Healthy eating is more than the food we eat. It is also about where, when, why and how we eat. Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to be mindful, cook more often, enjoy our food, and eat meals with others to support wellness.
These guiding principles will help you support students in building a positive relationship with food and their bodies:
- Teach and talk about food and eating in a positive way
- Share how food supports physical and mental wellness.
- Keep messages positive.
- Use experiential learning: see, smell, touch, grow, cook, sample. Choose foods from Food Guide for activities
Respect roles and responsibilities related to food and eating:
1. Students decide whether and how much they eat
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- Respect their decisions including eating food in the order they choose
2. Parents/caregivers are responsible for what children bring to school for lunch
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- Trust that families are doing their best to provide food for their children with the resources they have available.
3. School/Educators decide when and where students eat
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- Ensure regular meal and snack breaks and offer enough time for eating at school; Limit distractions like screens.
- Be neutral and do not comment on what, whether, and how much students are eating.
- Use foods from Canada’s Food Guide in classroom lessons or school activities.
- Use non-food rewards for student recognition (e.g., stickers, pencils, high fives, classroom privileges).
- Engage in healthy fundraising initiatives – include physical activity and non-food fundraisers.
Promote body inclusivity
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- Reflect on your attitudes, beliefs and biases about body size, eating patterns, and health. Be mindful of what you say and avoid sharing personal views.
- Think critically about the influence of diet culture and how its marketing affects body image and self-esteem.
- Challenge messages about body ideals, appearance norms, and weight-based stereotypes.
- Role model and teach students not to comment on weight or appearance. Focus on internal attributes (e.g., creativity, kindness) instead of external ones.
- Address weight-based comments and bullying.
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