NOTE: In February 2007, Health Canada released an updated version of Canada's Food Guide. When accessing the resources below, take a moment to verify what version of Canada's Food Guide is being used or referenced. If you have any questions about the resource, or the information which it contains, contact a Registered Dietitian or your local Public Health Unit. An updated version of Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide can be downloaded free-of-charge at www.canadasfoodguide.info.

At the time of posting, the websites that are referenced in this section were carefully researched and found to be relevant to this program. The Public Health Agency of Canada offers recommendations for finding credible health information. For more information regarding quality assurance for health websites visit: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca.

In this section you will find:

• New Featured Resources
• Resources
• Nutrition-Related Websites
• Health-Related Programs and Resources

NEW FEATURED RESOURCES

Throughout the school year, Menu of Choices will feature new resources that have been added to the Directory of Resources.

These resources have been reviewed by a registered dietitian to ensure they meet listing criteria. Check back throughout the year to access these exciting and varied healthy eating resources!

Alberta Health Services, Lethbridge Community Health Site - Cooking BasicsDVD
This DVD describes how to prepare vegetables, fruits and easy recipes with helpful cooking tips. It is suitable for new to the kitchen cooks, new Canadians and students. Demonstrates correct hand washing and safe food handling.

Heart & Stroke Foundation-Heart & Stroke Shopping List
Let the Heart and Stroke Foundation help you grocery shop! Included is a list as well as nutrition label and healthy eating tips from the Heart and Stroke Foundation registered dietitians.

Titanium Chefis a new online nutrition education game for students.

Titanium Chef is a free web-based game designed to engage students in grades 6, 7 and 8 in learning how to make healthy food choices. Along the way, they also learn about Canada’s Food Guide and how to make healthy meals that provide the daily recommended servings of each of the four food groups. Titanium Chef can be played in French or English.

RESOURCES

Action Schools B.C.! - Play First Lunch Toolkit
For School Administrators, this toolkit outlines suggested steps to implementing Play First Lunch at their schools (Having outdoor play right before lunch). It also includes sample letters to parents and surveys for teachers, families and students about the program.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Seafood and Health: Sorting Fact from Fiction
This web-based resource provides information on the importance of seafood in a healthy diet. Topics include Why Eat Seafood? How Much and Which Kinds?, What are the Health Benefits of Eating Seafood?, What about Seafood Safety?, Reading Nutrition Information on Seafood Labels and The Fish Market in Canada.

B.C. Cancer Agency - Healthy Lunches
This article promotes the importance of encouraging a balanced healthy diet and physical activity in prevention of many diseases and lowering the risk of cancers. It highlights the dangers of too much salt and sugar and the fats that are good for growing kids.

BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING - Smart Start
A great resource for parents, children and student nutrition programs to help promote healthy eating. Based on the new Canada's Food Guide, Smart Start provides a quick reference wheel to help children (ages 4 to 18 years) eat their recommended servings of each of the four food groups each day and provides easy tips for parents to ensure kids eat well to learn well.

BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING - Stay Alive! Lost in the Mountains
An exciting adventure game that engages children and increases their understanding of good nutrition in a way that is fun and interactive. Survival in the game is based on collecting points for eating nutritious foods; helping kids to understand the value of healthy food choices; make a real-life connection between nutrition and its positive impact on how they work, play and learn.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety - Healthy Lunches to Go Tour
Imagine packed lunches that are healthy, easy to make, that even kids will eat. It may sound too good to be true but it is not. Take the CHN Healthy Lunches to Go Tour and find out how fast and easy it can be to pack healthy and delicious lunches for the whole family. This short tour offers nutrition information and tips including how to read nutrition labels and what ingredients to watch out for. It also looks at some of the obstacles we all face in making healthy lunches part of our daily routine and suggests simple steps for making healthy lunches easier.

Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education Website
This website promotes the importance of safe food-handling practices education to help prevent food-borne illnesses.

Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education - Food Safety Fact Sheet
Visit this website for Mrs. Cookwell's helpful tips on reducing the risk for foodborne illness.

