Healthy eating helps fuel the body and mind

By making healthy choices with every meal and snack, you will be better equipped to live an overall healthy lifestyle and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Having a healthy breakfast with protein is associated with better memory, higher school attendance and improved mood. Drinking lots of water helps improve functions. Fruits and veggies are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber, which help promote good health and development, strengthen your immune system, and even protect against disease. Half of your plate at lunch and dinner should be filled with vegetables to help support a healthy mind and body.

Fast Facts

  • Kids ages 4 to 13 should drink at least 6 to 8 cups of water a day.
  • Sugar-sweetened drinks account for more than 10% of total caloric intake among children and youth.
  • Drinking 2 cups of milk or fortified soy beverage a day helps build strong bones and meet calcium and vitamin D needs.
  • Eating whole vegetables and fruits is more nutritious than drinking juice.

Nutrition and school

Good nutrition is key to ensuring kids have enough energy to do well in school. Poor nutrition can lead to bad concentration, behavioral and emotional problems, lower test scores, and easy irritability. It’s important to instill these good eating habits from a young age—studies show that children with bad eating habits usually keep these habits as they get older. Because kids are growing and learning it’s essential that they’re being fed nutrient-dense meals so that they can live a healthy and productive life.

Learn more

Ontario Public Health Association: Nutrition Resource Centre Dietitians of Canada: Nutrition A-Z Government of Canada: Food and Nutrition Government of Canada: Health Food Guide Canadian Nutrition Society Medical News Today: Nutrition Article on How Food Impacts Health Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: The Food Guide Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN: Food-based Dietary Guidelines Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Food and Nutrition World Health Organization: Nutrition

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