Search

The objective was to conduct an environmental scan of existing Canadian childcare resources targeting nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and/or sleep. A comprehensive search plan was conducted that involved four search strategies: (1) grey literature databases, (2) customized Google search engines, (3) targeted websites, and (4) consultation with content experts. A resource (i.e., information, materials) must have been created by government or an organization/agency within Canada, available in English, intended for childcare educators or directors working with children ≤ 5 years of age, and focused on targeting improvements in nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and/or sleep. The quality of each included resource was assessed using a modified version of the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance checklist. A total of 192 eligible resources were included. Most resources targeted only nutrition (n = 101) or physical activity (n = 60), and few resources targeted only sedentary behaviour (n = 2) or sleep (n = 1). The remaining 28 resources targeted more than one health behaviour. The 4 most common topics of resources were menu/meal planning (n = 55), healthy nutrition practices/environment (n = 37), physical activities/games (n = 33), and nutrition/food literacy (n = 20). Only 52 included resources cited evidence. One-third of the included resources (n = 64) were rated as high quality, including 55 that received a point for the significance criterion. Therefore, numerous high quality Canadian childcare resources exist for nutrition and physical activity. Future resource development is needed for sedentary behaviour and sleep. Findings can assist future intervention work and the database of resources can be utilized by relevant stakeholders to support other childcare initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy diets are detrimental to health, but home meal preparation is associated with better diet quality. Among a sample of parents of children aged 2–12, this study aimed to 1) explore perceived challenges and strategies to meeting the 2019 Canada's Food Guide recommendation of "Cook more often". From October 2019 to January 2020, 8 focus groups were conducted with 40 parents (73% mothers; 78% white) from Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A hybrid thematic approach with inductive and deductive data analysis was used. Reported challenges included time constraints, picky eating, lacking cooking skills, high price of some fresh ingredients, school restrictions on meals at school, and the influence of children's peers on food choices, mainly unhealthy snacks. Reported strategies to mitigate some challenges included planning and preparing meals ahead of time, using technology or services to make meal planning and grocery shopping more convenient, using devices and kitchen instruments, such as Crockpot®, to make cooking faster, receiving help from spouse or child(ren), and acknowledging that foods perceived as less healthful in moderation can be included in meal preparation. These findings can help inform interventions and educational campaigns to support cooking among families with young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Nudging is an approach to environmental change that alters social and physical environments to shift behaviors in positive, self-interested directions. Evidence indicates that eating is largely an automatic behavior governed by environmental cues, suggesting that it might be possible to nudge healthier dietary behaviors. This study assessed the comparative and additive efficacy of two nudges and an economic incentive in supporting healthy food purchases by patrons at a recreational swimming pool. Methods An initial pre-intervention period was followed by three successive and additive interventions that promoted sales of healthy items through: signage, taste testing, and 30% price reductions; concluding with a return to baseline conditions. Each period was 8 days in length. The primary outcome was the change in the proportion of healthy items sold in the intervention periods relative to pre- and post-intervention in the full sample, and in a subsample of patrons whose purchases were directly observed. Secondary outcomes included change in the caloric value of purchases, change in revenues and gross profits, and qualitative process observations. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance, chi-square tests and thematic content analysis. Results Healthy items represented 41% of sales and were significantly lower than sales of unhealthy items (p < 0.0001). In the full sample, sales of healthy items did not differ across periods, whereas in the subsample, sales of healthy items increased by 30% when a signage + taste testing intervention was implemented (p < 0.01). This increase was maintained when prices of healthy items were reduced by 30%, and when all interventions were removed. When adults were alone they purchased more healthy items compared to when children were present during food purchases (p < 0.001), however parental choices were not substantially better than choices made by children alone. Conclusions This study found mixed evidence for the efficacy of nudging in cueing healthier dietary behaviors. Moreover, price reductions appeared ineffectual in this setting. Our findings point to complex, context-specific patterns of effectiveness and suggest that nudging should not supplant the use of other strategies that have proven to promote healthier dietary behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-designed menus in child care centres include nutritious meals and snacks necessary for the