HSN210 Nutrition and Food Promotion Report: School Canteen Policy

This report, prepared for a university assignment, focuses on nutrition and food promotion, particularly within a school setting. Part A includes a letter addressed to the manager of St. Peter's School, proposing a project to increase vegetable intake among students aged 9-11 and implement a healthy canteen policy. It highlights the importance of vegetable consumption, the benefits for children's health and habits, and the school's role in promoting these changes. Part B explores the benefits of healthy eating, emphasizing strong bones and teeth, improved memory, elevated mood, improved gut health, and weight loss. Part C describes a nutrition intervention program implemented in a school, detailing the context, actions taken to promote healthy eating, and the positive results, including an increase in vegetable intake. The report aims to provide insights into designing and evaluating nutrition promotion interventions in a school environment.

Running Head: NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION 1
Nutrition and Food Promotion
Student Name
Institutional affiliation
Date

NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION 2
PART A
STUDENT NAME,
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION,
POSTAL ADDRESS,
CITY/TOWN.
Tuesday 3rd September 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 PROMOTION 3
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 PROMOTION 4
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
1 Diener E, Tay L. A scientific review of the remarkable benefits of happiness for successful and healthy living.
Happiness. 2017:90.

NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION 5
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,
2 Huys 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/
3 Scott P. Eating clean: Cultural conceptualisations of health. LAUD2018 I C. 2018 Jul 23:102.
4 Gustafson 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/
5 Finch 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.
6 Pemm 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 PROMOTION 6
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.
7 Van 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
8 Australian 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
9 Gustafson 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/
10 Suher 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.
11 Eat 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
12 Myszkowska-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 PROMOTION 7
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/qdE7A8XqUgc

NUTRITION AND FOOD PROMOTION 8
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.