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Creating a Supportive Eating Environment in the Classroom

Encouraging healthy eating practices with students involves incorporating nutrition education activities into the curriculum, communicating with parents to encourage healthy eating at home, and creating a positive meal and snack time environment in the classroom.

Nutrition Education Activities

There are a variety of programs and resources specific to each division that will help you teach healthy eating and physical activity concepts in your classroom. 

Communication with Parents

A great way to connect with parents is to send home healthy eating and physical activity information that supports what the children are learning in your classroom.  Check out these newsletter inserts for K-3 and 4-6.

Positive Meal and Snack Environment

A supportive meal and snack environment encourages children to develop positive, healthy, lifelong relationships with food.  The following are some suggestions to help create a supportive eating environment in your classroom.

Food Choice

• When including food in class activities, serve nutritious food and drink choices including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and milk products.
• Encourage children to drink fluid throughout the day such as milk, 100% juice or water.
• Describe food in a positive context using language such as 'anytime' and 'sometimes' instead of labelling foods as 'good' and 'bad' or 'healthy' and 'unhealthy'.  Lifelong healthy eating is about balancing food choices and food enjoyment, in addition to nutrition.
• Don't point out less healthy food choices in students' lunches and snacks.  Often children have little control over what foods are available to them for their lunches.  Singling out students in front of their peers can be hurtful.  Instead, promote nutritious food choices through role modelling, nutrition education, and communication with parents.
• Avoid tactics such as pressuring and bribing students to eat healthy foods.

Meal Structure

• Allow enough time for meals and snacks.  Ideally children need 10 to 15 minutes for a snack and 20 to 30 minutes for a meal. 
• Encourage students to eat and drink according to their hunger and thirst.
• Create a positive tone around meal and snack times that encourages conversation and interesting social opportunities.

Role Modelling

• Aim to be consistent with the messages you teach the children and your own behaviour.
• Be a positive role model through the consumption of nutritious food and drink choices, while also role modelling the concept of balance.
• Don't discuss dieting or criticize your own body when you are around children.  If children see that you like your own body, they will find it easier to like theirs.
• Choose non food items for rewards (e.g., praise, game play, or stickers) and for classroom and school fundraising (e.g., gift certificate raffle, candles, fruit, or spices).

Promoting Healthy Weights

• Promote positive self-esteem by helping children value their unique qualities and skills.
• Recognize that healthy children and adults come in all different sizes.  Encourage all students to choose nutritious foods from all four food groups and to find physical activities that they enjoy.
• Avoid any messaging around the amount of food that children are eating and comments related to dieting or restricting foods. 
• Encourage children to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues.