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Guidance from Health Canada to limit highly processed foods (HPF) seeks to ensure that Canadians remain within intake recommendations for nutrients of concern. However, HPF can contribute to dietary requirements of specific populations. The Canadian Nutrition Society and Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutritional Sciences convened speakers for a Food for Health workshop in 2021 to provide evidence and perspectives from government, industry, and healthcare on reasons for advocating limits and potential unintended consequences of limiting HPF, and implications and necessity of HPF in clinical settings. This paper discusses advantages and disadvantages of HPF explored at this workshop.

Indigenous communities in Canada are concerned about the health of their youth and the reclamation of traditional food-related skills amongst their people. Food sovereignty has an integral role in food and nutrition security, and the path to Indigenous self-determination. Learning Circles: Local Healthy Food to School (LC:LHF2S) was a community engagement model that aimed to enhance access to local, healthy, and traditional foods for youth. In each of four First Nations communities, a Learning Circle Evaluation Facilitator worked to plan and implement activities, build on community strengths, and promote partnerships. This paper describes how the model was perceived to support food sovereignty. Data included interviews, process reporting, and school surveys, and was analyzed according to pillars effective for the development of food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. Goals set by two communities incorporated food sovereignty principles, and in each community capacity-building work furthered the development of a more autonomous food system. There were many examples of a transition to greater food sovereignty, local food production, and consumption. Indigenous governance was an important theme and was influential in a community's success. The model appears to be an adaptable strategy to support the development of food sovereignty in First Nations communities. Novelty : LC:LHF2S was a community engagement model that aimed to enhance access to local, healthy, and traditional foods for youth. The model is an adaptable strategy to support the development of food sovereignty in First Nations communities. There were many examples of a transition to greater food sovereignty, local food production, and consumption.