Canadian Malnutrition Task Force

02/03/2026

🌟 The Ottawa Hospital - Recognized for Transforming Patient Mealtime Experiences 🌟

The Ottawa Hospital - L'Hôpital d'Ottawa received a prestigious Ontario Health Quality and Innovation Award for its Food Transformation Project—a patient-centred initiative that recognizes food as a core component of cancer care!

Developed in partnership with renowned restaurateur Stephen Beckta, the project moves beyond traditional, highly processed hospital meals to provide nourishing, whole-food options informed by hospitality industry standards.

🎥 Watch the video to see how The Ottawa Hospital team is reimagining hospital mealtimes through a Food as Medicine approach:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcvlTO899AU

Dr. Barbara Bielawska, gastroenterologist and Medical Lead for Inpatient Nutrition at The Ottawa Hospital—and a member of CMTF—underscores the significant impact of malnutrition among hospitalized patients and the importance of multidisciplinary leadership in addressing it.

📖 Read the full article to learn more about this award-winning initiative:
https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/en/healthy-tomorrows/reimagining-hospital-food-how-the-ottawa-hospital-is-transforming-the-patient-mealtime-experience/

Learn how The Ottawa Hospital is reimagining hospital food to improve patient nutrition, enhance care and create a better experience.

01/13/2026

🍽️ Eastern Newfoundland Teaching Kitchens Take Action Against Malnutrition

Dietitians from NL Health Services (NLHS) Eastern Zone partnered with Compass Group Canada to bring Teaching Kitchens to communities across the province—empowering individuals with practical food skills to help prevent malnutrition.

Dietetic intern Toshia McDonald and registered dietitian Pamela Thoms, alongside Compass Group Canada Executive Chefs Jason Harding and Dwayne Davis, led interactive Teaching Kitchen sessions at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s and the Private Josiah Squibb Memorial Pavilion in Carbonear.

These hands-on sessions focused on:
✔️ Building confidence in food preparation
✔️ Practical strategies to prevent malnutrition at home and in hospital settings
✔️ Tips on grocery budgeting, fibre intake, knife skills, and food safety

NL Health Services dietitians and Compass Group Canada are commended for championing lifelong food skills, enhancing patient care, and supporting Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025. This initiative also reinforces key messages from the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force.

📘 To learn more about the NLHS Teaching Kitchen Recipe Book and cooking demonstration videos, read the full Success Story here: https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/focus-areas/awareness-education/success-stories/view/37

01/05/2026

📣 New Malnutrition Petition Presented in the House of Commons

On November 25, 2025, MP Guillaume Deschêns-Thériault (Madawaska–Restigouche, NB) presented a petition on malnutrition in the House of Commons. The petition includes recommendations from the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force and the Canadian Nutrition Society - Societe canadienne de nutrition whitepaper: Malnutrition in Canada: Unveiling the Need for Priority and Policy

Thank you to MP Guillaume Deschêns-Thériault for bringing government attention to this critical issue, and to Manon Laporte for leading the collection of petition signatures 🙌
🎥 Watch the petition presentation presented in French: https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/focus-areas/advocacy/government-efforts

📄 Read the CMTF-CNS whitepaper:
ENG:
https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/sites/default/uploads/files/Whitepaper/CMTF-CNS_Whitepaper3Oct2024-ENG.pdf
FREL
https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/sites/default/uploads/files/Whitepaper/CMTF-CNS_Whitepaper3Oct2024-FRE.pdf

Join us in bringing attention to malnutrition as a national health issue!

12/11/2025

NLHS Dietitians Come Together for CMTF’s SGA Train-the-Trainer Pilot Program

On November 25, dietitians from across Newfoundland and Labrador gathered in St. John’s for CMTF's hands-on Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) Train-the-Trainer session.

Held at the Health Sciences Centre, Newfoundland Health services, the group took part in practical, skill-building activities led by CMTF trainer Manon Laporte, RD, MSc, CNSC. Each participant will now return to their Zone ready to support and mentor fellow dietitians in using this essential clinical tool.

This initiative supports NLHS’ commitment to improving access and quality by increasing the number of dietitians trained in evidence-informed malnutrition assessment and enhancing patient nutrition care across the province.

Read more about this Success Story here https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/focus-areas/awareness-education/success-stories/view/36

A big thank-you to Kerry Gillard, Kim Stinson-Burt, Shelly Burton, Amanda O’Brien, Vanessa Brown, Courtney Murphy, Kaitlyn Frampton, and Kara Roberts for their leadership and participation!

