A regional health authority in Nova Scotia that barred the sale of some doughnuts and muffins at on-site Tim Hortons franchises says the decision is part of a sweeping strategy to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Capital Health, which operates hospitals, health centres and programs throughout Halifax and western Hants County, will remove some of the less health options from the menus at Tim Hortons locations inside their health facilities..

"We are a health organization and we wanted to focus on offering the healthiest options to our patients and staff," John Gillis, a spokesman for Capital Health told CTV News Channel on Saturday.

"The changes we are making with Tim Hortons is part of a longer and larger strategy towards health eating that started a couple years ago with input from people in the community and some of the businesses we work with."

The new policy will come into effect in October and will affect all baked goods that do not meet Capital Health's healthy food guidelines.

"People have a real affection to Tim Hortons, so it will be a long of adjustment for people, but we are also hearing a lot of support that it was the right thing to do," he said.

Gillis added that his personal favourite, the chocolate chip muffin, would be removed from the locations. He said he would get by with a low fat raspberry muffin instead.

The Capital Health website says the organization is the province's largest provider of health services. It operates 10 hospitals and employs 11,000 people.

Capital Health operates four Tim Hortons locations and Gillis says there may actually be savings associated with removing some of the baked goods from the menu.

The health authority was hit with some backlash after the announcement, with some people claiming they were trying to control what people ate and others questioning the decision to remove "comfort foods" from places where grieving people gather.

"We are never going to stop people from bringing whatever they want to eat into the hospital, whether that is where they work or whether they are visiting people," Gills said. "Our intention is to make the healthy choice the easy choice in the terms of the food we are selling directly to people."