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You can’t learn if you’re hungry

Island Health making back-to-school nutrition recommendations for families
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Island Health is making a few nutrition recommendations for kids heading back to school, one of which is the inclusion of lots of healthy fruits and vegetables in both breakfast and lunch.

While the focus for many families with school-aged children this week will likely be ensuring they have all the supplies they need, something that shouldn’t be overlooked is giving their kids the best chance to stay healthy.

To help with that, Island Health has issued a release that outlines their recommendations for families.

“Water is the key to a healthy start as we head back to school,” the release says. “Children should be hydrated and their best defence against bringing home colds and flus is proper hand washing.”

Dr. Dee Hoyano, Island Health medical health officer, says it’s important for kids to get in the habit of washing their hands frequently, because germs are everywhere in environments full of people – like schools.

“Make it fun,” Hoyano says. “Sing happy birthday twice while they scrub or find a soap scent that appeals to them. There is no better way to prevent colds and the spread of germs in schools and daycares than hand washing.”

Along with a water bottle for hydration, children should also bring two healthy snacks and a well-balanced lunch to feed their active brains and bodies, according to Island Health dietician Areli Hermanson.

“Colour is the most visible indicator that your child’s lunch will successfully support learning,” Hermanson says. “Green and orange vegetables, blue and red fruit, we can tell by just by looking at them that they are packed with vitamins and nutrients.”

Here are the rest of Island Health’s recommendations to make lunches healthy and fun:

Pack protein: meat &alternatives (i.e. chicken, eggs and lentils)

Wash and chop vegetables and fruit so they’re ready to eat

Choose single-serving lower-fat milk, plain yogurt and cheese (not processed)

Substitute sandwiches with whole grain crackers or mini pitas

When it comes to how best to start the day to give your kids the best chance to have a good shot at success, Island Health recommends a breakfast consisting of at least three of the four food groups from the Canada Food Guide.

For ideas on what makes a good breakfast, they suggest homemade pizza bagels, pancakes with fruit, hot or cold cereal with added raisins or nuts, banana smoothies – bascially anything you can think of that is healthy and pulls from a few of the basic food groups.