Food and Nutrition

When teaching children and youth about food and nutrition, it's important to ensure that lessons are age-appropriate and that they support students in developing a healthy relationship with food and with their body. Messages about food should be positive and activities should provide students with practical opportunities to learn about, see, smell, touch, grow, cook, and taste a variety of food.

Learn more about how to nurture healthy eaters in the classroom with these resources from Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH):

• Nurturing Healthy Eaters in Elementary Schools [PDF]
• Nurturing Healthy Eaters in Secondary Schools [PDF]

Also from ODPH, Healthy Schools: Linking Nutrition and Mental Well-Being [PDF] summarizes the link between healthy eating and positive mental well-being in  school-aged children and youth.

For ideas on how to teach about food in the classroom, visit the following websites:

• All About Food Allergy | ready-to-use curriculum-linked program for grades 4 to 6 
• BrightBites | resources written and maintained by Ontario Dietitians in Public Health members
• Canada's Food Guide | sets out Health Canada's guidelines and considerations on healthy eating
• Canada's Food Guide: Toolkit for Educators [PDF] | developed by Interior Health Public Health Dietitians
• Food is Science | resources by Sustain Ontario to help educators understand and teach new food literacy learning
• Healthy Eating Curriculum Supports [PDF] | guide created by Grey Bruce Health Unit
• Lesson Activities - Nutrition Education & Consulting
• Ophea (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association) | lesson plans, activities and resources filtered by healthy eating
• TeachFoodFirst: an educator's toolkit for exploring Canada's Food Guide | Healthy Schools BC
• UnlockFood.ca | find information on nutrition, food and healthy eating from Dietitians of Canada

Other resources:

• Mini-meals for school nutrition breaks [PDF] | ideas, recipes and tips for packing food for the school day