During the 70th anniversary of the Alberta Women’s Institutes Five Points branch Aug. 12, the members served squares and fruit.
“You can’t have too many squares,” said Lillian Konieczny of Mannville.
Moderation, a balanced diet and learning about healthy eating and lifestyles are important for WI members and schoolchildren alike.
After a speaker from Alberta Health talked to WI about healthy food and weight initiatives in Alberta schools at the AWI annual convention in June, Konieczny reported the information in the AWI newsletter.
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“Our mandate is to educate women,” she said. “We have to teach children how to eat healthy and their parents have to be educated about eating healthy.”
Ensuring students have healthy food choices in schools is the “new normal,” said Colleen Nelson, principal of Ecole Sifton School in Camrose.
Through several school initiatives, vending machines and/or high-calorie drinks are eliminated, smaller portion sizes are encouraged, parent councils choose healthier hot lunch meals and students and teachers drink more water.
“In the old days, we would smoke in the workplace. We would never do that now,” said Nelson.
Todd Sikorski, Ecole Sifton School vice-principal, said instead of schoolchildren racing through lunch meals to get to the swings, they have a break then come back to the class to eat.
The children worked up more of an appetite and less food was wasted.
Last year, the school also launched a balanced school day. The children started with 90 minutes of classes, followed by 40 minutes of active play and a longer snack period, 90 minutes of class, another 40 minute snack and activity time and a final 90 minute class period.
Nelson is hoping the healthier options will become lifelong choices. “You may forget parts of Chem 30 or Biology 30, but I hope these will be life lessons,” she said.
