by Danielle Labonte, LG&L District Health Unit
March is Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is “We Are Dietitians”. Dietitians at the health unit are part of the Healthy Schools team and the Municipal team where the work includes a focus on school-aged children and youth, and the many places you might find them, for example, schools, youth centres, or recreation facilities. The dietitian supports all elementary and secondary schools in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties by providing consultations related to teaching about food and nutrition.
This may include reviewing and recommending curriculum-linked lessons based on the most up-to-date evidence, or providing training sessions to educators, other school staff, and volunteers on teaching about nutrition, body image and self-esteem, and food literacy. The dietitian is also part of the local committees that provide support to student nutrition programs in schools.
Outside of the school setting, the dietitian partners with municipalities and community organizations to support them with various programs and initiatives related to food and nutrition. This could include providing recommendations for a nutritious canteen menu at a recreation facility, offering train-the-trainer sessions for food literacy programming, or working with groups to develop nutrition-related activities for their sessions.
For more information, visit www.healthunit.org, connect with us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) or call 1-800-660-5853.