Canadian Produce Marketing Association - 5 to 10 a day
This webpage, in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society, encourages people to eat 5 to 10 fruits and vegetables a day. The website has recipes, new alerts and much more.

Canadian Produce Marketing Association - Freggie Tales Website
Freggie and Freggie Tales represents the promotion efforts of the "5 to 10 a day" campaign for elementary aged school children. Freggie and Freggie Tales is designed to provide children with the opportunity to learn about fruits and vegetables in a fun and exciting manner. The take home message being that it is ok to eat and like fruits and vegetables.

Dietitians of Canada - Eat Well, Live Well
Eat Well, Play Well is an area of the Dietitians of Canada website which is intended to support teachers, health intermediaries and parents in their efforts to provide an environment that fosters healthy eating and active living in school age children and youth. It includes background information about healthy eating and active living issues, a variety of resources and ideas for taking action.

EatRight Ontario - Eat Right Be Active
These online information packages are for parents of children ages 3-5 and 6-8 and provide many suggestions on how to provide healthy foods for their kids and how to encourage healthy lifestyles.

EatRight Ontario - My Menu Planner
EatRight Ontario and the Ministry of Health Promotion have launched a new tool to help you eat healthier. This innovative, educational and practical menu planning tool has been created in response to the public's request for help in menu planning, and provides easy-to-use meal plans.

Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
The following resources were created by Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit in supporting a Healthy School Nutrition Environment:
Healthy Habits, Healthy Kids
Balanced School Day
Peanut Safe Lunches
Super Sizes versus Portion Control
Kids and Juice
Every Body is Different

Halton Healthy School Nutrition Environment Committee - Healthy Eating in Halton Schools
Healthy Eating in Halton Schools is a guide that can assist members of the school community to develop a school environment that supports healthy eating.

Health Canada - Fresh Produce Safety
Health Canada has released a new series of fact sheets on the safe handling of fresh produce.

Health Canada - Trans Fat Monitoring Program
The Trans Fat Monitoring Program was established to analyze the trans fat content of foods that were, as indicated by earlier surveys, significant sources of trans fats. On this website you will find data tables include information on the total fat, the trans fat, and the saturated fat levels in foods. The analysis of food samples is on-going and the results from the program will be posted approximately every six months on the Health Canada website.

Health Canada's Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion - Ready-to-Use Presentation on Nutrition Labelling
This presentation was designed to inform consumers on how to use the nutrition labelling information to make informed food choices. Education is provided on using the nutrition label by building awareness of the label and facilitating the understanding of the key elements.

Health Canada's Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion - Sharing the Nutrition Facts
A collection of ready-to-use articles developed to assist educators and health professionals in promoting the use of nutrition labelling to Canadian consumers.

Health Canada:  Canada's Food Guide: 
Includes the type of foods and amount of foods recommended daily for Canadians; available in 10 languages at the following link:  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

Heart and Stroke Foundation - He@lthline™
This free monthly e-newsletter from the Heart and Stroke Foundation provides trusted, well-researched feature articles on lifestyle habits such as reducing stress and maintaining a healthy weight, nutrition columns written by a registered dietitian to help you prevent heart disease, physical activity tips to keep your heart healthy, and exclusive heart-healthy recipes.

Heart and Stroke Foundation- Kids' Cookbook
Food is fuel! Just like a car needs gas to run, a child's body needs a variety of nutritious foods in order to work properly. The Heart & Stroke Foundation has created a cookbook which contains tasty and nutritious recipes kids can try at home with the help of a grown up.

Ministry of Education - Policy Memorandum No. 135 Healthy Foods and Beverages in Elementary School Vending Machines
The purpose of this memorandum is to set out clear, recommended standards for school boards, in response to request for direction, regarding the sale of foods and beverages through vending machines in elementary schools.

