From Labels to Curiosity: Rethinking Food Education in Schools
Healthy eating education in schools has long relied on a top-down approach, emphasising nutrition facts and ‘healthy choices’ to shape behaviour. While well-intentioned, this method often misses the mark. Oversimplified messages like “eat more fruits and vegetables” or “avoid unhealthy snacks” fail to address the complexity of food relationships and skills. Instead, they risk creating […]
How SAFE are your healthy eating lessons?
In a world dominated by social media and relentless health propaganda, we have reached a pinnacle of idealistic, well-intentioned, and potentially harmful food messaging in schools. As educators, it’s essential we consider not just the content but the safety of our healthy eating lessons. Is one-size-fits-all messaging fit for purpose? Healthy eating lessons frequently deliver […]
Teachers and parents, let’s stop talking about lunch boxes
Teachers and Parents, It’s that time of year again! We’re approaching the start of the school year, which can bring about the parent lunch box shame beat ups and teacher bashing for policing them. This not only fills our social media feeds but consumes our own thoughts and feelings about food. It either challenges our […]
Who is to blame for lunch box policing?
The contents of a lunch box is a contentious issue. Parents battle with what to pack to meet school policy and guidelines; children don’t always eat what’s packed, and teachers encourage and entice kids to eat what’s served while trying to provide enough time to eat. Lunch box rules about what kind of food is […]
‘Healthy’ is what’s OUTSIDE the lunch box
Are you ready for it? It’s the beginning of the school year here in Australia and I’m holding my breath for the onslaught of the lunch box wars. The media will provide their two cents worth with sensationalist headlines, public health campaigns will come at us, while the food industry ramps up their advertising and […]
What happens when a child’s teacher is the lunch box police?
Perspective of a teacher and nutritionist The beginning of the school year is the peak season for the lunch box debate. I’ve been a teacher for 25 years and in the last five years, I’ve noticed the increased scrutiny and obsession of healthy lunches. ‘Old school’ playground chatter amongst parents has become ‘sharenting’ on social […]
Modern day superheroes in PE lessons: empowerment or oppression
Just under three years ago I started a new role as a physical education specialist teacher. Like in my previous role as a classroom teacher, including working in various leadership positions, I attend regular professional learning conferences and meetings to upskill my knowledge and skills in effective practices and pedagogy. In my first year of […]
Creating Calm Classroom Mealtimes
How to implement trauma-informed care when returning to school after isolation Trauma can have a long lasting physical and mental impact. Adverse experiences and events affect children in multiple ways. Prior to entering isolation, Australia endured some of the most catastrophic bushfires we’ve ever seen. While we do consider ourselves the lucky country, we’re not […]
Cultivating food freedom during self isolation
During the COVID19 period you’ve been thrown the biggest curve ball of your career and work life has moved from school to your home with little time to prepare. The transition was sudden and unprecedented, thrusting you into the unknown. This unknown has heightened our awareness of how we ‘live’ health, especially how we manage […]
The Solution to Healthy Eating WITHOUT Lunch Box Policing
School lunch boxes are always up for a heated debate in the media and these conversations are sometimes replicated in the school staffroom. Everyone has an opinion, some sprout their ‘own’ expertise in nutrition, while others push for nude food or a strict adherence of lunch box rules with notes sent home for failures to […]
