Policy
 Why
is School Nutrition Policy Important?
- Education and health are
intimately linked
- Students spend as much time
at school as in any other environment
- Next to parents, schools
have the most impact on shaping children’s eating habits
- Students typically have
at least one snack or meal at school per day
School Nutrition Policy… creates supportive school environments
for healthy food choices designed to:
- improve the nutritional
intake of students
- provide students an opportunity
to practice what they learn in the classroom
- demonstrate that schools
value student health
- contribute to the primary
prevention of chronic disease
A Nutrition Policy is …
- a statement of philosophy
and belief
- established to make healthy
choices the easy choices
- a way to ensure that good
nutrition is promoted both in theory and in practice
- direction for action
 Policies
Can Cover:
- Foods available at special
events
- Commercial vending/catering
contracts
- Cafeterias and canteens
- Nutrition education for
students/staff
- Using food as reward
- Fundraising
- Food packaging and waste
- Food Security
- Eating environments
- Role modeling
- Support of local food producers
- And many more, depending
on the issues identified by your school/division
Making Your Policy Work
Involve as many representatives of the school community as possible in
policy development:
- Superintendents
- School Trustees
- Administrators
- Teachers
- Parents
- Students
- Dietitian
- The policy should cover
all foods and beverages served or sold within the school and at/for
school sponsored activities
- The policy should be widely
publicized and apply to students, student organizations, staff and meal/snack
providers
 Remember…
»
Change takes time
»
Allow for phased in implementation
»
Make action plans realistic
– start where you are likely to succeed
»
Monitor and evaluate
changes
»
Celebrate success
For suggestions on how to go about developing school nutrition polices,
and sample policy statements from schools across Canada, look in the Manitoba
Schools Food Guidelines Handbook.
|