Ministry of Education - New School Food And Beverage Policy For Schools- January 15, 2010
All food and beverages sold in schools for school purposes must meet the nutrition standards set out in the policy.  For more information visit the following link:  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthyschools/policy.html

Nutrition Resource Centre - Fuel Up For Fun
Fuel Up For Fun aims to contribute to the development of knowledge, positive attitudes and behaviours of children 6-8 years of age so they will eat right and be active with their families. It builds on other provincial initiatives, including EatRight Ontario and the Eat Right, Be Activebooklets for parents and caregivers of children ages 6-8 developed by the NRC in 2007. Click here to view a copy of the fall 2009 edition. Nutrition Tools for Schools.

Also available in French, Bien manger Bien bouger, Guide pour les parents et éducateurs d'enfants de 6 à 8 ans (mars 2009)

Creating a Healthy School Nutrition Environment (CHSNE) Health Unit Collaboration
Nutrition Tools for Schools is an innovative, evidence-based nutrition toolkit which assists educators and public health staff support elementary schools in creating a healthy nutrition environment. Contact your local public health unit/department for information on how to create a healthy school nutrition environment using Nutrition Tools for Schools.

Ontario Agri-Food Education - OAFE Podcasts
OAFE has develop a series of interactive tools including videos, activities, worksheets and information sheets pertaining to healthy eating.Podcasts include: Intro to Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. (OAFE) (for teachers), Teacher Workshops: Food for Thought! (for teachers), Pizza Perfect (for Gr. 3-4), VeggieMania! (for Gr. 3-5), FSI: Food Scene Investigation (for Gr. 4-6) and Food! To Your Good Health – Vitamins, Minerals and Nutrients (for Gr. 9-12).

Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health - Call to Action: Creating a Healthy School Nutrition Environment
In early 2004, the Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH) School Nutrition Workgroup released the document Call to Action: Creating a Healthy School Nutrition Environment. The Call to Action challenges the provincial government, boards of education, school communities and public health units to acknowledge and act on their role in establishing a supportive nutrition environment in schools.

OntarioSociety of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health - Super Size Me: A Discussion Guide for Educators
This discussion guide has been developed in response to educators requesting a tool to help with the use of the movie Super Size Me in the classroom. We are not encouraging the use of, or endorsing, this movie and we recommend that Super Size Me only be shown in classrooms with guided discussion around the sensitive and controversial subjects presented. Be aware of stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes presented, and be sure to address these in your classroom discussion.

Public Health Offices of the Region of Peel, Toronto and York Region - Discover Healthy Eating! A Teacher's Resource for Grades 1 – 8
Discover Healthy Eating! A Teacher's Resource for Grades 1-8 was developed by Registered Dietitians, Nurses and Dental Educators in the Public Health offices of the Region of Peel, Toronto and York Region. This curriculum support resource provides:

• A variety of teaching activities designed to meet the expectations of the Healthy Eating component of the Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum (1998) for grades 1 through 8.
• Background information on topics related to nutrition, dental health, physical activity, body image and self-esteem.
• A glossary and a listing of additional resources

Also available in French, À la découverte d'une alimentation saine! Guide pédagogique pour le personnel enseignant de la 1re à la 8e année

Toronto Public Health - Nutrition Matters
Nutrition Matters is a series of fact sheets that provide current and accurate information on a variety of nutrition topics. They provide information and suggestions that make healthy eating delicious and fun! These fact sheets are written by Registered Dietitians who work within Public Health.
Peanut Allergies in Schools Fact Sheet (Also available in French, Parlons Nutrition)
Healthy Lunches for Children Fact Sheet
Helping Children Be Active, Eat Well and Accept their Bodies Fact Sheet

Toronto Public Health - Take Action Towards Healthy Eating in Schools
This resource was created to support a healthy eating environment in schools by providing ideas and activities that can be used to promote a healthy eating environment in your school.

TorontoPublic Health -Who Are You?
This interactive display promotes a healthy body image for males and females 11-13 years of age.

Toronto Public Health-Rethink What You Drink - Healthy Drinks Win
Healthy Drinks Win is a brochure designed to help youth, 9-12 years of age, make healthier beverage choices.

