Healthy eating symposium held for cooks at primary schools and early childhood centres

A symposium geared towards promoting healthy eating among children was held on Tuesday August 16, at the Sunset Shores Hotel.

The forum, organized by the Ministry of Health’s Nutrition Unit, targeted stakeholders involved in preparing food for children at the Primary School and Early Childhood Centres.

Chief Nutritionist in the Ministry of Health, Nicole France said these kinds of sessions are critical because the nation’s children need to have a healthy and balanced diet so that they can have the capacity to learn.

“The future generation needs to be fed properly,” France said.

The Chief Nutritionist urged parents to start to introduce healthy meals to children at an early age as this can help to reduce the onset of chronic non-communicable diseases.

France added that Cooks also play an important role because they are responsible for the kinds of food children eat on a daily basis while at school.

Senior Education Officer for Primary schools Joycelyn Blake-Browne stressed that the nutritional needs in schools must be monitored and assessed since nutrition impacts how children attain information and function.

Blake-Browne pointed out that there have been noticeable changes in the quality and presentation of meals in schools.

The final session ended yesterday, Thursday August 18.

The events are being funded by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment along with the Ministry of Education.