How to set up a school nutrition program

• Children need nutritious food in order to be healthy, grow and learn. School breakfast, lunch and snack programs make an important contribution to the diets of the children who participate.
• Breakfast for Learning Alberta believes that nutrition programs should be more than just satisfying hunger, they should also be an important means of providing children with healthy food.

When planning your menu, it is important to include as many of the four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating as possible, because each group provides different essential nutrients.

However, menu planning is also influenced by the following factors:

• Nutrition
• Allergies
• Cost
• Space available for preparation, serving and storage
• Appeal to children

To make your menu as nutritious as possible, we suggest that you contact the Community Nutritionist or public health nurse in your health region.

Breakfast and Lunch

A healthy breakfast should provide items from at least three food groups, while lunch should provide at least one item from each of the four food groups:

Grain Products – Whole grain cereal, whole grain bread or toast, bagel, muffin, pancake, rice, pasta

Vegetables and fruit – Pure juices, fresh, canned or frozen fruit, or vegetables

Milk Products – Milk (preferably a low fat milk), yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese

Meat and Alternatives - Peanut Butter, almond butter, tahini, egg, seeds, nuts, sliced or cooked meats, salmon, tuna

Suggestions that are popular and practical choices in other school programs:

Breakfast:

• Peanut butter on toast
• Grilled cheese or egg sandwich
• Cold cereal with milk, topped with sliced fruit
• Hard cheese chunks with toast
• Yogurt parfaits with fruit and cereal
• Pancakes with fruit or flavoured yogurt as topping
• Fruit: Oranges/Apples/Bananas/Grapes
• Fruit cup: diced fresh fruit mixed with juice or canned fruit
• Hot cereal
• Scrambled egg, hard cooked egg
• Egg on a muffin
• Fruit smoothies, from juice, yogurt, fruit and milk

Lunch

• Meat and cheese sandwich on whole grain bun or in a wrap
• Make your own salads, with a variety of vegetables and toppings, including cheese, nuts, seeds
• Bags of raw vegetables with individual yogurt-based dip
• Fruit pieces with flavoured yogurt for dip
• Peanut butter and banana roll-ups
• Tuna or egg salad sandwiches
• Homemade chilli and a bun
• Milk – skim, 1%, 2%, or flavoured milks

Snacks

Schools often choose to do a snack program because of time constraints or limited preparation facilities. It is important to provide variety, and limit sugar when providing snacks. Below are some items served in established nutrition programs.

• Milk (chocolate or plain)
• Pudding Cups
• Cheese strings
• Cheese ,Peanut butter, or Hummous and crackers
• Yogurt (individual containers)
• Trail mix, made with a variety of cereals, fruits, nuts, seeds
• Fresh fruit wedges, fruit cup, applesauce
• Chocolate pudding fondue (fruit slices with chocolate pudding for dipping)
• Raw vegetables with dip

NOTE: Fast-food chains may be convenient and cost-effective but may not provide nutritious foods and may not help children learn to eat healthy foods