Creating Healthy Eating Environments in School

Posted in: Blogs, Healthy Eating

Children spend a big portion of their day in school. It is important that when they are in school they have access to nutritious foods and are supported to make healthy choices. The Creating Healthy Environments in School section of the Healthy Eating Starts Here website is intended as a resource to encourage and support healthy eating in schools. It contains the following tools:

Getting Started: A step by step guide on how to create a school nutrition policy in your own school and background information on why it is important.

Nutrition Guidelines and Resources: Houses links to reputable websites for nutrition information such as Canada’s Food Guide, short videos on raising healthy children and a nutrition education resource list for teachers.

Healthy Eating Poster Series

Alberta Health Services has recently released a Healthy Eating Poster Series for elementary school aged children. The 13 new posters are intended to support the education component of the Alberta School Nutrition Program. The posters highlight the importance of eating breakfast and lunch, choosing healthy snacks and drinks and trying new foods. This is done through colorful, relatable pictures with simple messaging to catch the eye of the viewer.

The poster series includes the following messages:

  • Eat Breakfast Every Day (2 posters)
  • Choose Healthy Drinks (2 posters)
  • Pack/Make/Eat a Healthy Lunch (2 posters)
  • Try New Foods (3 posters)
  • Choose Healthy Snacks/Snack on Vegetables and Fruits (4 posters)

 The posters can be printed and displayed in cafeterias, on food carts and snack canteens, bulletin boards and can also be used as discussion pieces in the classroom.

 

 

Melissa Chisholm is a Registered Dietitian with Alberta Health Services and can be reached at melissa.chisholm@ahs.ca.

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