The first rule of Healthy Food Club: don’t mention the word healthy!
For years, the focus of healthy eating lessons has been on the food pyramid and learning what’s ‘healthy’ and what’s not. The problem is, for children the word healthy has little significance and any meaning it may hold is usually associated with negative food experiences, like being force-fed Brussels sprouts by Grandma or lectures at the family dinner table. For many, ‘healthy’ suggests boring and ‘yucky’ tasting.
It is wonderful to see schools becoming healthier. Engaging kitchen gardens, rubbish free lunches, healthier canteens and fruit-breaks are commonplace. For these practices to create the most long- lasting change they must be enhanced and supported on a daily basis. For this we need fresh thinking.
The key to educating children about healthy and nutritious food in the classroom involves three key aspects:
• Don’t sugar coat it
• Consistent messages • Keep it relevant
Don’t sugar coat it
I recently reviewed the content of a healthy eating module being taught in a primary school and was shocked to find embedded in the programme the belief that children need to be tricked or bribed into making healthy food choices. The menu included fruit salad…with jelly added! As if somehow the jelly made the fruit more palatable or appealing.
Sugar coating is just not necessary. It is too easy for a well-intended message (eat fruit) to quickly become a negative one (even if it tastes bad). Teachers must trust that kids can learn to accept healthy food without adding unhealthy fats or sweeteners. When other techniques are employed (making it fun and keeping it relevant), sugar coating is no longer necessary.
Consistent messages
We were called in to make healthy rainbow wraps at a Melbourne kindergarten,
but the kids were reluctant to
eat their veggie wraps at
the end. What caused the unusual resistance?
It happened
that our class was held on “Footy Day” and just half- an-hour before our session all the children were given a celebratory bucket of hot chips.
The teacher had the best intensions for the kids, but healthy eating needs to be a message that we apply all the time. By feeding the kids chips right before our lesson they were full and less likely to try the veggies. It created a confusing message on the day.
The idea that unhealthy foods are needed to create fun in the classroom must be challenged. Childhood obesity is a huge problem.
Statistics show that our current generation of kids may be the first to have a shorter life- expectancy than their parents!
So, be a good role model, see opportunities for healthy eating everywhere and be wary of things trying to sabotage your message. This festive season try letting your kids plan some healthy party foods or allow kids to design their own healthy festive recipe and then “sell” it to classmates (there are many red and green fruits/veggies to use).
Keep it relevant
For a child, the concept of carbohydrates, fats and vitamins sounds like mumbo-jumbo.
But it doesn’t have to!
When talking to children about food that’s good for them, speak in their terms. Not only marketing the food in age-specific language but also tying the
benefits to kids in a way that will motivate them. For example:
“These foods keep your muscles and bones strong so you can run fast, jump high and kick a footy.”
“These foods help you concentrate, so you’ll do better on maths and spelling tests.”
This also applies when you’re trying to teach key messages. For example, I take the idea of “eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day” and turn it into a fun and simple message: “Eat more colours”.
It’s easy to remember and easy to implement. It’s much simpler for children to go shopping and pick their colours for the week, rather than talking about the 2 serves of fruit and 5 of vegetables they should be consuming.
Teaching the how and why behind healthy eating is essential for kids to understand their eating and be motivated to eat more healthily. Even small children can understand many nutrition concepts rather than just be told “eat your veggies”.
When it comes to making long-term changes to food attitudes, the classroom is
just the beginning. Ultimately it’s a joint project between parents and teachers, with both parties leading by example. One great outcome of engaging kids (and making food fun and relevant) at schools is that excited children will go home and spread the messages to their family. This can often catalyse a positive shift in the approach to food at home (if one is required).
To further encourage at-home reinforcement, schools and teachers can consider things like:
• Promoting at-home activities like creating a class Recipes Book with some recipes from school to kick-start it
• Information/sessions for parents about packing a healthy lunchbox. When healthy lunchboxes are the norm at school (rather than the odd ones out) the overall effect is hugely powerful. Sessions can be done at the start of the school year and are normally very popular with parents who welcome some practical tips and advice.
• Charity fundraisers, rubbish free lunch box days or “Slinky Apple” day
• School-wide policies can also help to create a shift in attitude towards food. Some ideas to create new and lasting thinking/eating patterns in students:
• Replacing unhealthy fundraising with alternatives (e.g. mango fundraiser)
• Having a food policy for events and festivals
• Healthy alternatives to birthday cakes
• A healthy food policy at aftercare and reinforce the healthy eating message across the entire curriculum
The best strategies for teaching nutrition to children come from a creative and consistent approach. How will you encourage a fun attitude towards healthy food with your children this year?
Hopefully I’ve given you something to chew on.