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- Include cross-curricular connections in the classroom
- Use hands-on learning strategies to engage students in the learning process
- Spread healthy eating lessons throughout the year
- Explain the facts about healthy eating using current and credible information
- Make healthy eating education culturally relevant
- Be a role model for students
- Promote healthy eating in a positive way
- Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching and Promoting Healthy Eating
Include cross-curricular connections in the classroom
When teaching the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum, make connections to healthy eating ‘across the curriculum’. This will help the students have a deeper understanding of the information. Studies show that this approach to teaching nutrition can help increase fruit and vegetable intake, and decrease intake of sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages. For example, students can strengthen their research and writing skills while highlighting an exotic vegetable or fruit, or they can sharpen their math skills while learning about foods labels and serving sizes. For more ideas on cross-curricular connections, visit Bright Bites, a resource written and maintained by Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH) members.
Use hands-on learning strategies to engage students in the learning process
Healthy eating behaviour is affected more by active involvement than by lectures, generic worksheets, and textbooks. Use experiential (hands-on) learning whenever possible to focus on the positive aspects of healthy eating. Let students experience healthy food choices using the five senses: sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell. For example, imagine the reaction you would get from showing students a picture of a kiwi fruit compared to their response if you brought in a kiwi and allowed them to see it, feel the fuzzy skin, see how the seeds are arranged inside the kiwi, and enjoy the texture and taste of the actual fruit. Then you could explore where kiwis are grown, how they are used in cooking, and their nutritional value. Use every situation where food is available in the school as an opportunity to expose children to healthy options. Consider starting a school garden or cooking club to give students practical hands-on experiences to learn about food and nutrition.
Spread healthy eating lessons throughout the year
To keep healthy eating on the minds of students and help them to practice healthy eating behaviours, spread healthy eating education throughout the year, instead of covering the expectations in one short unit. Match it to different seasons, themes, holidays, or events. Examples include:
- In September, focus on returning-to-school themes such as packing lunches, or eating breakfast;
- In the fall explore local crops and harvesting;
- March is a great time to focus on healthy eating, as it is National Nutrition Month. Check out Bright Bites - Zesty Lessons for teaching ideas;
- During the warmer months, think about the effect of seasonal changes on food and beverage intake. Take advantage of teachable moments. Whether the teachable moment is related to a healthy eating school event, or something about nutrition in the news, use these opportunities to discuss, debate, and explore the topic thoroughly. For example, investigate and chat about a unique food offered for the school breakfast or snack program.
Explain the facts about healthy eating using current and credible information
Help students understand balanced eating patterns by teaching them about Canada’s Food Guide and eating a variety of healthy foods each day. Canada’s Food Guide is designed to promote the nutritional health of Canadians and aim to reduce chronic disease. Visit: Canada's Food Guide
Keep the focus of your healthy eating discussion on the importance of food to give us energy to learn, play, and grow, as well as to provide nutrients to help our bodies working well. The curriculum promotes the importance of paying more attention to food instead of calories. The number of calories in a food only tells you the energy you get from that food and does not tell you about the other qualities of the food.
Make healthy eating education culturally relevant
Because students understand what is relevant in their lives, explore the eating patterns, food preferences, behaviours, and unique health concerns of various cultural groups:
- Use food examples that children will know from their culture;
- Use culturally representative materials or food in the classroom (e.g. cultural dishes, utensils, and cookware);
- Ask students to talk about meal customs; cultural cooking and preparation methods; traditional meaning of specific foods and the importance of foods during religious events or holidays.
Be a role model for students
School staff, especially teachers, can influence students through their own behaviour. Model healthy, active living every day to help students see the value of the healthy eating lessons they receive in the classroom. Being a positive role model is about words and actions. It involves eating and enjoying a variety of foods in the presence of students, and making only positive eating related comments. Experts recommend that adults model a flexible approach to eating and exercise, and not comment on a student’s weight, to help create a positive eating environment. Positive role models do not talk about their own appearance, body weight, or shape, their latest diet, or someone else’s body weight (e.g. “I feel so fat after that weekend barbeque.”). They don’t offer directions, suggestions, or advice that would cause a student to want to diet or lose weight. Positive role models only intervene if weight-related teasing occurs at school. If you witness weight-related teasing, don’t ignore it, and instead, intervene to stop the behaviour.
It is important for all school staff to understand and have insight into their own personal beliefs, values, and practices about food, weight, dieting, and body image, as well as the impact that their own beliefs may have on their students. For example, an adult who was teased as a child for being overweight may have a prejudice against children who are naturally thin. Or, an adult who values healthy eating may look down on a student who is overweight or doesn’t eat a healthy diet. Studies show that when teachers are unaware of their own biases, they may unknowingly display prejudice to some and favouritism to others. Positive role models will be aware of and monitor their effect on students in their classroom. They will support their students so that their personal biases and beliefs do not influence what they teach.
