From ‘no thank you’ to ‘yes, please’
School snack or lunch time is only one opportunity during the day to be eating. Families need to be mindful of that when planning a balanced diet. That’s why we encourage using Canada’s Food Guide as a base. — Shelley Williams, registered dietician
Picky kindergarteners are eating their veggies and loving them at Kingsway College School (KCS) in Etobicoke. However, that was not always the case. The tide turned for the better when the children were empowered to turn snack time into fun time.
All it took was a T-chart with two fruit or vegetable options and a photo magnet for each child to get pre-kindergartners (PKs) excited. The children put their photo magnet under their choice, with the winning option served for morning snack. “Giving the children the ability to initiate change, along with a creative approach, has helped turn no-thank-you into yes-please,” says KCS teacher Gregory Charlton. “It has also presented an opportunity for numeracy, literacy, discussion and, of course, nutrition.”
The introduction of the ‘healthy choice’ program last year had the added benefit of building leadership, as well as providing a joint learning experience and a broader community within the school. The senior kindergarten students (SKs), who used the same classroom after the PKs left for the day, noticed the voting Tcharts and wanted to get involved. “They researched past snacks, brainstormed ideas, and now create pictures for the PKs to vote on. The two classes even come together in an outdoor classroom where the senior children distribute snacks and socialize with the younger students. It has become an organic buddy system built through the culture of food,” says Charlton.
The democratic process is not only reserved for kindergarten students at KCS, however. Middle school students were recently part of a focus group, with parents and teachers, that helped choose a new lunch partner. The flexible opt-in hot lunch service is available four days a week to full-day students. Students accessed taste-test menus from a variety of companies and selected the winning service provider (Kidssentials). “We wanted to include as many user groups as possible in the process so, ultimately, the choice became a whole school decision,” says head of school, Derek Logan.
Making healthy food choices is built into the curriculum, adds Logan. “An added element of fun for young students is getting their hands dirty in the learning garden at KCS, where they discuss pollination, diversity, the harvest and how food is grown. Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 can learn about nutrition and how to cook at Cirillo’s Culinary Academy, with meals donated to a local youth services centre.”
There is a big connection between good nutrition in and good energy, including physical and academic performance, says registered dietician Shelley Williams. Still, getting children of all ages to eat healthily is a challenge both inside and outside of the classroom.
“School snack or lunch time is only one opportunity during the day to be eating. Families need to mindful of that when planning a balanced diet. That’s why we encourage using Canada’s Food Guide as a base to include grain, protein, fruit, vegetables or dairy into the mix,” says Williams. “It’s about using whole foods, making it fun and having at least three of these components per meal.”
It’s true that some children are very picky but it is not always about taste, adds Williams. “Some are reluctant to try something new, while others react to texture or smell,” she says.
“The key for parents is to get them involved in the process. Bring them to the kitchen to learn and explore the foods being prepared. Get them engaged, even if it is by simply tearing up lettuce and putting it in a bowl.”
Williams also suggests parents take away the pressure to try something different. “Put a new item on a dinner plate or in a lunch or snack box for a few days in a row. It may get ignored, but you may also be surprised when a picky eater gives it a try because their peers are eating the same thing.”
Most importantly, meals are for sitting down at a table together, not on a couch or sequestered in separate rooms, notes Williams. “Table-time and eating as a family are critical. Children need schedules, and parents and siblings are exposing little ones to other options.”
Engagement and choice are in full swing at KCS. As part of the process, there is one thing the youngsters have made sure of — one item is definitely off the menu. “They chose broccoli once and we offered it steamed and raw. While the steamed version was more popular, the children’s faces dropped when they tried it,” says Charlton. “Broccoli has not been chosen for a repeat performance.”
Broccoli has not been chosen for a repeat performance