Not all kids can be convinced to eat an apple a day, but the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) will be happy as long as all its students eat healthily.
That’s why on Wednesday, it launched a nutrition program to get young children into the habit of making proper food choices.
“We’ve created a passport. “It’s called a FAB 4 nutrition passport. “FAB 4 stands for Feed a Brain with the four food groups,” explains Sylvie Beaudry, a nutritionist with the EMSB.
The campaign was launched at the Edward Murphy Elementary School on the first day of classes, and the passports, or booklets, will be given to kindergarten students at all EMSB schools.
Beaudry explains: “Because we think it’s important that we set the good habits as soon as they come in school, and develop those habits throughout elementary and high school.”
Cristina Celzi, the principal at the school says, even for children who already know something about proper nutrition, the campaign can reinforce some of that knowledge.
“They’re now going to be bringing lunches with them during the day. They’re going to be having snack time with their friends.”
And, she adds, being in a school setting, students will get to see what others are eating, get guidance from teachers and can learn even more.
In the end, it’s about giving them the information to make balanced choices from the four food groups, even at an early age.
The booklet has games and exercises with the different food groups colour-coded, designed to get the kids engaged. All this with the hope that kindergarten students will start their food education in the right way.
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