Article: “Promoting Healthy Eating in Schools”

Author: Government of Alberta

Originally Sourced: The Government of Alberta Website, October 20, 2011 Published (info. Not available) http://www.healthyalberta.com/HealthyPlaces/204.htm

Promoting Healthy Eating in Schools

When kids receive the same messages about healthy eating at school and at home, they learn that nutrition is important. Plan now to promote healthy eating by

Ø  making sure your kids take healthy snacks and lunches to school;

Ø  helping your school set an example by selling healthy food;

Ø  using fundraising activities, school celebrations, and non-food class rewards as chances to model healthy eating behaviours.

  • Healthy Lunches Made Here!

Making sure your kids have a good breakfast and sending them to school with healthy food for the day can help their learning, concentration, and energy levels. A healthy diet can also fight childhood obesity. Make healthy lunches a priority in your house by following these simple guidelines.

Ø  Plan healthy lunches, and involve your kids in making them. Ask older children to make their own lunches from a choice of healthy foods.

Ø  Ensure that lunches include each of the four food groups (see Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide in the LEARN MORE section below), and that snacks include two food groups.

Ø  Choose the following food types more often: whole grains, dark green and orange vegetables, orange fruit, lower fat dairy products, and leaner sources of protein. A whole-grain tortilla wrap filled with low-fat cream cheese, sliced orange sweet pepper, baby spinach, and sliced turkey breast (along with an orange) includes all of these healthy food types in your child’s lunch!

Ø  Encourage your kids to drink lots of water throughout the day.

Ø  Be aware of school guidelines about food allergies such as peanuts.

Sold! On Healthy Eating in Schools

Only 17% of Canadian children eat a lunch that includes choices from all four food groups. Adolescents make 78% of their vending machine purchases at school. Of these purchases, 64% include a beverage, 32% include candy or gum, and 26% include salty snacks.

How can a parent affect the school’s policy on food and nutrition? The first step is to get involved.

Ø  Know what choices are available for your kids.

Ø  Organize a committee of the parent advisory council to address any concerns.

Ø  Talk to the principal, and work with school staff to improve the variety and availability of healthy food.

Ø  Take a look at all the places where food is sold, including vending machines, the school store, and community sources.

Ø  Consider giving your school a “food makeover” (see pages 36 to 41 of the SummerActive School Resource Guide described in the LEARN MORE section).

Special Event…Special Food

“If you clean your room, we can go and get ice cream!” Although there is always room for the occasional treat, parents and schools should try to reward good behaviour in ways that also promote healthy eating.

Ø  Fundraising. Instead of the classic chocolate almond box, try selling cookbooks full of healthy recipes or cases of fruit at a bulk discount. You might also hold activity-based fundraisers such as a fun run or a skipathon.

Ø  Student incentives. Instead of gummi bears and jelly beans, reward students with non-food rewards such as stickers, yo-yos, pencils, tennis balls, hacky sacks, or skipping ropes.

Ø  Special events. Promote healthy eating at parent council meetings, staff meetings, and parent-teacher nights. Replace doughnuts and coffee with fruit and vegetable trays, water, and 100% juice.

School Nutrition Is Important

Parents, teachers, and students can work together to develop a policy on healthy eating at school without sacrificing variety and choice. Snacks and lunches packed at home, food sold and served at school, and special events all offer opportunities to encourage healthy eating.