NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION2 PART A STUDENT NAME, INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION, POSTAL ADDRESS, CITY/TOWN. Tuesday 3rdSeptember 2019 PRINCIPAL’S NAME, ST. PETER’S SCHOOL, POSTAL ADDRESS, CITY/TOWN. Dear Sir/Madam I am a student at the university conducting a project that aims to evaluate St. Peter’s school canteen policy targeted to students aged between 9 and 11 years. The main objective of this project is to increase the availability of healthy vegetables at the school canteen and implement a healthy canteen policy. I want to invite your school to participate in a community program that will improve the vegetable intake of students aged between 9 and 11 years. Children between the ages of 9 and 11 years should increase their vegetable intake up to 5 times a day. A high vegetable intake helps them to grow and become healthy. It also helps to improve eating behaviors and habits. Previous research shows that a well-planned routine focused nutrition education that enhances a child’s behavior and acts significantly as a health indicator. A recent report showed that only 3.8% of children between 9-11 years meet the recommended serving of vegetables in a day. St Peter’s school is the best place to promote increased vegetable intake mainly because the children spend the majority of their time in school. A child spends five days a week in school,
NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION3 which is estimated to a total of 36 hours a week. Also, in school, a child is surrounded by many other peers, and through their influence, habits are picked. Not only is the school invited, but also the entire community is invited to participate. Children learn by observation, and while at school, their role models are the teachers. Teachers need to be able to set a good example to motivate the children to eat more vegetables. The parents at home should also support and encourage their children to eat more vegetables. There are, however, some barriers in implementing this program. Having a constant supply of fresh vegetables to the school canteen may be expensive. To increase the vegetable amount in the school canteen, the school will require a supply of vegetables from a local supermarket. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, and new stock is needed frequently, which could be costly. Also, the school may have to allocate some resources to help set up a vegetable garden to help the children gain hands experience with the vegetables. The children will be educated on the growing process of plants and see the source of what they are putting into their bodies, which will help them improve their food-based decisions. To enhance the children’s behavioral capacity, the school may have to make a few changes to the curriculum and implement cooking lessons at least once a week. These lessons will involve cooking with a variety of vegetables and will allow the children to make the appropriate food choices. Thank you very much for considering this opportunity. I look forward to working with you. Yours sincerely, Sign Student Name
NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION4 PART B Benefits of Healthy Eating Source:https://unsplash.com/photos/IDTEXXXfS44 Eating a healthy diet means increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables. Also, it involves increasing the number of colored foods, eating whole grains, and lean fats. Eating healthy also requires you to reduce the amount of added sugar and salt. Below are some of the top five benefits of eating healthy1. Promotes strong bones and teeth 1Diener E, Tay L. A scientific review of the remarkable benefits of happiness for successful and healthy living. Happiness. 2017:90.