optimum health, growth, and lifelong healthy eating behaviours of young children. With pending government food and nutrition standards, a need was identified for comprehensive, relevant, user-friendly menu planning resources. Therefore, guided by an action research model, this study identified current menu planning practices, determined the needs and expectations for menu planning resources, and developed menu planning resources that incorporate these standards and other relevant factors. Menu planners from regulated child care centres in Nova Scotia (n=330) were invited to participate by responding to an online survey and/or volunteering as a member of a collaboration group. Survey respondents (n=83) indicated that they wanted their menus to be more interesting, practical, and cost effective. Menu templates, sample menus, and costed recipes were the most requested resources. Two-thirds indicated a preference for webbased resources and about one-third expressed interest in an interactive blog. The collaboration group participants (n=21) met twice and provided valuable input for the development of a menu planning model, menu template, sample menus, recipes, and information sheets. The model unified the menu planning considerations and served as a framework for the Child Care Centre Menu Project website (http://www.msvu.ca/menuproject/). The follow-up evaluation indicated that approximately half of respondents (n=39) had consulted the website and that the sample menus were the most useful resource. The website, blog, and online survey enable ongoing development supported by input from the menu planners. The resources should be transferable, with minor adaptations, to other provincial child care centres, elementary schools, or even licensed senior care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and consumer preferences of calorie labeling on menus., Design: Between-group experiment. Participants were randomized to view menu items according to 1 of 4 experimental conditions: no calorie information, calorie-only information, calorie plus health statement (HS), and calorie plus the Physical Activity Scale. Participants selected a snack and then rated menus from all conditions on the level of understanding and perceived effectiveness., Setting: University of Waterloo, Canada., Participants: A total of 213 undergraduate university students recruited from classrooms., Main Outcome Measures: The calorie amount of menu selection and ratings of understandability and perceived effectiveness., Analysis: Linear regression models and chi-square tests., Results: Participants who selected items from menus without calorie information selected snacks with higher calorie amounts than participants in the calorie-only condition (P = .002) and the calorie plus HS condition (P = .001). The calorie plus HS menu was perceived as most understandable and the calorie plus calorie plus Physical Activity Scale menu was perceived as most effective in helping to promote healthy eating., Conclusions and Implications: Calorie labeling on menus may assist consumers in making healthier choices, with consumer preference for menus that include contextual health statements., (Copyright © 2013 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Factors that influence the menu planning process in Ontario long-term care (LTC) homes were studied, as were key informants' perspectives on how this process could be improved to promote resident-centred menus. Key informants were interviewed by telephone to obtain qualitative data through standardized open-ended questions. The key informants (n=35) were randomly selected nutrition managers of Ontario LTC homes. Selected registered dietitians from the Ontario Long-Term Care Action Group also participated (n=5). Descriptive thematic analysis was completed on data provided. Three over arching themes emerged from the data as drivers in the menu planning process: resource limitations, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care standards, and the accommodation of diverse and evolving preferences. Challenges involving resources include insufficient food labour and raw food funding, the workload involved with altering menus, and providing food items for special diets or preferences. In terms of ministry standards, participants reported barriers to complying with rotation and portion standards. Other common obstacles within LTC homes include accommodating personal preferences, cultural preferences, and therapeutic diets. Ontario LTC homes face numerous challenges in the planning of menus for residents, regardless of a home's size, location, or profit status. Suggestions are aimed at improving the menu planning process and providing high-quality, palatable, and culturally appropriate food in these homes so that menus are resident-centred.

This article outlines the processes undertaken to revise Canada's Food Guide and shares the updated science that underpins the dietary pattern. The Dietary Reference Intakes provide updated nutrient requirement values and better tools for dietary assessment and planning. Alignment with this updated science was an important component of defining and communicating accurate dietary guidance for Canada. Ensuring that stakeholders had access to the updated review of requirements led to the development of the text Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Equally important was ensuring that stakeholders were provided opportunity to influence the approach taken to giving dietary guidance, both content and the elements of the final package. A combination of research, consultation and expert advice guided the process to the release of Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (2007).