Wellness Report
SnackWhat do you eat?
When do you eat? How do you feel when you’re eating certain foods?
“You are what you eat!” — What does that even mean?!
You may have heard about vitamins, nutrients, and proteins and that they are important for being healthy.
Food and nutrition is like Lego.
To be at your healthiest, you need all different colours, shapes, and sizes of Legos (nutrients) to make the structure (your body and mind) strong. You want your structure to be diverse and colourful.
Eating different foods is like getting a box of Lego delivered and all of the different blocks are connected together. When you eat, your body takes the blocks (nutrients) apart and then reassembles them into something that your body needs. This includes energy, strengthening your bones and muscles, helping your immune system, and improving your mood.
Eating too much sugary food, chips, and fast food is like giving your body a bunch of Legos that a dog has chewed on. They might sort of fit together, but they aren’t great and your structure won’t be as strong. Eventually, things break down and you aren’t as healthy.
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, you should try to eat all different types and colours because the different colours sort of represent different nutrients.
How many Kelowna kids are eating unhealthy snacks?
24% of elementary students in Kelowna limit sugary snacks, chips, or fast food to two servings per week.
22% of middle schoolers limit their unhealthy snacks to two servings each week.
More than 50% of children and 65% of middle schoolers have an unhealthy snack at least 4 days a week.
On the positive side, 80% of all youth in Kelowna had a fruit or veg snack at least 3 days a week.
What kind of food should you eat?
Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you can’t eat your favourite foods. It just means that you should eat less of the unhealthy stuff and eat more snacks like fruit and veg. You want bright, colourful, good building blocks, not the stuff that the dog slobbered all over 😅
What does all this mean?
Think about some of the healthy foods that you like and talk to your parents about trying to eat more of it. That might mean that you can help your parents when they shop for groceries or that you can try to find recipes online and help make dinner or your lunch some times.
Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you can’t have a say in trying to eat healthier.
Advice
What can you do to eat healthier?
Make a healthier choice
If your food is wrapped in packaging, there’s a pretty good chance that it isn’t the healthiest option.
Eat on purpose
Make eating a fun experience
Put your food on plates and dishes, sit down at the table, and then enjoy the experience of eating and thinking about the flavours and textures of the food.
Only eat when you’re hungry
Our bodies will tell us when we need food by sending a signal to our brains that says “we’re hungry!” That’s a good thing and it’s a good time to reach for that healthy snack.
Sometimes we can get into the habit of eating when we’re bored or upset. This can stretch out your stomach and then you need more food to feel full and you end up eating too much. If you’re reaching for snacks, take a moment to think about whether you’re actually hungry or not. Sometimes having a small glass of water or waiting just a few minutes is enough for the craving to pass.
Have your snacks ready to go
Eating whatever looks good or is available can make healthy snacking difficult.
Planning what you will snack on makes it easier to pick healthy choices. This might mean keeping a handful of healthy snacks prepared and ready, like having fresh fruit or nuts on the counter so that you see it before you get to the fridge or cupboard.