Take a bite out of bad eating habits this National School Safety Week
October 17, 2017
GUELPH, Ontario – October 17-23 is National School Safety Week. This year’s theme is Take a Bite out of Bad Eating Habits.
Healthy eating habits and nutrition are crucial to student success at school. As part of National School Safety Week, the Canada Safety Council is reminding everyone that a “child’s development, engagement and energy levels are directly impacted by the foods they consume.”
Healthy eating can sometimes slip through the cracks especially for on the go families, however it is important to make time to promote eating healthy.
The Canada Safety Council has provided some tips for keeping children energized and ready for the day:
- Natural foods should be used whenever possible. Natural foods are not processed or filled with preservatives and therefore retain nutritional value. This ensures your child benefits from a full range of nutrients and vitamins.
- Children can sometimes be fussy eaters – healthy food does not matter if your child will not eat it. Make meal planning a family affair by involving your child. Allowing your child to choose what they want (within limits) and letting them help prepare the meal gives your child a sense of pride and accomplishment.
- Good thermal containers really help in terms of keeping a meal hot for school lunch.
- Request information from your child’s cafeteria so that you are informed about what your child eats at school and can plan meals at home accordingly.
- Plan ahead – sometimes time just does not allow for healthy meals. If you plan for these times by having healthy snacks available, it really makes a difference. Snacks can include, yogurt, pita pockets, hard-boiled eggs, packets of dry fruit, fruit cups and even dinner leftovers.
All this week, tweet @ugdsb to show us some of the healthy snacks in your classroom using hashtag #NationalSchoolSafetyWeek.
Categories: News