Foods with excessive amounts of salt, sugar and fat are not welcome in pupils’ lunch boxes at Cambridge Street Public School.
One year after Cambridge Street Public School banned junk food, teachers are still sending home unhealthy snacks that students bring in their lunchboxes.
The ban prohibits junk food such as pop, chips and candies which contain high amounts of sugar, sodium and fat.
“We are trying to teach children the Canada Food Guide and we don’t want them eating foods that aren’t on the guide while they are at school,” says Cambridge principal Kim MacDonald.
Teachers that monitor the lunches that students bring to the elementary school have noticed a sharp decline in junk food since the rules were introduced, says MacDonald.
However, not everyone is convinced that sending home unhealthy food is the best way to promote nutritious eating.
“When you take food away from kids in front of their peers and send it home, that creates a self-esteem issue because kids feel embarrassed,” says Blair Tucker, who has a son at Cambridge.
Tucker is also the head coach of the Ottawa Swim Club and says that he routinely sits down with swimmers and their parents to offer advice on healthy eating that applies to the unique needs of each family. He says that Cambridge should consider a similar approach.
“It is certainly important to talk to a kid who is constantly drinking a can of Coke, but it is also important that the school addresses the issue properly and considers the fact that some parents may not always be able to afford healthy lunches for their kids,” says Tucker.
Because it’s common for both parents to work outside the home, Tucker says that Cambridge’s complete ban on junk food inappropriately targets low-income households where the convenience of a bag of chips may simply be the only option.
Tucker also questions whether the school even has the authority to enforce the junk food ban.
In September, the School Food and Beverage Policy was introduced by the Ontario government to prevent the sale of junk food in public school vending machines and cafeterias.
However, the rules do not cover foods packed in lunches, says Jennifer McKenzie, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board chair and trustee for Kitchissippi-Somerset.
“It is important to note that the policy does not apply to food and beverages brought from home or purchased off school premises,” says McKenzie. She adds that school board staff are working to ensure that Ottawa public schools understand the limits of the new policy.
MacDonald defends the ban on junk food at Cambridge, noting that the school also offers workshops for parents to learn how to cook on a budget. But she admits that most parents either do not have the time to attend or do not speak English as their first language.
At nearby Glashan Public School, which teaches slightly older students in Grades 7 and 8, some lunchtime activities show students how they can make nutritious meals for their busy families. “We work to get kids excited about healthy foods by allowing kids to make the meals and then enjoy the product of their efforts,” says Sean Oussoren, a Grade 7 teacher at Glashan who shows students how to make healthy treats such as fresh fruit smoothies and low-sodium chili.
Because a ban on junk food would likely be resisted by the older students at Glashan, healthy eating is taught through role modeling, says Oussoren.
He adds that educating students on how to make healthy choices can be more effective than strict bans on junk food.