Making Healthy Food Choices

Did you know that Canada's Food Guide has changed? Here is the link for the new Food Guide: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/

Today we discussed the importance of making healthy food choices and what that really means. We started by looking at food labels and comparing two similar products. We looked at the fat content (talked about "good fat" vs. "bad fat"), sodium, sugars, and protein. From there students made decisions about the healthier option. This is something that should be continued at home. Discussions about what is a healthy food choice vs an unhealthy food choice is how we develop healthy eating habits. Work together to look at food labels and compare things in your own cupboard.
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Sometimes at this age, it's hard to really comprehend what the food labels mean and how to interpret them. After this brief activity, students sorted foods into 3 groups - Always Foods, Sometimes Foods, and Special Occasion Foods. They debated some of the decisions and agreed upon many.

It was really interesting listening to the discussions and they even spilled over into snack time. Students began sorting their own lunch bags into these categories. They continued the discussion about what makes it an always food or why they have a special occasion food in their lunch bag. Food choice is always parents choice and ultimately your decision. At school, it is our job to ensure students are enlightened about the options. Please, for the health of your child, keep having these discussions at home and at the grocery store. Make meals as a family and talk to your child about the importance of healthy food choices.