Government of Canada, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, and Corus Entertainment launch Kid Food Nation National Recipe Challenge

Recipe challenge and new online hub will help kids and families develop knowledge and skills to plan and prepare healthy meals

OTTAWA, April 4, 2017 /CNW/ - Healthy living is about choosing healthy options in our day-to-day activities, including what we choose to eat. Learning how to make healthy eating choices at a young age can go a long way toward developing healthy habits and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Today, the Government of Canada, along with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and Corus Entertainment launched the Kid Food Nation National Recipe Challenge and Kid Food Nation online hub at the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club in Toronto.

The National Recipe Challenge invites children aged 7 to 12 from across Canada to submit an original healthy and nutritious recipe. A diverse panel of Canadians will select the top 26 recipes based on nutrition, taste and cultural diversity. Two winning recipes will be chosen from each province and territory, and winners will be split equally by gender (13 girls and 13 boys). Winners will have the chance to celebrate Canada's culinary heritage at the Kid Food Nation gala event in Ottawa featuring regional dishes from across the country.

The newly launched online hub includes resources on healthy eating and meal preparation, and complements the Kid Food Nation program being delivered at Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada. The hub features online videos and on-air segments with TV hosts and celebrity chefs, local talent, and experts as well as a parents-focused section. Kids will also be able to earn points through mini-games and quizzes, print shopping lists, and track their favourite recipes.

Quotes

"I encourage kids from across Canada to put their food skills to the test and come up with healthy and nutritious recipes for the National Recipe Challenge. Kid Food Nation has found an innovative way to empower and educate kids, parents and families across Canada to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives."
The Honourable Jane Philpott
Minister of Health

"We are thrilled to join the Government of Canada at Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club for the launch of Kid Food Nation. Improving food skills and healthy habits is fundamental to the work we do with children and youth. This national initiative is an incredible opportunity to bring nutritional skills and resources to children, families, and communities across the country."
Owen Charters
President & CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

"The Kid Food Nation program is well underway and with the support of our esteemed partners, we are proud to leverage the power of Corus' kids networks to educate and engage Canadians in making health-conscious choices. Armed with the knowledge and information from this powerful new curriculum, we're calling on kids across Canada to join the movement in making smart food choices and inspiring one another to embrace healthy lifestyles."
Doug Murphy
President & CEO of Corus Entertainment 

Quick facts

• Kid Food Nation is a national food skills initiative that aims to improve Canadians' food skills and support healthy eating habits by empowering and educating kids, parents and families to develop practical knowledge and experiences related to planning, preparing and cooking healthy meals and snacks.
• Kid Food Nation seeks to reinforce peer-to-peer education on healthy eating and to celebrate families' culinary heritage, Indigenous ingredients and iconic regional dishes of Canada.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is investing nearly $5 million over five years in Kid Food Nation. Additional support from Corus Entertainment will bring the total investment to approximately $10 million over 5 years.
• Kid Food Nation is supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada through its Multi-sectoral Partnership Approach to Promote Healthy Living and Prevent Chronic Disease. This Program has invested $49 million and leveraged an additional $43 million from partners to promote healthy eating, physical activity and wellness, as well as address the common risk factors that underlie major chronic diseases.
• In October 2016, the Government of Canada released the Healthy Eating Strategy, which seeks to make healthy food choices the easy choice for all Canadians.

Related Links
Backgrounder on the vision for a healthy Canada

Associated Links
Kid Food Nation Online Hub
Kid Food Nation Backgrounder
Government of Canada invests in program to promote healthy eating

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

For further information: Andrew MacKendrick, Office of Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, [phone]