BEAVER BEAVER IS GOOD NUTRITIONAL FACT SHEET SERIES FOR US! The Beaver is valued because it has the gift of intelligence. “It is the Beaver who taught the Dene how to store and ration food,” said George Blondin in 1991. Beaver provides us with many important nutrients such as protein and iron. The hide and bones are used for footwear, mitts, jackets and traditional tools. The beaver is valued for medicinal purposes and used for bait. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT BEAVER? Beaver meat from the shoulder is very tough because Smoking or drying helps preserve the meat and of the large logs the beaver carries. Tails are singed increases the amount of nutrients due to moisture loss or smoked under dry willows and used for snacks, during the drying process. especially when travelling. NUTRIENTS FOUND IN BEAVER Nutrients Liver, raw Tail, roasted Feet, roasted (75g) Contents per Meat, roasted Serving (35g) (75g) (75g) Protein An excellent food Protein source means it Protein supplies 25% or B Vitamins Iron more of a nutrient Vitamin A per day A good source supplies 15 - 24% of a nutrient per Iron Protein day A fair source Iron supplies 5 - 14% of a nutrient per day Potassium • Reference Serving Sizes are from Canada’s Food Guide (dried = 35g, cooked = 75g, raw = 90g). • The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) amounts are based on the needs of a 14 – 18 year old girl (see FAQs). • Excellent, good and fair sources of nutrients have been standardized for any type of food source. BEAVER DID YOU KNOW? PREPARE FOODS SAFELY Beaver meat is an excellent • Use safe food handling practices – wash your source of protein. We need hands and equipment. protein to build and repair • Eat meat only when properly cooked, dried, or muscles, skin and blood. aged. Protein keeps us healthy. • To store meat, use only clean containers or bags made for FOOD storage. Beaver liver is an excellent source of vitamin A. One STORAGE TIPS serving provides all of the vitamin A we need in a day to How to Freezer keep us healthy. Vitamin A is Meat Refrigerator Store needed for healthy skin, bones and eyes. Raw Store 1 – 2 days 4 – 12 months Separately Beaver liver is also an excellent Store source of iron and provides Reheat cooked separately twice as much iron as we need Cooked meat only once/ 1 - 3 months from raw in a day. Iron helps make keep for 3 days our bodies, giving us energy to behealthy active blood and to that grow flows strong. through HEALTHY EATING HUNTING AND Healthy blood keeps us from FISHING FOR A getting tired. Prepare foods in traditional ways HEALTHY LIFESTYLE to avoid too much added sugar, fat and salt. Aging, drying, or Getting out on the land is part Beaver meat is very low in fat roasting are healthy ways to cook of our northern way of life. It (10%) when compared to beef, traditional meats. Beaver tails is great to be active. Hunting, pork and chicken (33 – 55% have a lot of fat in them so they are fat) but the feet and tail contain usually dried and smoked to eat as traditional foods helps keep a lot of fat. Traditional fats are snacks. Have water to drink with usfishing, healthy. gathering, and eating healthier for us. your meal or snack. Grams of fat in beaver parts per FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: serving: • Community Health Representatives • Registered Dietitians Meat = 1 gram of fat • Feet = 20 grams of fat • Territorial Nutritionist, Department of Health and Social Tail = 32 grams of fat Services:Band Office www.hss.gov.nt.ca and Local Elders The updated Traditional Food Fact Sheet Series is a collaborative effort of Ecology North and the Department of Health and Social Services (2014). They were updated in 2002 and originally developed in 1996. If you would like this information in another official language, contact us at 1-866-846-8601. Si vous voulez ces renseignements dans une autre langue officielle, communiquez avec nous au 1-866-846-8601. communiquez langue officielle, dans une autre renseignements ces voulez vous contact at 1-866-846-8601. Si us in another official language, like this information If would you April 2017 BELUGA BELUGA IS GOOD NUTRITIONAL FACT SHEET SERIES FOR US! In Northern cultures food is shared. When a whale is killed the community enjoys a bounty of healthy food from a single animal. Beluga meat, blubber and skin are prepared and eaten in many ways. Aging food is a traditional practice used to develop skin was used to cover boats and the oila desirable from whale flavor. blubber In the was past, used whale for fueling lamps. