By Cecilia Nasmith

Cobourg's Burnham Public School has come in for plaudits from the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit for the efforts of its staff and students in continuing to raise awareness of the importance of healthy food through their breakfast program.

For some 20 years, this program has welcomed students to school with a daily morning meal provided with support from Northumberland Food For Thought. And Principal Martha Harp-McMurray thinks that contributes to their students' success.

“As our students walk into our classroom, they can grab something to eat,” Harp-McMurray said in the press release.

“When they start their day with the nutrition they need, they are better prepared for a full day of learning.”

Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program. In the 2023 budget, the Canadian Federal Government has allocated $1-billion over five years to establish a National School Nutritious Meal Program. The Great Big Crunch – with Ontario-grown apples at Burnham Public School on Thursday – is a national event to highlight the need for universal access to healthy food at school.

HKPR Registered Dietitian and Food For Thought Chair Kimberly Leadbeater shared her thoughts on this occasion.

“Our community and local school boards have been long-time supporters of local student-nutrition programs with Northumberland County's first two breakfast programs started in 1992,” Leadbeater said.

“Now 96% of publicly funded schools in Northumberland County offer healthy food at school.

“School food programs are linked with positive impacts on children's mental health, behaviours and ability to learn, and this Federal commitment would mean secure funding to improve programs.”

Last year, almost 6,000 Northumberland students benefited from a breakfast, lunch of snack program at their schools, with the support of Northumberland Food For Thought, which works to ensure all children in Northumberland attend classes well nourished and ready to learn.

These programs are open to all in a safe environment, free of judgment, in which children and youth can develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.