By Allan Davies, Student Nutrition Coordinator – Special to the Sydenham Current
The Chatham Kent Student Nutrition Program helps schools to provide nutritious breakfasts, morning meals, lunches and/or snacks to children and youth to support their learning and healthy development.
This year we are introducing the revised Student Nutrition Guidelines which are to be implemented in the 2017/18 school year. The guidelines are consistent with Canada’s Food Guide, as well as elements of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM150).
Good nutrition is important for healthy growth and development in childhood and can reduce the risk of health problems in later years. Students who are able to access nutritious food will perform better academically and have enhanced physical, emotional, social and intellectual development.
The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit and the Chatham-Kent Student Nutrition Program with support from VON are working together with various partners to offer a Farm to School Program in our Chatham-Kent schools. The Farm to School program will provide fruits and/or vegetables 5 days a week for an 8 week time period starting Monday March 27th and will run until Friday May 19th, 2017. Fruits and vegetables are picked up from local farmers and distributors and the produce is delivered to the participating schools where they will be cleaned, prepared and served to all students in the school.
Some of the products that will be offered are apples, bananas, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, strawberries and peppers.
Through this program we are encouraging our students to increase their consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as support our local farmers and other Chatham-Kent businesses.
For more information please contact the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit at 519-352-7270 ext. 2444.
