Healthy eating is key to success at school. Beginning the day with a nutritious breakfast helps kids concentrate better, be more alert and creative, and more physically active.

This great start should not stall once they get to school. Carol Dombrow, Heart and Stroke Foundation registered dietitian, stresses the importance of packing healthy lunches and snacks to give kids the energy they need to get through the rest of the day.

“Start with Canada's Food Guide, it outlines the number of servings children should eat from each food group each day. And focus on the food groups they are not getting enough of—for most kids this is vegetables and fruit and milk and alternatives,” says Carol.

Carol provides the following tips to help you and your children pack healthy and delicious snacks and lunches:

• Encourage kids to help plan and pack their own lunches—this will increase their chances of eating them.

• Teach them that a healthy snack should cover two food groups and a healthy lunch should include foods from four food groups.

• Encourage fruit for snacks and a vegetable and fruit with their lunch.

• Plan ahead and prepare and freeze lunch items such as low fat muffins, breads, and soups. Portion them out and wrap them separately before freezing.

• Include milk, yogurt or cheese as part of the lunch or snacks. Check to see if your school has a school milk program.

• Read food labels and choose snack foods that are lower in fat, salt and sugar. Check for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check symbol.

• Mix it up. Provide a good variety of snacks and lunches throughout the year so kids don't get bored.

More tips and healthy recipes are available online at healthcheck.org.