USask Food Research Lab showcases brain-healthy menu project to provincial media

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) Food Research Lab welcomed reporters from Global News, CTV and CBC on Oct. 29 for a behind-the-scenes look at a research project (Healthy Foods, Movements, and Social Connections for Healthy Brains: A Community-Based Alzheimer's Prevention within a Public Recreational Facility) focused on supporting brain health through healthier food choices.

The media event highlighted the development of new Brain Healthy menu options for Moose Jaw's Kinsmen Sportsplex and demonstrated how research partnerships can help create healthier community environments for older adults.

Led by Dr. Hassan Vatanparast, professor in the USask College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and School of Public Health, the initiative is part of a broader project to create a brain-healthy environment at the Kinsmen Sportsplex. Launched in July 2026 in partnership with the City of Moose Jaw, the project is creating Saskatchewan’s first Brain Healthy Centre in a public recreation facility. The community-based research program brings together researchers, provincial government, municipal leaders, recreation facility staff and community organizations to explore how recreation spaces can better support three pillars of healthy aging, Healthy food, Physical activity and social connection for adults aged 50 and older.

During the event, reporters spoke with Vatanparast, Shelly Howe, recreation services supervisor with the City of Moose Jaw, and Roda Shaw, the Sportsplex canteen operator. The team demonstrated new menu items that feature more protein, fresh ingredients and plant-based options while maintaining the convenience and affordability patrons expect.

The nutrition component is being led by the Vatanparast Nutritional Epidemiology Lab in collaboration with the canteen operator and a nutritionist Stacy Wiens from the Saskatchewan Health Authority. The goal is to make brain-healthy food and beverage choices more visible, accessible and appealing.

The project builds on Eat Healthy, Play Healthy, a provincial initiative that brings together USask researchers and a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral advisory committee with representatives from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, SaskSport and the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association. The committee also guides the Brain Healthy Centre project.

Researchers in the College of Kinesiology are also developing physical activity programs focused on cardiometabolic health, balance training and cognitive engagement. Activities will incorporate multitasking and problem-solving exercises designed to support both physical and cognitive well-being. The Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology in the USask College of Medicine, is contributing expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk reduction.

Supported by a Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) Impact Grant, the project aims to create a model that recreation facilities across Saskatchewan can adapt, showing how everyday community spaces can encourage healthy eating, physical activity, social connection and healthy aging.

Behind the scenes:

By bringing together researchers, community partners and recreation professionals, the project aims to create a model that can be adapted by recreation facilities across Saskatchewan. The initiative explores how everyday community spaces can encourage healthy eating, physical activity, social connection and healthy aging.

*Top banner photo: left to right Pradis Bakhtiari (Research Assistant, Vatanparast Nutritional Epidemiology Lab (VNEL)), Sumaiya Zahan ( MPH Practicum Student, School of Public Health) Tony ( partner is the Kinsmen Sportsplex concession stand, Eat Easy Foods Inc.), Stacey Wiens (Public Health Nutritionist, Saskatchewan Health Authority) Monidipa (Mona) Saha (Lab Manager, VNEL), Jose Manlapaz (Nutrition & Dietetics Practicum Student, USask), Shelly Howe ( Recreation Services Supervisor, City of Moose Jaw), Hassan Vatanparast ( Professor, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and School of Public Health), Negin Faramarzi (Professional Practice Coordinator, Division of Nutrition and Dietetics​, USask), Gitonga Mutwiri (Research Assistant, VNEL) and Karim Karbin (PhD Candidate, College of Pharmacy & Nutrition, USask)