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Key Nutrition Goals for Kids
January 26, 2011
January is often a time to reflect and set goals for the New Year. Goal setting helps students reflect on areas needed for improvement and set focused plans to effect change. Specific nutritional concerns are common during childhood and adolescence. Consider focusing on these key areas for nutrition education and goal setting in the classroom.
Top 3 Nutritional Concerns
1. Vegetables and Fruit
59% of Canadian children and adolescents consume vegetables and fruit fewer than 5 times per day1. For school aged children, Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide recommends 5 to 8 servings per day, depending on age and gender. Vegetables and fruit are a low calorie snack packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre. In the classroom, try profiling a vegetable or fruit each month and encourage students to try something new (e.g., star fruit, papaya, and orange peppers).
2. Milk and Milk Alternatives
37% of young children do not consume adequate milk and milk alternatives2. Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide recommends 2 servings per day for 2 to 8 year-olds and 3 to 4 servings per day for 9 to 18 year-olds. Milk and Milk Alternatives contain protein for building muscles and vitamins and minerals for metabolism, growth, nerve and muscle functioning, strong bones, and healthy teeth. Childhood and adolescence is a critical time for building bones. Peak bone mass occurs by 16 years of age for girls and 20 years of age for boys. Starting in the mid 30s, bone loss occurs as a natural part of aging3. If your school doesn't have a milk program, consider starting one. Selling white and chocolate milk at school is a great way to offer a nutritious and refreshing drink to students at school and to raise money for school programs and extra-curricular activities.
3. Eating Breakfast
More than ¼ of children in grade 4 do not eat breakfast every day4. By grade 8, nearly ½ of girls and 1/3 of boys do not eat breakfast daily4. Students who eat breakfast are better able to concentrate and learn in school. Encourage your students to eat breakfast through planning quick breakfast ideas (e.g., yogurt, fruit, and cereal) and attending your school's breakfast program. If your school doesn't have a breakfast program, consider keeping a snack basket in the school office for students who come to school without breakfast or visit www.breakfastforlearning.ca to learn more about starting a breakfast program.
When setting goals with students, remember to encourage students to make the goals SMART (specific, measurable and meaningful, attainable, realistic, and time-based). For example, if a student is currently consuming only one serving of Milk and Milk Alternatives per day, a realistic and measurable goal might be to include one extra serving per day. Have students brainstorm specific ideas to increase their intake (e.g., drink milk with dinner, bring yogurt or cheese for a snack). Have older students consider possible barriers (e.g., available food, time) and ways to overcome those barriers (e.g., ask parents to buy certain foods, consume smoothies and yogurt tubes as after school snacks).
Use positive nutritional messaging in your teaching and when goal setting with students. Focus on the foods children should eat (e.g., vegetables, fruit, milk, and yogurt) instead of those they should limit (e.g., high fat and high salt foods).
References
1. Shields, M. (2005). Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Measured obesity: Overweight Canadian children and adolescents. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Accessed November 2010. Available at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-620-m/2005001/pdf/4193660-eng.pdf.
2. Rosenbloom, C. (2008). Current perspectives on preschooler obesity prevention. Toronto: Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition. Accessed November 2010. Available at: http://www.ccfn.ca/pdfs/CP%20on%20preschooler%20obesity%20prevention%20-May%2014%20-%20FINAL.pdf.
3. Osteoporosis Canada. (2010). Facts and statistics. Toronto: Osteoporosis Canada. Accessed November 2010. Available at: http://www.osteoporosis.ca/index.php/ci_id/8867/la_id/1.htm.
4. Langlois, C. (2006). Child nutrition. Toronto: Breakfast for Learning. Accessed November 2010. Available at: http://www.breakfastforlearning.ca/images/pdfs/Services_and_Information/ncapolicypaperchildnutrition.pdf.