Toronto Public Health -Your Kids Are Listening
This brochure from Toronto Public Health provides tips to parents with young children to encourage healthy eating habits, to help you child be more active and ways to boost your child's self-esteem.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Publich Health- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health SNAC
This kit was developed by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health School Nutrition and Activity Campaign (SNAC). This SNAC Kit addresses nutrition and active living on many levels: parent education, environmental supports in schools, teaching ideas and student resources. The activities are classified from Levels 1 to Level 6 to make tracking a school's progression easier.

Windsor Essex County Health Unit- Canada's Food Guide Promotion Posters
Windsor Essex County Health Unit has created a series of five colourful and catchy posters to promote Canad'a Food Guide in your community, school or workplace.Posters are available in both English and French and have been developed in three sizes (11x17, 18x24, 24x36), which are sold individually or as a set of five.

YorkRegion Health Services -Cooking Up Some Fun Booklet
This is a booklet for parents and caregivers of children three to twelve years of age. It includes helpful tips for meal planning, simple meal ideas and recipes which will help you and your family develop healthy eating habits.

PRINT RESOURCES

You may also be interested in the following resources that will provide you with additional suggestions and background information about nutrition, healthy eating and physical activity.

Berg, Frances M. (2000). Children & Teens Afraid to Eat: Helping Youth in Today's Weight-Obsessed World. Healthy Weight Journal,Hettinger,ND.
This book discusses disordered eating, obesity, size prejudice and the forces that have contributed to these problems. Workable approaches to helping children learn to eat normally and attain the Canadian "Vitality" model of wellness: eating well, living actively, and reducing stress are provided.

Chuey, Patricia, MSc, RD,Campbell, Eileen, and Waisman, Mary Sue, Msc, RD. 2007. Dietitians of Canada Simply Great Food. Robert Rose Inc.Toronto,Ontario.
This new Dietitians of Canada cookbook provides several "food solutions" to help manage time constraints and get Canadians to discover the pleasures of cooking and family gatherings. This cookbook features about 50 pages of editorial content that answers popular nutrition questions and 250 outstanding recipes. All recipes have been tested and were submitted by dietitians and taken from the kitchens of everyday Canadian families.

Houghton, Elise. (2003). A Breath of Fresh Air: Celebrating Nature andSchoolGardens. Sumach Press,Toronto,Ontario.
A Breath of Fresh Air celebrates and provides insight into the learning that takes place in outdoor classrooms. It showcases school gardens in the Toronto District School Board in and around the city as well as ways in which schools and students can participate in habitat rehabilitation projects in their school yards and around their communities.

Pearson, Liz and Marilyn Smith. (2002). The Ultimate Healthy Eating Plan, Whitecap Books(www.lizpearson.com).
This book includes nutrition information and lots of terrific recipes. It is filled with practical information which includes the latest research on antioxidants, soy, nuts and even chocolate. There are four eating plans: on-the-go, weight loss, summertime and wintertime.

Putignano, Michelyn and Karen Wilson Teacher's Guide/Lab Book: Food for Today Teacher Resource and Food and Nutrition Science Lab Manual, (First Canadian Edition), McGraw-Hill Ryerson,Toronto,ON.

Teacher's Guide to above text.

Winning Sports Nutrition 2000 (2000) (Video). TheUniversityofArizona. Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. 2000.
This 30 minute American video can be used to facilitate discussion with Canadian students who have an interest in athletics and nutrition; although some of the American content would have to be adapted to reflect a Canadian audience. This video is geared towards elite athletes; however the message it promotes is suitable for people who exercise and are looking for ways to boost their performance through proper nutrition. The video provides information on how to calculate the daily intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, as well as how to live a balanced eating lifestyle.

Witte, J., Miller, H., Leary-Reesor, L., Bersenas-Cers, Z, (2004). Food for Today (First Canadian Edition). McGraw-Hill Ryerson,Toronto,ON.
This Canadian food text provides information that meets the expectations of the Ontario curriculum, Food and Nutrition, grade 9 or 10 Open (HFN1O/HFN2O). The text goes beyond the basics of nutrition, consumer skills and food preparation to include coverage of food science, global food supply, safety, wellness, and more. Unit 6 Issues and Trends in Food also provides adequate information for educators covering the Ontario Curriculum Food and Nutrition Sciences, University/College Preparation, HFA4M grade 12 courses.