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT BELUGA? Beluga skin, meat, and blubber are eaten raw, aged, dried, cooked or boiled in soups and stews. Many people like the skin - maktaaq or muktuk - best. The skin can be eaten raw, aged or cooked and is also a favourite, as are the and 66 gallons of oil. cartilage and bones near the flipper. A large beluga can provide up to 44 pounds of meat, 110 pounds of maktaaq NUTRIENTS IN BELUGA Nutrients Meat, dried Liver, raw Skin, raw Skin, Eyes, raw Blubber, Blubber, Flipper, raw Contents per (35g) (90g) (90g) boiled (90g) raw boiled (90g) Serving (75g) (100 g) (100g) Protein An excellent Protein Protein Protein Protein Protein Vitamin A Vitamin A food source Iron Very high Vitamin A Vitamin A Niacin means it supplies Vitamin A Vitamin C Niacin 25% or more of B Vitamins a nutrient per day A good source Iron supplies 15 Vitamin A Vitamin C Protein Niacin - 24% of a nutrient per day A fair source supplies 5 - 14% Magnesium Magnesium Iron Iron of a nutrient per Potassium Potassium day • Reference Serving Sizes are from Canada’s Food Guide (dried = 35g, cooked = 75g, raw = 90g). • The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) amounts are based on the needs of a 14 – 18 year old girl (see FAQs). • Excellent, good and fair sources of nutrients have been standardized for any type of food source. BELUGA DID YOU KNOW? PREPARE FOODS SAFELY Except for the blubber, beluga is • Botulism is a type of food poisoning. If food has botulism germs an excellent source of protein. and is stored at warm temperatures in a container without air, Protein keeps us healthy by these germs can grow into poison. building and repairing muscles, • To prevent botulism poisoning, beluga should be aged in a very skin and blood. cool place. Store it in containers which allow air in. If the meat is being aged in oil, stir it often to let the meat contact the air. • When preparing aged meat, follow the traditional ways to avoid Dried beluga meat is an poisoning from botulism. excellent source of iron, • Botulism can make people very sick and can cause death in some providing all of the iron we need in one day from one serving. Iron helps make healthy blood becases. poisoned Botulism and is you not would what notcreates be able the desirableto tell. flavor of aged • Iffood. you Botulismneed more bacteria information, produces contact no flavor local orelders, smell, the so local meat can giving us energy to be active Hunters and Trappers Association or the Health Centre. andthat growflows strong.through Healthy our bodies, blood keeps us from getting tired. Beluga liver, skin and blubber are excellent sources of vitamin A. One serving provides more than HEALTHY EATING seven times the amount Prepare foods in traditional ways our bodies need. Vitamin A to avoid too much added sugar, fat HUNTING AND keeps our skin, bones and eyes and salt. healthy. FISHING FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Getting out on the land is part We can get important amounts CONTAMINANTS of our northern way of life. It of vitamins A, C, B and protein is great to be active. Hunting, from the skin of maktaaq. Mercury and other contaminants may be a concern when consuming traditional foods helps keep certain traditional foods in usfishing, healthy. gathering, and eating Department of Health and Social Servicesspecified website regions. for Check health the advisories. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Community Health Representatives Registered Dietitians Territorial Nutritionist, Department of Health and Social Services: www.hss.gov.nt.caBand Office and Local Elders The updated Traditional Food Fact Sheet Series is a collaborative effort of Ecology North and the Department of Health and Social Services (2014). They were updated in 2002 and originally developed in 1996. If you would like this information in another official language, contact us at 1-866-846-8601. Si vous voulez ces renseignements dans une autre langue officielle, communiquez avec nous au 1-866-846-8601. communiquez langue officielle, dans une autre renseignements ces voulez vous contact at 1-866-846-8601. Si us in another official language, like this information If would you April 2017 BERRIES NUTRITIONAL FACT SHEET SERIES BERRIES ARE GOOD FOR US! Berries provide many nutrients that we need each vitamin C, iron and B vitamins. Fiberday to helps stay healthy,protect ussuch against as fiber, some diseases such as cancer. Berries provide us with a source of energy in the form of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are needed for energy to work and play and should be part of a healthy meal or snack. NUTRIENTS IN BERRIES Raspberries, Blueberries Strawberries, Saskatoons, Cranberries, Cloud Berries, Nutrients per wild, raw wild, raw wild, raw wild, raw raw, 125 mL wild, raw Serving 125 mL (65g) 125 mL (76g) 125 mL (88g) 125 mL (75g) (46g) 125 mL (63g) An excellent food source means it Beta Carotene Vitamin C Vitamin C supplies 25% or (B vitamin) more of a nutrient Riboflavin per day Riboflavin A good source supplies 15 - 24% Fibre Vitamin C Fibre of a nutrient per Vitamin C day A fair source Beta Carotene Folate Beta Carotene Magnesium Fibre Niacin supplies 5 - 14% Niacin Fibre Fibre Iron Vitamin C Magnesium of a nutrient per Folate day Riboflavin, B6 • Reference Serving Sizes are from Canada’s Food Guide (1/2 cup = 125ml for most fruits and vegetables; weights are individual).