Nutrients

(Kira Post) 

I think the most challenging thing to deal with as a teacher will come as a big surprise to non-teachers ... It's actually food. What children eat throughout the day has a profound affect on their learning, their energy levels, and their behaviour. 

Over the last 15 years, I have watched child after child cycle through sugar-highs and sugar-lows and that terrible 2:15 sugar crash where they literally can't keep their eyes open. 

It is rare for a child to come to school having eaten a breakfast that provides them with sufficient energy to make it to lunch time - that is if they had time to eat any breakfast at all. I fully appreciate how challenging it is to get a child up in the morning, ready for school with everything they need, and out the door. 

I teach middle school which means the children have access to money and stores. They stock up on candy and pop and chips. Our classroom has a "sugar-free" policy and the children are often surprised when we wont let them eat their chocolate dipped granola bars, chocolate milk, or fruitopia drink. While chocolate milk is dairy and provides some calcium, did you know it contains nearly 50% of the suggested daily sugar intake?!

A child who has eaten protein and carbohydrates has an increased chance of learning. Hungry children daydream, get distracted, get cranky, can't concentrate, and often misbehave - mostly because they don't know what is making them grumpy or frustrated or angry. 

It is hard to teach math to hungry children, which is why we keep oatmeal, cheese, crackers, milk, yogurt, bananas, and apples on hand. 

Traditionally I have taught nutrition by focusing on "healthy eating" and "healthy choices". 

But this year I decided to take a completely different approach. 

Teachers can have a major influence on children and the ways in which they see both the world and themselves. Teaching what is "healthy" has to be balanced with not evoking shame. It is also crucial to recognize that children come from all different families. They may not eat the same foods as I do. They may not have access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables like I do. Children don't always have choice over what groceries are purchased. And have you seen the price of cauliflower?? Not every family can afford to have a fridge full of vegetables, a full bowl of fruit, and a loaf of multigrain bread. 

The foods that go on sale are not organic pineapples and red peppers. It's white bread, Kraft Dinner, pizza pockets, and Lucky Charms that have great deals. 

Not to mention, when I was a kid, there's no WAY I would have touched a slice of bread with grains and seeds in it, let alone whole wheat. I was a Wonderbread kinda girl. 

So teaching about healthy food choices means bringing up so many complex issues that can include access, poverty, cultural differences, and family dynamics. The way a teacher approaches this subject can be empowering or shaming. 

This week my class has been learning about nutrients. Not the food groups that have been drilled into them since kindergarten, but nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and fat. By specifically focusing on the nutrients needed to survive, we have been able to look at what is missing from our meals as opposed to telling the children what I think they should or shouldn't be eating. 

Once we explored what types of food provide the different types of nutrients, we used volunteers to share what they had eaten. It was really important that the next step was not to shame the children, but to ask them what nutrients they should focus on for the rest of the day. 

One child had had waffles with syrup for breakfast, and chips and a can of pop for lunch. Rather than shame her about those choices, we talked about which nutrients she had consumed so far (carbohydrates and fat), and what she should focus on consuming over the rest of the day (protein, vitamins and minerals). She was also able to identify that she had already had more than the recommended amount of daily sugar intake and could switch to drinking water for the rest of the day. 

By focusing on the key nutrients for survival with an aim to increase the intake of these nutrients, no one was shamed about their food choices. 

We have started keeping boxes and wrappers from the foods we eat in school so that we can compare and contrast nutrients in the different items. I have been able to say to children at the end of the day, "I noticed you didn't have much protein or vitamins today. Do you think you could try to add that tomorrow?" Which is a completely different message than "I saw you ate chips for breakfast and a chocolate bar for lunch. Tomorrow you have to bring a sandwich."  

By creating these integrated ingredient recipes, Olivia is providing ideas for how to incorporate the nutrients children need into foods they will enjoy. Having vegetable muffins available in the morning that a child can grab on the way out the door when the family is running late, is a much better alternative to a donut or to nothing at all. 

Happy cooking and happy eating!