NUTRITION-RELATED WEBSITES

At the time of posting, the websites that are referenced were carefully researched and found to be relevant to this program. The Public Health Agency of Canada offers recommendations for finding credible health information. For more information regarding quality assurance for health websites visit: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca.

The following is a list of sites that offers relevant credible health and nutrition information as well as educational resources.

Beef Information Centre -www.beefinfo.org
The Beef information Centre is a source of information on all aspects of beef including nutrition information and resources for health professionals, consumers and educators.

Canadian Nutrient File -www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/index_e.html
Health Canada publishes two databases which list nutrient values in Canadian foods. The Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) is a comprehensive, computerized bilingual database that reports up to 143 nutrients in over 5500 foods. The database can help you find values for nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein, energy, fat and many more, and is updated periodically. The CNF has an online, searchable database that allows Canadians to search the nutrient values for specific foods.

Dairy Farmers ofCanada -www.teachnutrition.org
This website provides information on the nutritional and health benefits of diary products including editorials, research findings and other nutritional and healthy eating information of interest to health professionals and educators.

Dietitians ofCanada-www.dietitians.ca
The Dietitians of Canada site features credible nutrition information, how to access a Registered Dietitian, interactive components that help adults assess their food choices and activity patterns, and information about their Elementary Nutrition Program "Mission Nutrition" for Grades 1-6.

Food Share -www.foodshare.net
Food Share is a Toronto-based organization involved in grassroots program delivery, advocacy for social assistance reform, job creation and training, nutrition education, farmland preservation and campaigns for comprehensive food labeling. This site provides information on the Good Food Box, food banks, directory of programs, resource library and general information about school food programs and services.

HealthCanada -www.hc-sc.gc.ca
This site features Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide and further information on healthy eating for educators. Here you will also find a great tool, called My Food Guide which lets each person design a customized food guide. Brief summaries on "Promoting Healthy Eating to School Aged Children and Youth: Examples of Innovative Strategies Across Canada" are also offered. Many of the resources found on this site can also be accessed from your local public health unit.

Healthy Eating is in Store for You -www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca
Healthy Eating is in Store for You (HESY) is a website for consumers or educators, which focuses on Nutrition Labeling Education. It is designed to help consumers make healthy food choices through better use of the nutrition information on the label of packaged foods. The site is presented by The Canadian Diabetes Association and Dietitians of Canada. It offers fact sheets about nutrition labeling.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario-www.heartandstroke.on.ca
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario website offers research, health promotion and advocacy information regarding healthy eating and active living.The site offers a number of nutrition and healthy eating resources and tools for families, health professionals and educators, including the Foundation's Health Check™ food information program and a Nutrition Facts Table tool.

OntarioSociety of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH) -www.osnpph.on.ca
Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH) is the independent and official voice of Registered Dietitians in public health. The society's mission is to provide a leadership forum and official voice for public health nutrition practice in Ontario. OSNPPH is constituent society of the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA).

Nutrition Resource Centre -www.nutritionrc.ca
The Nutrition Resource Centre offers information related to nutrition to assist and strengthen the capacity of nutrition practitioners in communities across Ontario. The information assists in delivering quality nutrition programming in a health promotion context. This website offers information on Eat Smart! Ontario's Healthy Restaurant Program, The Community Food Advisor Program, as well as up-to-date information on nutrition trends and issues of interest to educators, nutrition and health professionals.

Public Health Agency ofCanada-www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
The Public Health Agency of Canada aims to promote and protect the health of Canadians through leadership, partnership, innovation and action in public health.

HEALTH-RELATED PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES

Ophea's Programs- www.ophea.net/opheaprogramsmain.cfm
Ophea's high quality programs and services can help your school community address a variety of health related topics and all of the components of a Healthy School identified in the Government of Ontario's Foundations for a Healthy School framework.Ophea's resource cover a wide range of topics and many are available free of charge.