Supportive School Food Environments
Supportive School Food Environments
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A Supportive School Food Environment is one where students have stigma-free, equitable access to nutritious foods. A supportive environment is one where the social and cultural values of food are celebrated, and integrated into classroom learning. In a supportive school food environment, we encourage students to be curious about food and attempt to enable students to have a healthy relationship with food and eating.
A Supportive School Food Environment is one where students have stigma-free, equitable access to nutritious foods. A supportive environment is one where the social and cultural values of food are celebrated, and integrated into classroom learning. In a supportive school food environment, we encourage students to be curious about food and attempt to enable students to have a healthy relationship with food and eating.
Food Literacy: the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to choose, grow, prepare and enjoy food to support one’s health, community, culture and the environment.
Food Literacy: the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to choose, grow, prepare and enjoy food to support one’s health, community, culture and the environment.
Food and Weight Neutral Classrooms:
Food and Weight Neutral Classrooms:
Food neutrality is about acceptance, appreciation, understanding, being curious and seeing the value in differences – all traits we encourage our children to embrace.
Children are not born thinking one food is better than the other or that they need to stop eating a certain food or that they need to change their body to “be better”. This is all taught by society and is damaging to their development of a healthy relationship with food. The focus on obesity and diabetes prevention in schools is causing harm (ex. eating disorders).
Food Neutrality in the classroom is:
A place where all food is morally equal.
Removing judgement of food from classroom lessons.
In your classroom, you can start making changes to how you talk about food right away. It’s not easy to change this language as most of us were raised and taught about food this way. Changes you can make are:
Presenting all foods as good foods;
Avoiding sorting or splitting foods into two groups: healthy vs. unhealthy, every day vs. sometimes foods, good vs bad, treat vs. healthy etc.;
Approaching food by exploring with the senses and being curious about food;
Allowing students to eat their preferred foods first;
Never attaching shame or judgement to foods, the kids, or their adults who make their food choices.
aN INCLUSIVE Approach to school food programs
aN INCLUSIVE Approach to school food programs
An inclusive approach to school food ensures that school food programs are inclusive of and accessible to all students.
The ideal school food program is a Universal School Food Program, which offers all students in your school community access to meals without barriers. Universality means that every student, regardless of perceived need or ability to pay can access meals in a non-stigmatizing and non-identifying way while at school.
Having access to healthy food at school equips children for learning. Good nutrition is essential for growth and development and has both immediate and long-term effects on health, learning and student achievement.
Do you need help adjusting your school food program to be more inclusive? The SSRCE well-being team can help - please reach out!
PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITIONIST
Agriculture in the Classroom Nova Scotia
Agriculture in the Classroom Nova Scotia
Agriculture in the Classroom - Nova Scotia helps students learn where their food comes from, the importance of agriculture, and careers available in the industry. Teachers can apply for free programs and resources that support curriculum outcomes and competency development.
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