Want to teach nutrition? Teach kids how to prepare food!
The nutrition educators at BC Dairy Association strongly believe in the power of using food to teach about nutrition. Our nutrition education programs encourage teachers to include food when teaching nutrition to make lessons more fun and interactive.
Each year, BC Dairy Association awards mini food grants to teachers using one of the BC Dairy programs to help them purchase the ingredients for use in the classroom.
Each year, BC Dairy Association also proudly supports programs like Project CHEF. Project CHEF: Cook Healthy Edible Food is an experiential, curriculum-based school program designed to immerse children in the process of cooking from preparation to clean-up. Students (in kindergarten to grade seven) gain knowledge about food, more specifically:
- where it comes from
- what it tastes like
- how to prepare it
- how to enjoy sharing it around a table
Not only do children discover the pleasure and satisfaction of creating meals for themselves but they also develop the skills they need to make healthy food choices at home. Many great and easy recipes include ingredients that are economical and readily available at home by all students, such as beef and broccoli in a crockpot, yogurt parfaits, homemade bread or vegetable soup.
Creating new food experiences doesn’t have to be done by introducing foods like mangoes and dragon fruit. It’s important for kids to appreciate a wide variety of commonly available foods. Sometimes the simpler the better: Even something like cutting up three varieties of apples is an amazing experience for kids of all ages!
Refer to Kitchen Equipment for your Classroom for tips on how to use food in your classroom. It’s easier than you think!
For more inspiration on cooking with kids, check out Better Together.
