This article was written for the magazine l'Association québécoise des enseignantes et des enseignants du primaire (French Only).
Read the full article in French
In the Internet and social media era, there is endless, and sometimes contradictory, information about food, making it hard to navigate and judge the quality of what you see, read and hear. In the early 1990s, sociologist Claude Fischler coined the term “dietary cacophony” to describe the confusion linked to the abundance of information about food. Today, the term “food cacophony” is more commonly used to describe this principle, but the problem remains the same.
Reliable information and a positive message
Faced with such an abundance of information, vigilance is required before sharing information with students. The key to success? Have a good grasp of the messages and ensure that they are based on scientific data, rather than personal beliefs and practices.
But how do you distinguish what’s true from what’s false? When you consult information, you could, for example, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are the authors clearly identified?
- Are they qualified (e.g., have they received recognized professional training, are they members of a professional college or a credible organization)?
- Is it someone’s opinion or facts from credible sources?
If you work in a school setting, you can access free tools designed by Registered Dietitians, such as the resources found on the TeachNutrition.ca website. They include reliable articles on various topics related to healthy eating.
Once you have confirmed that the information is credible, how do you convey the message effectively to students? As a teacher, you know the importance of choosing the right words when speaking to children. This principle also applies to healthy eating. Moreover, the messages must be positive.
A positive message:
- Promotes desirable rather than restricted behaviour;
- Emphasizes positive rather than negative consequences.
For example, during an activity on healthy eating, it would be better to emphasize foods that students should eat more often, rather than those they should restrict. This positive formulation further stimulates children’s intrinsic motivation, which helps them retain the message or adopt the behaviour more easily.
Learning adapted to the level of knowledge
At school, the pedagogical framework is based on the Québec Education Program (QEP). For the promotion of health and well-being at school, ÉKIP is the go-to resource. This reference framework helps guide learning activities on healthy eating so that they are adapted to students’ grade level, while contributing to student perseverance and educational success.
The first takeaway is that the same subject can be covered from one year to the next, so long as it is deepened and addressed from different angles to maintain students’ interest. After all, whether the topic is English, mathematics or nutrition, the learning principles remain the same: solidify what students have learned and go a little deeper into the subject matter.
The second takeaway is that the theme of healthy eating can be incorporated into the teaching of other subjects. For example, science can be a great way to talk about the role of food in the human body.
Want to give it a try? Our team recently launched some new resources (videos and activities) about the human body (in French only). As a bonus, all the material is free and was designed in collaboration with teachers.
Digital learning
The various digital platforms surely contribute to food cacophony and nutritional misinformation, but they can also be excellent resources for teachers. As complements to other more traditional approaches, digital platforms can facilitate knowledge acquisition thanks to their interactive and diversified content that enables an innovative pedagogical approach. And because they are interactive, these tools increase student participation in activities!
Want to try a new digital format? Our team recommends Réaction : quête active sur l’alimentation, online educational games to get students moving at school (in French only).
Healthy eating is a broad topic that can be approached from multiple angles, in the context of different subjects, but also using a variety of tools, including digital ones. With the right resources, it is easier to tackle the subject at regular intervals, rather than cramming it all into Nutrition Month in March. Remember, food is a tasty topic all year round!
References
- Dionne, B. (2008). Pour réussir : guide méthodologique pour les études et la recherche, 5th ed. Montréal: Chenelière Éducation.
- Fischler, C. (1993). Le complexe alimentaire moderne. In Vigarello, G. (ed.). Communications, 56. Le gouvernement du corps (pp. 207–224).
- Gagnon-Girouard, M.-P. (2018). Summary of the lecture “Miser sur les messages positifs en milieu scolaire” [Focus on positive messages at school]. Dairy Farmers of Canada Conference Day on food-related subjects of interest for schools: making sense of it all.
- Government of Quebec (2005). Healthy Schools - Guide for the education community and its partners - For the educational success, health and well-being of young people. Accessed on December 1, 2021. http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/en/references/tx-solrtyperecherchepublicationtx-solrpublicationnouveaute/results/detail/article/healthy-schools-guide-for-the-education-community-and-its-partners-for-the-educational-success-2/
- Government of Quebec. Ministère de l’Éducation and Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (2020). Digital Action Plan for Education and Higher Education. Accessed on October 28, 2021. http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/en/current-initiatives/digital-action-plan/digital-action-plan/
- Government of Quebec. Ministère de l’Éducation and Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (2001). Québec Education Program. Accessed on October 28, 2021. http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/en/teachers/quebec-education-program/
- Lagarde, P. (2012). Summary of the lecture “Ce qui fera réagir les jeunes? Notre pronos TIC” [What will get young people’s attention? We predict ICT]. 2012 Conference Day by the team of Registered Dietitians at Dairy Farmers of Canada on living a healthy lifestyle in the era of information and communications technology.
