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spring 2007 |
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h
e a l t h P R O M O T I O N
Kids Eat
Smart helps kids make the grade
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Submitted Photo |
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Some 16,000 children and
youth kick off the school day with breakfast at their school’s Kids Eat
Smart Club. Milk, fruit, yogurt, muffins, cereal, toast, and breakfast
sandwiches are on the menu – but food to think on is just the start of
the benefits of Club membership.
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Submitted Article |
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Some 16,000 children and youth kick
off the school day with breakfast at their school’s
Kids Eat Smart
Club. Milk, fruit, yogurt, muffins, cereal, toast, and breakfast
sandwiches are on the menu – but food to think on is just the start
of the benefits of Club membership. Along with improving children’s
ability to concentrate and learn, Kids Eat Smart Clubs contribute to
a child’s physical health and overall wellness.
Kids Eat Smart Clubs are breakfast, snack
and lunch programs that are supported by Kids Eat Smart Foundation
Newfoundland and Labrador and take place at schools and community
centres. There are 164 throughout the province, with 10 new Kids Eat
Smart Clubs added since September. The Clubs are run by Kids Eat Smart
volunteers (parents, teachers, community service organizations and
others) who receive information and educational materials on nutritious
menu-planning, safe food handling and more through Kids Eat Smart
workshops, newsletters, community meetings and direct contact.
Kids Eat Smart Clubs are universally
accessible – all children and youth who did not have breakfast at home,
or are hungry, can participate. There is no registration, no envelope
system, and no charge to students. The Clubs are supported by Kids Eat
Smart Foundation, parental contributions (financial and in-kind), and
community fund-raising initiatives.
In response to research that indicates
that children in this province consume an insufficient quantity of
fruits and vegetables, Kids Eat Smart Foundation launched Fruit &
Veggies First! this school year. The initiative earmarks funds
specifically for foods from the fruits and vegetables group to ensure
that these foods are available to Kids Eat Smart kids. Further, the
Foundation is conducting research with
Memorial University Faculty of
Medicine, Division of Community Health and Humanities to determine how
making fruit available to children on a regular basis influences their
willingness to consume it. Study results will be released upon
completion.
Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and
Labrador is a registered charity that receives financial support from
the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Human
Resources, Labour and Employment; Leading Corporate Partner
Petro-Canada; and, national partner Breakfast for Learning, as well as
other corporate sponsors, fundraisers, and donors.
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