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NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION5 Vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and legumes are rich in calcium. Calcium helps to promote healthy bones and teeth2. Children should take foods rich in calcium to prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis later in life3. Improved memory A healthy diet that is rich in omega-three fatty acids and vitamin C, E, and D helps to improve memory. For school-going children, a healthy diet will help them to concentrate better in class and to perform well during tests. A healthy diet also helps to reduce the risk of cognitive decline or dementia later on in life4. Elevated mood Recent research shows that there is a link between an individual’s diet and mood5. A diet that contains a high glycemic load is linked to fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Many refined carbohydrates which are used to make cakes, white bread, soft drink, and other processed foods have high glycemic content. On the other hand, whole grains and vegetables have a lower glycemic load6. Improves gut health The gut contains several bacteria that are beneficial to the body; for example, some bacteria aid in metabolism; others produce vitamin K, while others aid in breaking down food. A diet that contains a high amount of sugar and fat alters the number of bacteria resulting in inflammation, 2Huys N, De Cocker K, De Craemer M, Roesbeke M, Cardon G, De Lepeleere S. School Gardens: A Qualitative Study on Implementation Practices [Internet]. 2017 Dec [cited 2019 Sept 3];14(12):F1454. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5750873/ 3Scott P. Eating clean: Cultural conceptualisations of health. LAUD2018 I C. 2018 Jul 23:102. 4Gustafson C, Abbey B, Heelan K. Impact of schoolchildren's involvement in the design process on the effectiveness of healthy food promotion materials. Preventive Medicine Reports [Internet]. 2017 [cited 3 September 2019];6:246-250. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5377912/ 5Finch LE, Cummings JR, Tomiyama AJ. Cookie or clementine? Psychophysiological stress reactivity and recovery after eating healthy and unhealthy comfort foods. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019 Sep 3;107:26-36. 6Pemm D, Jeewon R. Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Benefits and Progress of Nutritional Education Interventions [Internet]. 2015 Oct [cited 2019 Sept 3];44(10):F1309-1321. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4644575/
NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION6 which is visible as stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps to maintain the numbers of bacteria that thrive in the gut7. Promotes weight loss Individuals looking to lose weight are required to reduce the amount of calorie intake or to burn off excess calories through exercise8. Being obese puts you at risk of developing complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer9. Fruits and vegetables are lower in calories as compared to processed foods. Eating healthy helps you to stay within the daily calorie limit without having to count calories or exercise to burn off excess calories. Plant-based foods contain high fiber content, which helps to regulate hunger by making the individual feel full. Fiber also promotes a regular bowel movement reducing the risk of bowel cancer10. Healthy eating has many benefits for the body11. Taking a cooking class can help you learn how to incorporate vegetables into your regular meals. For more information, consult a dietitian or a nutritionist12. 7Van Der Horst K, Ferrage A, Rytz A. Involving children in meal preparation. Effects on food intake. Appetite. 2014;79:18-24 [cited 6 August 2019]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24709485 8Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government [Internet]. Australia’s health 2018, [cited 2019 Sept 2]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2018/contents/ indicators -of-australias-health/fruit-and-vegetable-intake 9Gustafson C, Abbey B, Heelan K. Impact of schoolchildren's involvement in the design process on the effectiveness of healthy food promotion materials. Preventive Medicine Reports [Internet]. 2017 [cited 3 Sept 2019];6:246-250. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5377912/ 10Suher J, Raghunathan R, Hoyer WD. Eating healthy or feeling empty? How the “healthy= less filling” intuition influences satiety. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. 2016 Jan 1;1(1):26-40. 11Eat for Health [Internet]. Australian Government: Department of Health, [revised 2015 Jul 27; cited 2019 Jul 31]. Available from: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommen ded-number-serves-children-adolescents-and 12Myszkowska-Ryciak J, Harton A. Impact of Nutrition Education on the Compliance with Model Food Ration in 231 Preschools, Poland: Results of Eating Healthy, Growing Healthy Program. Nutrients. 2018 Oct 4;10(10):1427.
NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION7 Source:https://unsplash.com/photos/qdE7A8XqUgc
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NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION8 Part C CONTEXT:the strategy was to develop a program that will prove to be able to work in a small team environment. The plan and design aim at promoting a nutrition intervention in a specific setting using evidence-based approaches. The setting chosen was a school in a rural area. ACTION:Before proceeding, we obtained background information about the setting that was chosen and found that the majority of the population was boys and girls aged between 9-11 years. We identified the primary influencers of a change in nutrition; they included individual preferences and environmental factors. Moreover, we highlighted the barriers and the cost required to implement nutritional improvement. We decided that the essential strategies implemented will involve environmental intervention, alteration of behavioral capacity, and educating the organization. RESULT:The result showed that there was an increase in the intake of vegetables by 70%. Both the children and the teachers were eating healthier options and fulfilled the recommended serving of vegetables in a day. The rest of the environment surrounding the school had also begun the nutrition promotion initiative. The strategies implemented in the school had proven to work co-operatively in a small setting.