Each night at our family dinner table each member of my family says one thing they are grateful for. The topic of gratitude for having enough food to eat has come up in different ways. After some discussion with my 7 year old that many families struggle to put food on the table and that many kids in our city go to school hungry and unable to eat, I asked my son how he felt about asking his friends coming to his birthday party to make a donation to make sure kids in our city had lunch to eat when they go to school. At first he wasn’t sure since like many kids he wanted to open up a bunch of birthday presents. As we continued to talk about how important food was for growing and learning, we reviewed some real life stories on the Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids website and my son decided he would like to help.
Each school day, the Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) Community takes action to feed and care for over 3,200 kids in our city who would otherwise go without a healthy lunch at school. Lunches are prepared by volunteers in their main kitchen and by volunteers in kitchens across the city. Lunches are also delivered by volunteers throughout the city each day. Nourishment is available to any student who arrives at school without enough to eat. BB4CK works with school staff to identify needs and to plan how best to make sure hungry students get the nutrition required to grow, learn, and play.
If you want to help there are so many ways to get involved. You could volunteer in the kitchen to help make lunches, volunteer as a driver to deliver lunches, plan a snack and supply drive, host a fundraiser, decorate lunch bags, raise awareness or celebrate your birthday the same way my son did by making a donation instead of collecting birthday presents. When my son was able to visit the Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids kitchen when he made his donation, he was once again reminded that every $1 donated feeds a kid lunch. Seeing everyone volunteering to assemble lunches and that he was helping make a difference has him convinced he will once again make a birthday donation again next year.
The gift of a lunch has a huge impact that goes far beyond a sandwich. I would encourage you to read some of the stories on the BB4CK website. For 18-year-old Kendra, lunch has given her the energy and support needed as she works toward her high school diploma. “Every Monday I am always so happy to come to school just for the food. It’s so amazing to have people such as yourself helping young people like myself, giving my school food so that my brain can function during the day and giving me the chance to come closer and closer to accomplishing my education goal.”
Inspired to take action? Please visit https://bb4ck.org/for more information about how you can help feed and care for kids.
CEO, Registered Dietitian, Counseling Practice Director & Professional Speaker
Andrea the «Chocoholic Nutritionist» is founder and CEO of Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc. since 2000. She is an online nutrition course creator, professional speaker and regular guest in the media. Andrea is the recipient of an award by the Dietitians of Canada: The Speaking of Food & Healthy Living Award for Excellence in Consumer Education....Read more
"I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutritionis my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team."
Adele Fox, Psychologist
“This is the first time I feel satisfied; my cravings have diminished dramatically and I have a whole new relationship with food. I am eating guilt-free for the first time in my life. My energy has also dramatically increased and I feel great!”
Rhonda Jenkins, Nutrition Counseling Client
“The Dieticians at Health Stand Nutrition help you to take action on the science behind eating well by making it practical, understandable, and fun. Their office is cozy and not at all clinical or intimidating. I felt like I was sitting down with a really smart, caring friend who wanted to help me make the best choices for my lifestyle and food preferences. They really are the best in the business.”
Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies. In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom from the punishing rigidity of disordered eating, old stories that never were true, and body dysmorphia that did nothing but make me lose sight of a body that has done everything I've asked, despite my careless dismissal of her needs. Now when I look in the mirror I find myself shifting from harsh criticism to gentle gratitude.”
Lynn Haley, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“I spent 3 hours when first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I learned more from my Dietitian about food in those 3 hours than I had learned in all the years of my life. I also love the newsletter, there is always something to learn.”
Peter Whitehead, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I didn’t realize how strong my “diet mentality” was, and all the rules I had in my head about food. I was in a cycle of reward/punish/binge/cringe. I booked with your business very reluctantly, on the repeated advice of my doctor, to get my slowly rising cholesterol levels in check. I thought I knew everything about food, and my behaviour with food, but I was definitely re-schooled. My weight is creeping down, I feel good about my diet, exercise, body image, and lifestyle.”
Amy Floyd, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Thanks Andrea for an amazing presentation, I have heard all positive remarks from attendees and the evaluations show the same sentiment. It is really gratifying when a speaker does their “homework” and weaves in our profession’s day to day challenges within their content, you did an awesome job of this! You truly took the “die” out of Dietician! Your information on healthy eating and simplifying how we can work towards this as we are all so busy really hit the mark. Andrea connects very well with her audience; she is energetic, funny, and very approachable.”
Carole Ann LaGrange, Transfusion Medicine Safety Officer
Event Planner for Laboratory Diagnostic Imaging Annual Event
“I am a family physician who sees patients with a myriad of eating concerns – from wanting to know how to plan healthy meals for active families, to weight loss, to eating disorders, and so on. I cannot recommend the Health Stand team highly enough. I have worked with (and been to!) other Dieticians in the past and too often find that they just ask for food logs and make suggestions that are easily obtained online or in books. The Dieticians at Health Stand offer much more than just telling clients what they “should be eating.” In contrast, the team really does more of a counselling practice, and they work hard to help their clients learn more about why their eating habits may be off track and not optimal for them, as well as helping people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for lifetime health.”
Dr. Deb Putnam, Family Physician
Nutrition Counseling Client & Referring Physician
“I am a busy mom, with kids in high level sports, working full-time downtown, and running our home acreage outside the City. I now have the knowledge and tools I need to plan for and manage the chaos of meal planning.”
Gillian Gray, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”
Stephanie Wood, HR and Safety Manager
Fisher Construction Group, Burlington, WA
“I found my Dietitian warm, funny, and skilled at teaching nutrition concepts without the overwhelm. The general approach of each session was to mix science with emotion, which was exceedingly effective in helping me shift my perspective on food from one of anxiety to one of joy and curiosity.”
Erin Kronstedt, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Excellent presentation! What a refreshing change to have a speaker inspire rather than “lecture” about nutrition. Your captivating stories, tips and overall approach to healthy eating uplifts and puts people at ease. It was great to hear we don’t need to strive to be perfect eaters, and that small changes really can make a difference in how we feel and in our health. Thanks to Andrea, we have solutions to our everyday nutrition challenges that can actually work in real life!”
Tina Tamagi, Human Resources
ARC Resources Ltd.
“Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations.”
Lorri Lawrence, Pursuit of Healthiness online course participant
rrives at school without enough to eat. BB4CK works with school staff to identify needs and to plan how best to make sure hungry students get the nutrition required to grow, learn, and play.
