Nutrition for Schools
Healthy eating contributes to school performance and helps students achieve positive physical and mental health. When students are better nourished throughout the day, they are better able to cope with stressors and have the energy they need to be active, think clearly and obtain the most they can from their school day.
Consider the following guidelines for elementary schools and secondary schools when planning any healthy eating and food literacy initiatives at your school.
Remember to involve students in the planning of nutrition activities. This not only educates them on valuable nutrition information, but allows them to build on their and strengths and skills, increase their confidence, and improve their self-esteem, which all contribute to more resilient students and positive mental health.
York Region Public Health offers services and suggested activities to promote food literacy in schools and support overall health and well-being.
Promoting food literacy equips students with the skills they need to grow, select and cook healthy meals and snacks. Watch the video below to learn more about what food literacy means:
York Region Public Health offers the following nutrition programs and services for your school:
Consultation services
Registered Dietitians and Nutrition Educators staff are available to consult with both elementary and secondary schools about how to create a healthy school food culture and supportive environment that encourages healthy eating.
We can also consult with you to ensure that foods being offered and sold meet or exceed the Ministry of Education’s Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (PPM 150). Food that may be affected by this policy include food being sold for fundraising, catered lunches and food offered at classroom celebrations.
For more information related to promoting healthy eating at your school and creating a healthy school food culture, request a consultation with a Public Health Dietitian by e-mailing [email protected].
Teacher and Classroom Resources
“It is important for teachers to establish a healthy eating environment in the classroom by ensuring that the topics taught, approaches taken and environments, in which students learn, are supportive of healthy eating“. (Ontario Ministry of Education, Elementary Teacher Resource Guide)
Curriculum Support
Click the resources below for lesson plans, toolkits, webinars, and factsheets that support curriculum expectations, professional learning, and help you teach nutrition and food literacy in a positive way.
- Elementary Curriculum and Educator Resources: Food and Nutrition
- Secondary Curriculum and Educator Resources: Food and Nutrition
For more information, contact us at [email protected]
Promoting Healthy School Lunches
For information and ideas about promoting healthy school lunches and snacks to your school community, refer to the resources and links below. You can also visit brightbites.ca for further information and activity ideas for promoting healthy eating at your school.
Fact Sheets and Additional Resources for Parents and Students
- Canada's Food Guide
- School Lunch Your Kids Will Munch
- School Lunch Your Kills Will Munch (French)
- Healthy Beverages for Children and Adults
- Packing School Lunches (Government of Canada)
- Nurturing Healthy Eaters in Elementary Schools
- Nurturing Healthy Eaters in Elementary Schools (French)
- Stress and Nutrition
- Packing Lunches in Kindergarten
Videos
BrightBites
BrightBites is a website developed by the Ontario Dietitians in Public Health, and promotes healthy eating at school. It provides suggested activities and resources to improve the school’s food culture and makes improving school nutrition fun, easy and rewarding!
BrightBites also provides resources and curriculum connections for Educators, as well as activity suggestions for student nutrition programs, cooking programs, edible gardens and healthy fundraising to name a few.
Need more information? A Registered Dietitian from York Region Public Health can provide more information on how BrightBites can transform your school – one bite at a time! For more information, contact [email protected]
Student Nutrition Programs
Student Nutrition Programs (SNPs) provide nutritious breakfasts, morning meals, and snacks to students in elementary and secondary schools. Universal and inclusive SNPs support student learning, growth and development, and overall physical and mental well-being. SNPs also promote a sense of community by bringing people together to ensure all students are well-nourished. Read the Nutrition Guideline Resource for Student Nutrition Programs in York Region for information on providing nutritious foods in Student Nutrition Programs. For more information and resources, visit foodforlearning.com
To request support with starting or enhancing a Student Nutrition Program, implementing the Student Nutrition Program Nutrition Guidelines, choosing nutritious foods, and/or menu planning, please contact @email.
Food Literacy and Cooking Programs
You’re the Chef (YTC) is a food literacy cooking program with a focus on vegetables and fruit, targeting students in Grades 5-8. Students learn basic cooking and safe food handling skills. In general, sessions can be scheduled to run for 60 to 90 minutes, either during the school day or after school, once a week for five weeks.
Running YTC at your school and encouraging students to practice cooking skills is a great way to help young people build their self-esteem, confidence, and sense of achievement, while developing valuable life skills. These are all assets which will contribute to positive mental health and well-being. To run the You’re the Chef program at your school, you will need to:
- Identify a volunteer leader (refresher training available)
- Find a suitable room for the sessions. The room should have two sinks and tables/countertops for cooking surfaces
- Have basic cooking equipment
- Provide funding of approximately $300 for food and supplies
York Region Public Health provides training for leaders (educators and/or school community members) who wish to run the program at their school. The following material will be covered in the You’re the Chef leader training:
- Practical tips on starting a cooking program at your school
- How to set up cooking stations
- Food safety
- Food skill demonstrations and knife skills
- Hands-on practice in preparing some key You’re the Chef recipes
- Enjoying and sharing prepared recipes together
YTC Leader training consists of two parts:
- Part One: On-line self-study component
- To be completed independently
- Must be completed prior to the in-person training
- 45 minutes in length
- Participants will be introduced to the You’re the Chef Program, learn steps to starting a food and cooking program for youth and important food safety information
- Part Two: An in-person interactive hands-on training
- One session, 2.5 hours in length
- Location: 17150 Yonge St, Newmarket ON
- Participants will learn YTC set up and have a chance to practice cooking skills and prepare a sampling of recipes from the YTC collection
You’re the Chef leader training is offered three times each year, in fall, winter and late spring. Training registration is also open to those who were previously trained and are interested in a refresher.
Join our mailing list to keep informed of future You're the Chef training sessions and learn about other public health nutrition programs. For more information, speak to your school’s public health nurse or contact us at @email
Cost
The programs are provided at no cost.
