Canada Invests in Healthy Eating Program
08 Feb 2017 --- The Canadian Government has announced that it is investing nearly $5 million over five years in a program that will help children build their nutritional knowledge. The program will also aim to help families develop kitchen and food preparation skills needed to maintain healthy lives.
Additional support from Corus Entertainment will bring the total investment to approximately $10 million over 5 years.
The program will be delivered at Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada, and will feature an online hub where Canadians will have access to resources on healthy eating and meal preparation.
“Last year, we provided 6.5 million healthy meals and snacks to Boys and Girls Club members across the country,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.
“Nutritional education, food preparation, and healthy habits are critical skills. We are pleased to collaborate with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Corus Entertainment to set a new, healthier path for Canada's young people and their families.”
It is hoped that the initiative will help children and families develop food skills through hands-on experiences related to planning, preparing and cooking healthy meals and snacks.
The investment of nearly $5 million over five years follows statistics that four out of five Canadians risk developing conditions such as cancer, heart disease or type 2 diabetes, and that six out of ten adults are overweight and one-third of youth are overweight or obese.
Poor diet is the primary risk factor for obesity and many chronic diseases, and places a significant burden on the health of Canadians and our health care system.
“Teaching our children food preparation skills lays the groundwork for a healthy future,” says Honorable Jane Philpott Minister of Health.
“Together with our partners, we are proud to launch this exciting new initiative to inspire kids, parents and families across the country to find creative, fun ways to make healthy eating and meal preparation part of their everyday life.”
Doug Murphy President & CEO of Corus Entertainment added, “At Corus we are passionate about kids. As a long time market leader in children's entertainment, we are proud to join forces with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to help elevate the new Kid Food Nation program with our powerful suite of Kids brands.”
“This program complements our Corus Feeds Kids initiative and builds on our commitment to nourish kids' bodies and minds while providing all Canadians with the right resources to live healthy, active lifestyles.”
