School nutrition: support for providing healthy food and beverage choices in schools

Question 1

What are the recommendations from CPS to improve school nutrition?

Answer 1

• develop school nutrition policies (SNPs) as part of comprehensive school health (CSH) at the individual school, school board, and provincial/territorial level, depending on jurisdiction
• To optimize implantation, a multifaceted approach within a CSH framework is encouraged:
  
  • establish a nutrition committee in every school or school board
  • increase consumption of nutrient-rich foods via targeted on-site programs
  • restrict on-site access to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and energy-dense, low-nutrient foods and beverages
  • promote healthier food choices as part of regular curriculum
• Supply sound nutritional principles to on-site breakfast & lunch programs, vending machines, cafeteria food, tuck shops, and special events (increase nutritient-rich consumption and reduce sodium, fat, sweetened beverage intake levels)
• educate and promote healthy behaviours and choices in accordance with Canada’s Food Guide, while being sensitive to culture and local socio-economic needs and conditions
• Involve dieticians, dental professionals, local HCP, parents on school nutrition committees and in SNP development and updates, curriculum-related activities, and community outreach

Question 2

What is a school nutrition policy?

What is the aim of a SNP?

Answer 2

• provides framework by which schools plan, implement & evaluate nutrition-related actions that reflect current dietary guidance
• Each province/territory has or is developing a SNP
• Aim:
  
  • improve quality of food and beverage intake and choices
  • help students make healthier nutritional choices
  • build skills that enhance healthy dietary behaviours
  • reduce risk for overweight, obesity, and eating or nutrition-related disorders

Question 3

What is comprehensive school health?

Answer 3

• internationally recognized framework for supporting improvements in students’ outcomes while addressing school health in planned, integrated, holistic way
• 4 pillars: social & physical environment, teaching & learning, healthy school policy, partnership & service

Question 4

What is the impact of school nutrition policies?

Answer 4

• increase access to nutritious foods and beverages
• improve dietary behaviour
• Lower BMI (lots of evidence)
• Impacts on academic performance - mixed results

Question 5

What is the % daily vaule of sugars cutoff for foods? (ie foods with %DV aboves this will be labelled as “high in sugars” )

Answer 5

15%