Schools Have a Powerful Influence on a Student's Eating Behaviour
Students spend more time in school than in almost any other environment, and schools have a powerful influence on a student's eating behaviours. It is important to take this opportunity to help students develop healthy, lifelong eating habits.
Students are more likely to make healthy choices if:
Students are more likely to make healthy choices if:
- healthy food is available and affordable
- nutrition is part of school classes
- healthy eating guidelines exist so schools will role model nutritious foods in classroom rewards, fundraising, school food sales, and at special events
School Meal and Nutrition Handbook
The Handbook includes general operational information and resources relating to School Meal and School Nutrition Programs, guidelines for serving healthy foods, sample menus, healthy substitutions and promising practices for feeding vulnerable students.
Tips and Recipes for School Meal Food Services
Meeting the Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools
Great tips for how to make recipes healthier
Tables for assessing acceptable amounts of added salt, fat, sugar are useful when making ingredients from scratch such as a hamburger patty, spaghetti tomato sauce, soup stock etc… These can be used to determine if a component of a meal is suitable in combination with using the Healthier Food Fact sheet.
Great tips for how to make recipes healthier
Tables for assessing acceptable amounts of added salt, fat, sugar are useful when making ingredients from scratch such as a hamburger patty, spaghetti tomato sauce, soup stock etc… These can be used to determine if a component of a meal is suitable in combination with using the Healthier Food Fact sheet.
Bake Better Bites: Recipes and Tips for Healthier Baked Goods
Great recipes – all are suitable for sale at schools
Great tips for adjusting other recipes to make them healthier (check the healthier food check list for assessing if suitable for sale?)
Great tips for adjusting other recipes to make them healthier (check the healthier food check list for assessing if suitable for sale?)
Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide
Food Guide Basics, Choosing Foods, Using the Food Guide, Maintaining Healthy Habits
Popular school food initiatives
Other resources
- Cook It. Try It. Like It!
- BC School Fruit & Vegetable Program
- BC Farm to School Salad Bar Program
- School Food Gardens
- School Milk BC Program
- Breakfast for Learning
- Action Schools BC
- Guidelines for Food & Beverage Sales
- School Vending Machines
- Nutrition Criteria Chart for the Guidelines
- Bake Better Bites: Recipes and Tips for Healthier Baked Goods (see above)
- Tips and Recipes for Quantity Cooking (see above)
- Brand Name Food List
Other resources
- Lunches To Go
- Nutrition Curriculum Resources List
- Re-think Your Drink Tool Kit
- Healthy Eating at School
- Ministry of Education Lesson Plans
- Healthy Fundraising for School
- Directorate of Agencies for School Health (DASH BC)
- Dietitians of Canada - Factsheet Generator: A web-based tool to customize nutrition factsheets