Nutrition
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
We know that fast food actually slows a child’s learning development – and that nutritious food supports learning and overall health. Our “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” program ensures your child receives fresh, balanced and nutritious meals every day.
A child-friendly multi-cultural menu is served in a sit-down family meal setting. Our food is prepared by a chef qualified in food handling to ensure all health and safety regulations are followed.
We consciously adhere to Canada’s Daily Food Guide so your child gets all of the nutrients they need to be their best throughout the day.
Nutritious Meals for Childcare Centres
Tammy Allen
Nutritionist
Tammy Allen is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Personal Trainer Specialist. She is passionate about promoting whole health with the use of natural nutrition which recognizes that food along with exercise is essential to optimal health.
Interested in fitness even as a child, it wasn’t until two of her children were diagnosed with asthma and various allergies including an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts that she began to look closely at nutrition. She soon realized that health and ultimately the quality of life is determined by the foods we eat. As a graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, she now works with people of all ages teaching them about the powerful health benefits of optimal nutrition.
Tammy owns Whole Health Nutrition and Fitness in Caledonia where she lives with her husband and four children.
What Goes Into Childventures’ Menu
Whole Grains
Grains are a key fuel and a good source of complex carbohydrates, which are slower burning and provide a more sustained energy than refined grains. Refined white flour contains about 75% of the whole wheat kernels but fewer than half of the nutrients. Whole, unrefined grains provide a rich source of fibre, a wide range of B vitamins, vitamin E and many important minerals such as magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron to help ensure a nutrient rich source of energy.
Fruits and Vegetables
Plant substances are being recognized as powerful factors in the fight against disease. Fruits and vegetables not only offer a wide variety of vitamins and minerals essential for health, they also provide phytonutrients. These phytonutrients have been shown to have important immune-enhancing effects in helping to maintain a healthy immune system. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables allows these phytonutrients the ability to enhance the body’s self-protective powers.
Protein
Protein is needed for the growth and the maintenance of a healthy body. Protein makes up about 20% of our body weight and is the primary component of our muscles, skin, hair, nails, eyes and internal organs, especially our heart and brain. Providing essential protein from sources like fish, turkey and chicken supports many functions including the formation of anti-bodies required to help fight infections.
Fats
The brain is 60% fat and it’s essential to know which fats will best feed your brain. Not only do children need them to stay free from disease, they also need them to maximize intelligence. Essential fats, omega-3 and omega-6, are the only two fats that must be obtained through the diet. Omega-3 fats are provided best with fish and flaxseed and optimal omega-6 sources can be found in pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
Water
Water is fundamental to health and is involved in almost every bodily function. Water requirements can vary greatly from child to child. Ensuring your child is well hydrated with fresh water throughout the day is crucial to a healthy mind and healthy body.
