June 26, 2009
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Public Health Nutritionist, Carolyn Chu (centre), accepts the award
from Thida Ith, Corporate Communications and Promotions Manager, Dietitians of Canada (left) and Katharine Slater, Nutrition Communications, Kraft Canada (right) on behalf of the
Nutrition Positive program
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Carolyn Chu remembers one of the first “hot lunches” her son’s school served. “It consisted of hot dogs and chips,” she recalls. As a public health nutritionist Chu was appalled at the types of foods being dished up in school cafeterias, school events and class parties. “It sent the wrong message. Schools are learning institutions and they could be setting a good example about healthy foods,” she says.
A few years later, Saskatoon Health Region partnered with CHEP Good Food inc., Saskatoon Public Schools, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, Horizon School Division, and the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Saskatchewan to form Nutrition Positive.
Nutrition Positive creates and supports a healthy food environment and healthy food policy in participating schools. The program also encourages and supports enhancements to the nutrition curriculum.
Deb Stevens, a consultant with the Saskatoon Public School Division says working together as a group had its challenges but the group always focused on the end results: healthier environments and choices for children. “CHEP, the Health Region, School Boards, the University and parents were included in the partnership,” she says. “CHEP and the Health Region worked tirelessly to support the work of teachers and staff by providing resources, educational programs, equipment, and funds. I was privileged to be part of this team and know that schools were very appreciative of all the work.”
“When this program started,” says Chu, “We always had a nutritionist designated to working in the schools. We had been doing mostly nutrition education. The shift in thinking with Nutrition Positive was having the schools change the foods they were serving. So that most and eventually all foods in the school are healthy.”
Eighty-one schools now participate in the program. Chu hopes more will join and those that are already participating will continue to take more steps to provide healthy foods to students. “Kids will eat healthy foods if they’re available,” she says. “And if they can find these foods in schools, which is a place to learn, they’ll get used to them.”
Nutrition Positive was recognized recently for its efforts. The program was awarded The Dietitians of Canada and Kraft Canada Speaking of Food and Health Living Award: Excellence in Consumer Communication. The award was created in 1998 in response to the report Speaking of Food and Healthy Eating: A Consumer Perspective, which indicated that Canadians wanted to eat healthier but were confused by conflicting and difficult-to-apply nutrition messages.
The nutrition message for Chu is clear: “If kids have access to healthy foods in schools, it ‘normalizes’ those foods and makes it acceptable for all kids to eat healthy.”
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