Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

Educating young people about healthy eating is important to help them develop skills and knowledge to make healthier choices.


Resources & Information for:

Resources

Lessons and Activities

  • School gardens teach children about where food comes from with school gardens can increase their awareness of the link between the food system, health, and sustainability. The resources in this section can help students learn more about the food system and how food is grown, including skill-building opportunities with potential links to other aspects of the curriculum (e.g., science, math).
  • Region on Waterloo- School Food Gardens Start-up Guide: A guide to installing and enhancing learning opportunities.
  • Growing Minds and Farm to School- Steps to a Classroom Garden: Ten points/tips to consider around planning a garden.
  • Juice Plus+- Tower Gardens: A vertical growing system that allows vegetables, herbs, and flowers in small spaces either indoors or outdoors. Included are lesson plans and learning materials.
  • Southwestern Ontario Gleaners: Students consider volunteering (those 14 years and older and with access to the Leamington facility) during the summer break to support making dehydrated soup and fruit mixes for international distribution. A great way to get community hours, support food relief efforts, and understand the issue of food waste in our communities.
  • Mindful Eating- Headspace blue tool: An online platform that supports access to information, related to mindfulness and coaching around various topics to improve health. The Headspace mindful eating section offers various activities and information.

School Campaigns and Social Media

  • BrightBites (French): This non-profit project that breaks the challenge of improving school nutrition down into fun, easy badges. Entire schools (elementary and secondary) or individual classes/groups can sign up as teams and boost student well-being. Students can design campaigns to promote water consumption, plan healthier fundraisers, change school policies to support healthy eating in schools, and much more!
    • Water Works (French): This promotes water, especially in place of sugar-sweetened beverages. It can help prevent dental cavities, promote overall health, and help students and staff feel better throughout the day. Provided are tools and activities to support getting started.
  • Ontario Student Nutrition Program- Southwest- Great Big Crunch: Celebrated locally in October with interactive events. Typically, it is a chance to celebrate local farmers, the fall harvest, and a new school year.
  • When discussing nutrition and food, it is important to recognize that many factors influence the foods students bring to school. Some families do not have access to all types of foods or even enough food at home. Avoid commenting on the types and amounts of food brought from home. Instead, focus on how you can explore food in positive ways and expose students to a variety of food in the school environment.
  • Ontario, Ministry of Education- School Food and Beverage Policy (PPM 150): School boards must ensure that all food and beverages sold on school premises for school purposes meet specific requirements, including nutrition standards. The nutrition standards apply to all food and beverages sold on school property (e.g., cafeterias, vending machines, tuck shops), and through all programs and events such as catered lunch programs, bake sales, and sporting events. The purpose of the policy is to promote healthy food environments in schools by increasing access to healthy foods. Contact your school’s Public Health Nurse for questions about the policy.
  • School Wellness Bulletin Boards: Use this space to support the Dietitians of Canada’s, National Nutrition Month annual campaign which is in March. Its slogan is Unlock the Potential of Food. Available in French.
  • MLHU & SWPH- 10 Ways to Improve the School Food Environment (French): A resource that aims to make it easier for students to eat well and help them develop a positive relationship with food. 

Resources in the community

Other Supports and Resources

School Grants

Resources in the community

Other Supports and Resources

School Grants

  • School gardens teach children about where food comes from with school gardens can increase their awareness of the link between the food system, health, and sustainability. The resources in this section can help students learn more about the food system and how food is grown, including skill-building opportunities with potential links to other aspects of the curriculum (e.g., science, math).
  • Region on Waterloo- School Food Gardens Start-up Guide: A guide to installing and enhancing learning opportunities.
  • Growing Minds and Farm to School- Steps to a Classroom Garden: Ten points/tips to consider around planning a garden.
  • Juice Plus+- Tower Gardens: A vertical growing system that allows vegetables, herbs, and flowers in small spaces either indoors or outdoors. Included are lesson plans and learning materials.
  • Southwestern Ontario Gleaners: Students consider volunteering (those 14 years and older and with access to the Leamington facility) during the summer break to support making dehydrated soup and fruit mixes for international distribution. A great way to get community hours, support food relief efforts, and understand the issue of food waste in our communities.
  • Mindful Eating- Headspace blue tool: An online platform that supports access to information, related to mindfulness and coaching around various topics to improve health. The Headspace mindful eating section offers various activities and information.

School Campaigns and Social Media

  • BrightBites (French): This non-profit project that breaks the challenge of improving school nutrition down into fun, easy badges. Entire schools (elementary and secondary) or individual classes/groups can sign up as teams and boost student well-being. Students can design campaigns to promote water consumption, plan healthier fundraisers, change school policies to support healthy eating in schools, and much more!
    • Water Works (French): This promotes water, especially in place of sugar-sweetened beverages. It can help prevent dental cavities, promote overall health, and help students and staff feel better throughout the day. Provided are tools and activities to support getting started.
  • Ontario Student Nutrition Program- Southwest- Great Big Crunch: Celebrated locally in October with interactive events. Typically, it is a chance to celebrate local farmers, the fall harvest, and a new school year.

