Healthy Eating Basics
Eating well is important for growth and development, academic performance, being active and for overall health.
Canada's Food Guide can be used regularly to help achieve all of the above at home and on the go. It can also be used as the basis to creating healthy school nutrition environments. Here are some tips that may help:
Elements for a Healthy School Nutrition Environment
A healthy school nutrition environment promotes and supports healthy eating through words and actions.
Together, families, schools, public health and the community can help ensure that students make food choices that are consistent with what they learn in the classroom. Gradually, school communities can fulfill all of the elements of a healthy school nutrition environment.
Nine Elements
Here are the nine essential elements that support a healthy eating environment plus practical ideas for putting them into action:
| Element | In Action |
1. Establish food and nutrition policies that support healthy eating. |
See a sample policy. |
2. Offer nutrition education to students. |
Lesson plans for teachers: |
3. Set up nutrition education for staff. |
Ask a Region of Peel health professional to do a staff presentation on various topics. |
4. Make sure healthy, reasonably priced and culturally appropriate food choices are available. |
Offer nutritious foods in your school tuck shop. |
5. School staff role modeling healthy eating. |
Practice a healthy lifestyle to support positive messages. |
6. Offer nutrition education to parents and the community at large. |
Ask a Region of Peel health professional to do a staff presentation on various topics. |
7. Set up student nutrition programs |
Breakfast for Kids offers help to schools in the Region of Peel and many other areas. |
8. Put safe food practices and allergy-safe environments into place. |
Educate the community about food allergies. |
9. Schedule appropriate nutrition breaks. |
Learn to prepare healthy meals for a Balanced School Day. |
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Revised: Wednesday November 23 2011
