Sehat FAQs

Health-Related Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Responses provided by specialists from the Fraser Health Sehat Team

Student Question: What is a good snack on weekends?

Answer:
Easy, tasty (and healthy) snacks can include:

• Parfait: layer vanilla yogurt and fresh or frozen blueberries in a tall glass. Sprinkle with granola or whole grain cereal.
• Whole wheat crackers and cheese.
• Vegetables with or without dip. Dips can include peanut butter at home or NoNut Butter, WowButter or Sunflower Butter for peanut free schools.

Parent Question: What should I do when my child brings their uneaten lunch/snacks back home?

Answer:
It's normal to get in a rut sometimes. As parents with busy schedules it's easy to serve our kids with the same foods over and over again. A slice of toast, roti and dahi, plain parantha, and a piece of fruit. If you notice that your child is coming home with most of his lunch or snack uneaten every day then it's time you sit down with them and ask them why they aren't eating. Ask if they are bored of their lunch. If they are then it's time to work with your child and come up with a few new healthy and different lunch/snack options that you can rotate so that they don't get bored. Remember we get bored of eating the same foods over and so do our children. For more recipe ideas visit our parent booth hosted by the South Asian Health Institute.

Why are Healthy Meals at school important?

Answer:
Giving your child healthy food every day is one of the very best things you can do to support them at school. Healthy snacks and lunches give your child the energy they need to be successful.

What does a healthy snack look like?

Answer:

• Fruits - Sliced apples, oranges, pears, grapes, strawberries, bananas, berries or cut up melon.
• Vegetables - Carrot sticks, celery sticks, sliced cucumbers or small pieces of broccoli.

A small amount of salad dressing makes a great dip. Children do not need sugary fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, fruit in syrup or juice at school. The sugar content is similar to candy. They also get fiber from eating the whole fruit!

What does a healthy lunch look like?

Answer:
Try to have 3 of the 4 food groups in their lunch (fruits/vegetables, grains, dairy and protein).

Sample lunches:

• Roti, lentil or vegetable curry, yogurt, carrot sticks, an apple, and water.
• Cheese sandwich with salad on whole grain bread, orange slices, cucumber slices and water.
• Pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables, pieces of cheese, grapes, celery sticks, and water.
• Veggie burger (a whole wheat burger bun filled with cucumber slices, cheese, lettuce, tomato and tomato sauce), an apple, a banana, carrot sticks and water.

What does healthy eating habits consist of?

Answer:

• Milk and Milk Products 3-4 servings per day
• Fruits and Vegetables 5-6 servings per day
• Grains 4-6 servings per day
• Meat and Meat Alternatives 1-2 servings per day
• Protein Options - Lentils, Chick Peas, Kidney Beans, Baked Beans, Tofu, Almonds, Cashews, Peanuts, Walnuts, Peanut Butter, Soy Milk, Dried Apricots, Avocados

What is an example of a healthy breakfast, snack and lunch?

Answer:
Breakfast

• Toast with peanut butter and 1 serving of fruit
• Oatmeal with 1 serving of fruit
• Life/Kashi/Multigrain Cereals

Snacks

• Fruit: berries, bananas, slices of apples, oranges, mango, grapes
• Yogurt
• Crackers and cheese
• Vegetables with dip
• Kashi granola bars
• Dried berries and nuts

Lunch

• Roti with dhal or sabji
• Whole wheat sandwiches
• Multigrain wraps
• Whole wheat pasta with sauce
• Salads with cheese, fruits, vegetables

Why is physical activity and a healthy body weight important?

Answer:
It is recommended that kids get at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, which can include:

• Walk to school or evening walks with parents/ grandparents
• Ride your bike or scooter
• Walk the dog
• Rake the leaves, shovel snow, help in the garden, or carry the groceries
• Dance to their favourite music
• Join a sports / swimming team
• Take kids to the playground or to the park to play

Why is sleep important?

Answer:

• School Age Kids need 9-10 hours of sleep
• Children with higher IQs -- in every age group studied -- slept longer and this positively affects neurologic development and appears to prevent many learning and behavioral problems

What kind of schedule can we set at home once the kids come home to promote healthy living?

Answer:

Are there any helpful parenting tips that will promote healthy living?

Answer:

• Acknowledge your child when they are doing something good or positive
• Praise them for their good behaviour, not negative behaviour and be proactive
• Be consistent and create a schedule, stick to it
• If bedtime is 8:30, start getting them ready by 8:00 so they know you mean it
• There could be an activity or meal schedule, a homework schedule, even a tv or screen schedule – so your child is busy when they get home from school
• Give your child a five minute warning when they have to leave for something, so they know in advance
• Give your children CHOICES that work for you. Ex. Would you like to do your homework after dinner or before? Would you like to do your homework or chores first?

LISTEN to your child when they are telling you something. Children are smarter than we give them credit for and we can learn from them.