Enjoy your food

Another important part to healthy eating is to enjoy our food. Enjoying the taste of food and the food-related activities that go along with eating (e.g., eating together with others, cooking with others, etc.)

People can use food to discover new flavours, socialize, and learn about food traditions and different cultures. When schools create a positive eating environment that supports children to enjoy their food, they are more open to trying new foods and can develop healthy attitudes about food.

How can you support this in schools?

• Provide opportunities for students to learn about and taste new foods (e.g., through cooking classes, salad bars in schools, school gardens, tasting activities in classrooms). Remember to make it a positive eating environment by not forcing students to try foods. Encourage them to participate in the activities without being forced to try the foods.
• Engage in conversations of different cultural practices and provide opportunities for children to share their own cultural practices as well as learn about others (e.g., host a cultural fair, ensure school lunches reflect the cultural diversity in your school)
• Promote a healthy attitude about food by avoiding fear-based messaging when it comes to eating. (e.g., all foods can fit in a healthy eating pattern – need to focus on frequency instead. Avoid activities that suggests that students need to run for X amount of minutes to burn calories from a food item).