Resources in the community

Other Supports and Resources

School Grants

Body Image and Self-Esteem

Accepting and recognizing that healthy bodies come in a variety of weights, shapes, and sizes and that individuals all have unique strengths and abilities, supports a positive attitude related to body image.


Resources & Information for:

Resources

Lessons and Activities

  • Media Smarts.ca- Body Image: A Canadian website with a wide range of media and web literacy resources for teachers and parents/guardians. It is evidence-based and user-friendly. Just narrow down your grade and topic. Available in French.
  • PHE Canada- Fad Diet Detectives: Support to help students in grades 7 to 11 recognize fad diets, identify potential problems, and discuss how healthy lifestyle changes are a better option. Also available in French.
  • National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)- Beyond Images: Provides online lessons for grades 4 through 8. The lesson plans provide an opportunity to explore key issues today around body image and self-esteem as well as media messaging while developing critical thinking skills. Also, in French.
  • Ophea (French): Free online resources to support educators in implementing the Ontario Health and Physical Activity Curriculum (Grades 1-12), including lesson plans and resources regarding body image and self-esteem. Must create an account to access resources.
  • Dove- Confident Me: Workshops that aim to boost youth’s body confidence. Teachers are provided with guides, slides, activity sheets, and short videos to support 11- 15-year-olds.
  • BANA- Virtual Presentations: Free presentations that cover various topics including self-esteem and body image, and size acceptance. Your school board has approved these; contact BANA to arrange for these now being offered in person.
  • Ophea- Healthy Schools Certification (French Version): Gives your school the tools to promote and enhance the health and well-being of students, school staff, and the broader school community. Contact your school's nurse at 519-258-2146 x 1555 for more information on how they can support your school in achieving a Healthy Schools Certification.
  • Nutrition Connections- Food and Body Talk: The Power of Language to Shape Children’s Mental Health: This 2 to 3-hour certificate course is designed for educators to raise awareness of the negative impact that normalized language about food and bodies can have on the mental health of children and youth. It offers practical tips to foster both physical and mental well-being. This course has a fee.
  • NEDIC (National Eating Disorders Information Centre)- Body Image and Self-Esteem Backgrounder for Teachers: This backgrounder touches on important concepts for teachers and frames some school-wide practices to have in place.
  • Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Join in national activities early in February. Guidance coming from NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre).
  • Consider lighting up a landmark in purple or wearing purple clothes to show your support for Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

School Campaigns and Social Media

Support in our community

  • Windsor-Essex County Youth Services Card: Provides contact information related to help lines and counselling in Windsor-Essex County. A downloadable and printable resource to share that has information on various community agencies.
  • Kids Help Phone (French): A webpage to build some skills and if you need to chat about self-esteem or body image issues with a trained, volunteer Crisis Responder text CONNECT to 686868.
  • BANA- (The Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association): Supports community groups and summer camps also available to provide workshops related to self-esteem, body image, media influences, size acceptance, and more.
  • weCHC- Teen Health Centre: This is one place where counselling is offered for youth between 12 and 24 years old affected by disordered eating.

Other Supports and Resources

Support in our community

  • Windsor-Essex County Youth Services Card: Provides contact information related to help lines and counselling in Windsor-Essex County. A downloadable and printable resource to share that has information on various community agencies.
  • Kids Help Phone (French): A webpage to build some skills and if you need to chat about self-esteem or body image issues with a trained, volunteer Crisis Responder text CONNECT to 686868.
  • BANA- (The Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association): Supports community groups and summer camps also available to provide workshops related to self-esteem, body image, media influences, size acceptance, and more.
  • weCHC- Teen Health Centre: This is one place where counselling is offered for youth between 12 and 24 years old affected by disordered eating.

Other Supports and Resources

School Campaigns and Social Media

Support in our community

  • Windsor-Essex County Youth Services Card: Provides contact information related to help lines and counselling in Windsor-Essex County. A downloadable and printable resource to share that has information on various community agencies.
  • Kids Help Phone (French): A webpage to build some skills and if you need to chat about self-esteem or body image issues with a trained, volunteer Crisis Responder text CONNECT to 686868.
  • BANA- (The Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association): Supports community groups and summer camps also available to provide workshops related to self-esteem, body image, media influences, size acceptance, and more.
  • weCHC- Teen Health Centre: This is one place where counselling is offered for youth between 12 and 24 years old affected by disordered eating.

Other Supports and Resources

You Can Cook

This video series is designed to help you get comfortable in the kitchen, and learn some basic food skills in 5 minutes or less.

We hope that we can inspire you to spend less on take out and more time cooking at home.