Spare the "Nutrition," Spoil the Child with Good Food

I was just listening to a woman from the Center for Science in the Public Interest speaking with Ed Schultz on his  radio show about children and obesity. Now we all recognize that this is a huge  ( sorry) problem in America, as well as in Britain and elsewhere, and much has been said and written about it. But this morning, after chat about changing what is in school vending machines, and an acknowledgment that  lunchrooms have slowly improved their offerings,  the speaker said something about "teaching nutrition" in schools.

Please, no. Turning the food thing into a nutrition lesson will kill off anyone's appetite. ( Except for those of budding biochemists, perhaps.)  Imagine the young eyes glazing over when asked to focus on good and bad fats, which vitamins do what, amino acids--huh?, and so on.  This seems to play right  into the "fear  food" syndrome that appears so bizarre to many Europeans.

Kids need to experience what good food really is--from growing their own veggies, to cooking up tasty meals full of variety, to sitting down with classmates and teachers and family and eating well. And cleaning up!

They also could take pleasure in knowing where food comes from, who raises it, and what its  history is.  ( Yes, The FOOD Museum offers proven educational programs along these lines!)

Interspersed with all that, like green peas in basmati rice, could be inserted stealth nuggets about nutrition...

( Pic from www.newmexicokids.org/.../index.htm.)

Comments

[Cynthia]

Absolutely right. Kids learn best by participation. And planting and cooking really are fun, and once kids are hooked, it will likely continue.

Plus, if you start telling kids something is forbidden, it gains a caché it didn't have before, and it makes the bad food even more desirable.

[foodie]

Glad you concur, Cynthia. And--Aha! The lure of the forbidden, yes.

Somewhat related---I showed Foodie Spouse a chocolate cookie I had discovered ( okay, at Trader Joe's)--micro thin, crisp and intensely choco-ish--and said that I was delighted to eat maybe 5 of these a day--15 of them equal 115 calories.So 5 are, well, virtually nothing in an active person's life.

So I walked in the door and he announced sheepishly that he had gobbled up about 20 of them...

[donowonder]

I am a Food Service Director at a facility that prepares 450,000 meals per year. 200,000 are for children 15 and under. I was asked to be a substitute teacher at a local private elementary school for three days and was given a very bad sylibus. I was abel to put together a very easy program that included history, chemistry, biology, physics lab, math, economics and environmental sutdies that the 5th and 6th graders loved and took home in such a manner they cooked several meals for their own families. All good nutrition and some new items they would probably never try without the class. If presented correctly, kids can and will eat properly.

[foodie]

Good for you! I wonder if you were able to leave the program behind to be used by others at that school.

[longer]

why do not you like China food?
I like apple,and I eat it every day
and you?
contact me by
ch_ture@yahoo.com

[pubmusic]

I was 420 paund year ago.i did good diyey and dirink lot water ,now 175 paund i am werry happy

[susan rubin]

you are SO right that it is about FOOD and not "nutrition"! not baked chips, reformulated 100 claorie packs of fat free chemicallized cookies. how about fresh fruits and vegetables locally grown? or better yet, grown in a school garden?

check out the soon to be released feature film on school food: 2 Angry Moms.
www.angrymoms.org

We've got a great music video that you can watch online.

Dr. Susan Rubin
angry mom who wants better school FOOD, not nutrition!

[Arkadaslik]

I can`t cook i know feast food bad but i have no johice

[Dan Wodarcyk]

There's a well written "letter from the editor" by Ruth Reichl in this past months Gourmet re: children and food. I agree with what an above writer said about introducing childern to "good food." Her point was, don't prepare a grilled cheese or plain pasta when the grown ups are eating their grown up food. I am enjoying your articles and look forward to a visit. Wish Copia here in Napa had followed your lead.

[foodie]

Angry Moms--I will be doing a blog entry about you soon--thanks for weighing in.