This session is part of CMTF’s three-hospital pilot program. Stay tuned—more updates coming in the new year!

12/05/2025

📣 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Highlights CMTF’s Pediatric SGNA!
We’re excited to share that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is promoting the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment (SGNA) as a comprehensive, validated tool for assessing nutrition status in hospitalized pediatric patients.

While the Academy/ASPEN Indicators for Malnutrition in Pediatrics (AAIMp) were developed to support standardized diagnoses, emerging evidence shows they currently lack predictive validity—highlighting the value of SGNA in clinical practice.

📘 Read the Academy’s “Summary of Science: Diagnosing Pediatric Malnutrition for the Practicing Clinician”
https://www.eatrightpro.org/news-center/practice-trends/summary-of-science-diagnosing-pediatric-malnutrition-for-the-practicing-clinician

🌟 Want to learn more about the SGNA?
🔗 Overview: https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/resource-library/pediatrics/hospital-care-peds/assessment/sgna

🎥 CMTF 2025 SGNA Instructional Video now available for purchase:
https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/resource-library/subjective-global-assessment-sga/2025-sgna-video

11/24/2025

📣 Fueling Better Health: Strengthening Nutrition Risk Awareness in the Community

A new Nutrition Risk Awareness Campaign, led by Aimee Krupanszky-Bowcott, RD, MPH, CDE and Sarah Ross, RD from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority highlights how community programs can successfully integrate malnutrition screening into everyday care.

Using evidence-based tools from the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force, the team collaborated with dietitians, nurses, physicians, and public health professionals across Winnipeg’s primary and community health settings.

🔎 Key Insights from the Campaign:
• Nearly 1 in 4 adults screened at Nine Circles Community Health Centre were identified as at risk for malnutrition.
• Screening was both feasible and impactful in non-traditional settings, including the Public Health TB Program.

📘 Read the full Success Story:
Learn how community teams embedded screening practices and strengthened communication pathways:
👉 https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/focus-areas/awareness-education/success-stories/view/35

💬 Have your own success story?
We’d love to hear how you’re raising malnutrition awareness or improving nutrition care in your setting:
👉 https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/focus-areas/awareness-education/success-stories -form-nav

11/17/2025

📣 Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week (CMAW) 2025 – Webinar Summary Now Available!

✨ We’ve put together a 2-page summary highlighting select takeaways from the CMAW 2025 webinar series.
You can find it on our website https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/canadian-malnutrition-awareness-week/about-cmaw

👉 Please note: This summary includes selected highlights and does not capture the full depth of the webinars. To explore the full content, watch the recordings below:

📚 Full list of CMAW 2025 webinars: https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/canadian-malnutrition-awareness-week/webinars
🎥 CMAW 2025 Webinar Recordings
• Sept 25 webinar: https://aspen.digitellinc.com/p/s/aspencns-joint-webinar-beyond-the-scale-muscle-health-and-malnutrition-in-the-era-of-anti-obesity-drugs-31247
• Oct 6–10 webinars: https://cns-scn.ca/education-portal

A big thank-you to Komal Jambusaria, University of Western Ontario placement student, for her support in developing the summary.

11/10/2025

🍎 Nutrition is Medicine! Why a new ISO Standard could be the key to closing the nutrition gap for patients.

📅 Free Webinar — November 13 | 3 PM CET / 9 AM ET

Malnutrition is still one of healthcare’s most overlooked challenges — impacting recovery, outcomes, and quality of life.

Join experts, including from Canadian Malnutrition Task Force (CMTF), to explore how this new ISO standard can help improve nutrition care around the world.

🎙️ Featuring: Jean-Christophe Kremer | Roseann Nasser | Xavier Lavigne | Adela Maghear

💡 What you’ll learn:
✅ The impact of malnutrition in healthcare
✅ Strategies to manage and treat disease-related malnutrition
✅ How the new ISO standard can shape the future of patient care

👉 Register now: https://www.isdi.org/webinar-nutrition-is-medicine-why-a-new-iso-standard-can-help-close-the-nutrition-gap-for-patients/

It has been estimated that up to 50% of in-patients around the world are affected by malnutrition, a serious condition that occurs when a person’s diet does not contain enough nutrients to meet the demands of their body. This can affect growth, physical health, mental well-being, behaviour and man...

10/31/2025

Food as Medicine: Addressing the Root Causes of Malnutrition

Join CMTF Co-Chair Carlota Basualdo, Sarah Stern, and Jennifer Reynolds at the Nourish / Nourrir Symposium on November 4 for an insightful presentation on Food as Medicine!

