A variety of key terms are used when promoting healthy eating and working in the school environment. Here are a few definitions that you should be familiar with as you get started.
Administration: The principal and vice principal of a school.
Appreciation/Recognition: Showing gratitude (e.g., writing a letter or card, giving acknowledgment during a meeting or event) to those involved in Healthy Schools in a school community. Appreciation is included in Step 4 of Ophea’s 4-Step Healthy Schools Process.
Canada’s Food Guide: This is a guide produced by Health Canada that describes and encourages healthy eating for Canadians. It translates the science of nutrition and health into a simple diagram of healthy eating. The Food Guide emphasizes the importance of combining healthy eating and physical activity. By following Canada’s Food Guide, Canadians are able to meet their nutrient needs and reduce their risk of obesity and chronic diseases.
Community partner: Any member of the school community who can contribute to the development and sustainability of a healthy school (e.g., recreation and sport groups, municipalities, and local businesses). These partners may vary depending on the specific school community. For the purposes of Ophea’s Healthy Schools Certification the term “community partner” refers to any community partner apart from Public Health. “Public Health” is listed as a separate group because of their vital role in the Healthy Schools approach.
Food environment: The food environment is any and every place around you where food is available. It includes the numbers and kinds of places where you can find food in your community (e.g., convenience stores, supermarkets, schools, restaurants, recreation centres, farmers markets) and where they are located. It also refers to the kinds of foods that are available, how much they cost, and if they are of good quality. All of these things affect the foods we eat and the choices we make about food. We can improve the food environment by making healthier foods and drinks more available and affordable.
Food literacy: Our understanding of where food comes from and the effects that our food choices have on our own health, the environment, and the economy. Food skills, such as nutrition knowledge and cooking skills, are a part of food literacy and allow you to plan, buy, and prepare healthy foods and meals. Having good food skills affects the foods we choose and our eating behaviours, which in turn contribute to healthy eating and overall well-being.
Food safety: The handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent us from getting sick from the food we eat. Throughout the agriculture-food system many steps are taken to keep food products safe for those who purchase and consume them. Food safety is also important once a product has left the retail environment and entered the home. Canadians can take steps to ensure that the food they purchase is stored and prepared in a way that keeps it safe for consumption.
Food waste: Food that is thrown away or left uneaten. Food waste can have negative economic, social, and environmental effects. When food is wasted, it is important to consider not only the loss of that product, but also the waste of resources that went into producing it; the land, water, energy, and air used to grow a crop or feed an animal are also wasted when food products are not eaten.
Healthy Schools (approach): A collaborative approach whereby members of the school community come together to share ideas, plan, and take action on priority health topics while following a repeatable, step-by-step process to make sustainable change in their schools, homes, and community.
Healthy Schools (HS) Certification: Ophea’s HS Certification helps school communities like yours focus on a health topic by following the 4-Step Healthy Schools Process, and supports schools in addressing health and well-being in their school community.
Ingredient list: All pre-packaged foods with more than one ingredient must have an ingredient list. Ingredients must be listed in order of greatest to least mass or weight by volume. In other words, the ingredient that makes up the most the most weight of the package is listed first. The ingredient list can be used to learn about the composition of a particular food product. Reading the ingredient list can also help you avoid ingredients in case of a food allergy or intolerance.
Nutrition facts table: A nutrition facts table (NFT) is a chart that describes the nutritional value of a food. Health Canada requires that food manufacturers print a nutrition facts table on most packaged foods. Some of the foods that are not are required to have an NFT include fresh vegetables and fruits; raw meat and poultry (except when it is ground); foods prepared or processed at the store (e.g., bakery items, salads); food products that contain very few nutrients (e.g., coffee, tea, spices); and alcoholic beverages.
The NFT gives you information about the number of calories, the amount of 13 core nutrients found in the food, and the percentage daily value (%DV) of nutrients. All of the nutrition information in an NFT is based on an amount of food called a serving size, which is defined at the top of the table. The NFT can be used to compare serving sizes to the amount of food you actually eat, to see if a food contains a little or a lot of nutrient (%DV), and to compare two products in order to choose which is best for you.
Parents/Caregivers and Family: Parents/caregivers and family include all caring and care-giving members in the lives of students. This could include but is not limited to parents/caregivers, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings, and babysitter or nanny.
Processed food: When you hear the term “processed food” you may think of products like spreads, crackers, and sweets that can to be eaten occasionally. However, processed food includes any food product that is changed from its original state before it is available for us to eat. Some foods are processed in a minimal way, such as creating bagged salads or cleaning a fish to produce fillets. Other food products go through many stages of production or have a variety of ingredients added, such as frozen pizza. Many of the products Canadians eat are processed in some way.
Public Health: The public health system is an extensive collection of governmental, nongovernmental, and community organizations operating at the local, provincial, and federal levels with varying roles, perspectives, and linkages. In Ontario, schools are supported by a system of 36 local Public Health units that collectively cover the entire province and are individually responsible for serving the population within their geographic borders. Public Health can play a key role in supporting schools communities as it relates to Healthy Schools.
Reflection: An exercise that allows members of a school action team to discuss their healthy schools experience, including successes, challenges, and future opportunities. Reflection is included in all 4 steps of Ophea’s 4-Step Healthy Schools Process.
School community: All individuals who contribute to the health and well-being of students. This includes individuals who can influence students at school, in the surrounding neighbourhood, and at home.
School staff: Staff who are employed (in a paid position) by the school, including but not limited to educators, early child educators, principals, vice-principals, office staff, and custodial staff. This does not include volunteers.
School Team: A group or committee operating in a school that supports planning and action as it relates to Healthy Schools. Members of the team should include individuals who are within (e.g., students, educators) and outside (e.g., public health, parents/family) the physical school grounds.
Student well-being: Well-being is a positive sense of self, spirit, and belonging that we feel when our cognitive, emotional, social, and physical needs are being met. Well-being in early years and school settings is about helping children and students become more resilient, so that they can make positive, healthy choices to support learning and achievement, now and in the future.(Definition retrieved from “Ontario’s Well-Being Strategy for Education Fact Sheet for Parents,” p.2)