreviousencounters.Otherteammembersreflectedonsomeof theteachingsfromIndigenousspeakersandhowfoodispreservedforthelongwintermonthsin NorthernOntariocommunities.”
Team London, Nourish Third Anchor Cohort
Getting Started with Coolfood
Overview
LearningObjectives
Audiences
Any staff of a health care organization that has taken the Coolfood Pledge and who is in the early stages of getting familiar with the program
Individuals part of organizations interested in potentially taking the Coolfood Pledge, seeking a foundational understanding of the program.
Pre-requisites
None.
Commitment
This course takes approximately one hour to complete, excluding optional readings.
TakethisCourse
This course is available on-demand on the Nourish Commons. Start anytime.
How to Use the Bite Tracker
Overview
This course is designed to help you map your menu’s sustainability, nutrition, and equity attributes, using Nourish’s Bite Tracker.
It supports our shared goal of 100 Million Better Bites to advance planetary health and improved meals in health care Learn more about 100 Million Better Bites here
LearningObjectives
Audience
All staff members from organizations participating in 100 Million Better Bites. Health care leaders seeking inspiration on ways to set objectives and track outcomes on improved food quality in health care.
Commitment None. Pre-requisites
This course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
TakethisCourse
This course is available on-demand on the Nourish Commons. Start anytime.
Nourishing Planetary Health Through Food: Weaving Ways of Knowing
Overview
LearningObjectives
Audience
Health care leaders who recognize that advancing planetary health requires more than technical solutions and who are ready to lead with awareness of greater complexity. Those who understand that engaging with Indigenous knowledge systems is not optional, and who want to do so with cultural humility, respect, and attention to power and relationship.
Individuals seeking to strengthen their ability to navigate multiple ways of knowing: to develop the awareness, judgment, and relational skills that are essential for leading meaningful change.
Pre-requisites
None
Commitment
This course takes approximately three to four hours.
TakethisCourse
This course is available on-demand on the Nourish Commons Start anytime
“WhatWesternsciencehasconcludedwithEAT-Lancetisalsowhatweseein thetraditionaldietarypatternsofIndigenouscultures.Thechallengefor Canadianhealthcareiswhatknowledgewecancreatemorespaceforwhen workinginrelationshipwithelders&knowledgeholders.”
Hayley Lapalme Executive Director, Nourish
Animated Learning Journeys
Combiningthebestofself-directedlearningwithexpertguidance.
Food is Our Medicine: Animated Learning Journey
Overview
LearningObjectives
Recognize and value the wisdom of Indigenous foodways and the diversity of practices. Provide health care leaders with knowledge and tools to decolonize food in health care and use it as an organizational pathway to deepen conversations about systemic racism, and Truth and Reconciliation.
Inspire action, engagement, and responsibility around Indigenous Foodways in health care settings
Audience
Health care leaders and food busineses seeking to deepen their understanding of the relationships between colonization, health, and Indigenous Foodways
Individuals seeking to understand the importance and role of food in health and wellbeing, and the connections among food, culture, and health - particularly in relation to Indigenous foodways in health care.
This course can benefit anyone at any stage of their Truth and Reconciliation journeyIndigenous and others
Pre-requisites
None
Format
CourseGuides
Ngaire (Ny-ree) has a background in education planning, professional development, and nonprofit work, with a focus on food security. She has helped create programs that improve children’s access to nutritious food, aiming to address hunger and inequality while supporting community well-being In her professional development role, Ngaire has designed training and workshops for educators and community leaders. Passionate about sustainability, Ngaire embraces plant-forward food and enjoys life with her family in beautiful B.C. on the traditional unceded and ancestral territories of the qicəy (Katzie), qʷɑ:nƛən (Kwantlen), Máthxwi (Matsqui) and Se’mya’me (Semiahmoo) First Nations.
Recognition
Graduates are awarded a certificate upon completion. Participants are expected to keep pace with self-directed learning in-between live sessions, and to attend and actively participate in all live sessions in order to achieve course completion.
Graduates are awarded the Nourish Commons course badge.
TakethisCourse
Frequently Asked Questions