Discover how food can play a vital role in hospital discharge planning—and beyond—as the speakers address the root causes of malnutrition and share practical, systems-level solutions.

📅 Date: November 4
📍 Event: Nourish / Nourrir Symposium
🎤 Speakers:
Carlota Basualdo, Co-Chair, CMTF & Executive Director, Nutrition Services, Alberta Health Services
Sarah Stern, Executive Director, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
Jennifer Reynolds, Co-Executive Director, Nourish

🔗 Explore the Symposium Program: View here https://issuu.com/nourishleadership/docs/2025_nourish_symposium_program?fr=sYjA3ZTg4NTgzODU

📝 Register to Attend: Sign up here
https://nourish-commons.mn.co/plans/1901487?bundle_token=0020622b5acc479c0447a30955648ce8&utm_source=manual

Let’s advance the conversation on nutrition as a cornerstone of healthcare!

Canadian Nutrition Society/Société canadienne de nutrition

See registration information and promo codes below.

10/14/2025

🎉 CMAW 2025: Unveiling Solutions – A Resounding Success!

We’re thrilled to share that Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week (CMAW) 2025 was a great success!

📊 This year’s impact:
✔️ 7 insightful webinars
✔️ 16 expert speakers
✔️ Over 5,600 registrants
✔️ More than 3,000 attendees

A sincere thank you to all our incredible speakers and moderators who shared the latest evidence-based strategies to address malnutrition across diverse healthcare settings. Your contributions helped make both meaningful and impactful. Also, a great thank you to our sponsors.

🎥 Missed a session or want to listen again?
All webinar recordings are now FREE to access (for a limited time)!
🔗 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition - ASPEN Learning Center (Sept 25 Joint Webinar):
Beyond the Scale: Muscle Health and Malnutrition in the Era of Anti-Obesity Drugs
➡️ Watch here https://aspen.digitellinc.com/p/s/aspencns-joint-webinar-beyond-the-scale-muscle-health-and-malnutrition-in-the-era-of-anti-obesity-drugs-31247

🔗 Canadian Nutrition Society - Societe canadienne de nutrition Education Portal for Oct 6-10 webinars – Free access until November 7
➡️ Access here https://cns-scn.ca/education-portal/categories

🔗 Full list of webinar recordings
➡️ View all sessions https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/canadian-malnutrition-awareness-week/webinars



Canadian Nutrition Society - Societe canadienne de nutrition Dietitians of Canada
Primary Care Dietitians Association

10/06/2025

🌟 What an inspiring start to CMAW 2025 on National Action Day on Planetary Health! 🌍

A heartfelt thank you to Jennifer Reynolds and Elaine Chu from Fraser Health for sharing their incredible work with Nourish/Nourrir highlighting Food as Medicine — from the bedside to policy. Your insights and innovations are will be making waves with our 600+ registrants! 🙌

👉 Don’t miss tomorrow’s FREE webinar:
💡 “Increasing intake and decreasing waste – Unveiling food solutions through technology”
Discover how tech is transforming malnutrition and sustainability.

🔗 Register now + explore the rest of this week’s amazing sessions:
🎟️ https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/canadian-malnutrition-awareness-week/webinars

10/03/2025

🚨 Malnutrition Raised in the House of Commons!

A big thank you to MP Mark Gerretsen from Kingston & the Islands and Chief Government Whip for shining a light on the critical issue of malnutrition during yesterday's House of Commons session — just in time for Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week (Oct 6–10, 2025).

📊 Did you know:
• Up to 4.1 million older Canadians living in the community are at risk of malnutrition.
• Up to 1 in 2 hospitalized adults and 1 in 3 hospitalized children in Canada are malnourished.

CMTF and the Canadian Nutrition Society - Societe canadienne de nutritionCanadian Nutrition Society have published a whitepaper with key recommendations for federal action.https://nutritioncareincanada.ca/sites/default/uploads/files/Whitepaper/CMTF-CNS_Whitepaper3Oct2024-ENG.pdf

💬 Over 40 residents of Kingston and the Islands signed a petition urging the Federal Minister of Health, Finance, and Agriculture & Agri-Food — to:
1️⃣ Convene a Pan-Canadian Malnutrition Summit to create a national framework for action
2️⃣ Expand Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy to include malnutrition and address the needs of vulnerable Canadians
3️⃣ Mandate the collection and reporting of malnutrition metrics by CIHI and Statistics Canada

We are encouraged by this momentum and hope the government will continue to take action to address this serious and growing health issue.
📢Let's work together to ensure nutrition care is a priority across Canada.