Promote healthy eating in a positive way
When teaching about healthy eating, food is better classified as ‘everyday’ and ‘sometimes’ food, versus ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. Food which is high in nutrients and belongs to a food group is considered an ‘everyday’ food; food which is low in nutrients (and has added fat, sugar, or salt) is a ‘sometimes’ food. Teach about balanced eating using Canada’s Food Guide. Show students which food fits into the food guide plate and teach them that sometimes foods can be enjoyed in moderation.
Eating is an experience to be enjoyed and celebrated by all! Activities or initiatives that promote healthy eating include messages on the positive and beneficial aspects of healthy eating, rather than the negative aspects of unhealthy eating and the risks to health.
Please review the answers to the following commonly asked questions to help you support a school environment that is free from weight bias, weight-based teasing, rigid rules about healthy eating, and other practices that may create a negative eating environment.
Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching and Promoting Healthy Eating
- Is it okay to talk to students or make comments about the food in their lunches?
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No. Making comments or judgments about a food or beverage in a child’s lunch may be confusing for a child as they may wonder why their parent would allow some foods that are not approved by the adults at school. Many factors (e.g. children’s likes, cultural background, income, knowledge) influence what gets packed in lunches. As well, children may have little control over what gets packed. Remember, no one food or meal defines our eating habits as unhealthy.
- Is it okay to tell students that they shouldn’t eat their dessert until they have eaten their lunch?
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No. Allow all students - even those in kindergarten - to make their own decisions about what and when to eat particular foods and beverages from their packed lunch. Although we recognize that it is tempting to make statements that encourage a child to eat certain foods first, this puts pressure on the child, and will not help him/her make healthier food choices. When you ask a child to eat certain foods before they eat their dessert, you are sending a message that dessert is the prize, which makes the desire for desserts even greater. This may lead some children to eat more food to get to dessert, even if they are not hungry and they may eventually lose the ability to tell when they are full. Therefore to help children learn to respond to their feelings of hunger and fullness, avoid making comments about which foods to eat first. Have a look at the Nurturing Healthy Eaters resource to help anyone (e.g. parents and senior students) supervising students during meal times. Make eating times a pleasurable social experience.
- What do I do if a student eats all of his or her lunch during morning recess?
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If you have a student that continuously eats all of his/her lunch during morning recess, and then has nothing to eat at lunch, it may require a phone call to the parent/guardian to discuss how to address this concern. For example, the child may be coming to school without breakfast, or they may need more food for their morning snack.
- Is it okay to suggest to students who appear to be overweight to restrict their food choices?
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No. Weight and weight loss should not be discussed with students. It is up to the students’ parents/guardians to seek medical advice for their child, if there are concerns about body weight. Instead, focus on creating and supporting a school environment that makes it easier for all students to engage in healthy eating behaviours. Keep in mind the following school-wide strategies to help support healthy attitudes to body image and eating habits among all students:
- Emphasize healthy eating and active living for all, regardless of weight and shape
- Ensure that all students of all shapes, sizes, and appearance are equally valued and respected
- Discourage dieting in a non-judgmental way, and encourage and model balanced eating from a variety of foods.
- What if I suspect one of my students has an eating disorder?
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If you suspect that a student may have an eating disorder, it is important to address the concern privately with the student’s parents/guardians (you may include the student, if appropriate). Some of the signs and symptoms of eating disorders include:
- Excess concern about weight, shape, and calories
- Negative body image or body dissatisfaction
- Feeling guilty about eating
- Strict avoidance of certain foods or unusual eating habits
- Noticeable weight loss
- Frequent weight fluctuation
Research shows that teaching students about eating disorders may be harmful, as some students may glamourize disordered eating behaviours. It is best to teach students about healthy eating, active living, self-acceptance, media literacy, and how to cope with weight– and shape-teasing. It is also important to teach students that commenting on other people’s weight is not acceptable.
- How much time is enough time for students to eat their lunch?
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Ensure students receive a full 20 minutes of eating time. Provide extra time to wash hands and retrieve lunch bags in addition to the 20 minute eating time. Schedule meals and snacks at appropriate times (e.g. not first thing in the morning, or late in the day).
- Is it ok to reward students with food?
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No. There are many ways to reward students without using food. For example, extra recess time, using non-food items, such as stickers or pencils, and privileges (e.g. dancing to music in the classroom for a fun break). Rewarding students with food can: teach them to eat, even when they are not hungry; teach them to like certain foods more because they are used as rewards; exclude students with food allergies or health issues.
Review Bright Bites - It's an Honour for healthy and positive ideas for rewarding students
For Further Information
If you have a question about the Northern Fruit & Vegetable Program, please contact Victoria Pullia, Program Lead, at (807) 625-5962 or Toll-Free at 1-888-294-6630 or email NVFP@tbdhu.com.