FoodED - Beyond Standardized Tests: Why Food Education Should Be Prioritized In Schools

Beyond Standardized Tests: Why Food Education Should Be Prioritized In Schools

06/16/23 • 20 min

On this episode of FoodED, Lana Elgart sat down with Ryanne Plaisance, the Head of School at Argo Novice School, and Carrie Hartman, the Director of Culinary Programs. The trio discussed food education in schools and how it can be integrated into the core curriculum to help children live healthier lifestyles.

The guests share how their school program incorporates food education, including traveling to different parts of the world virtually and incorporating authentic food from local restaurants. They discuss the importance of educating teachers on health and nutrition topics and becoming partners in health to prioritize wellness in schools.

The podcast also covers the challenges in implementing such programs and how to creatively integrate food education into other core classes. Finally, the host encourages listeners to think about how they can support food education in their own communities.

Timestamps:

[00:02:46] A little about our guests and how their school emphasizes food education and uses it as a vehicle for change.

[00:06:15] Cooking teaches math and science to preschoolers and encourages them to try new foods. The program connects with global citizenship, virtual travel, community, and authentic flavors. Carrie plans meals and hosts tasting sessions to get kids' feedback and buy-in.

[00:07:57] Tastings help children expand their vocabulary and openness to try new foods. Teachers encourage feedback and the phrase "I'm not into it today, but I'll try it again some other time" is often recited.

[00:12:30] Is there enough time for educating kids on nutrition? Time is always a factor, but nutrition can be weaved into other classes like science and math. Schools should get creative and integrate nutrition objectives with core classes.

Timestamps:

[00:02:46] A little about our guests and how their school emphasizes food education and uses it as a vehicle for change.

Previous Episode

Teaching Families to Reinvent Their Cooking with Cynthia Salas Salgado

Teaching Families to Reinvent Their Cooking

In this episode of the FoodEd, we have Cynthia Salas Salgado, the manager for identification and recruitment for the Ventura County Office of Education’s migrant education programs. She leads efforts to locate migrant families and provide them with opportunities throughout education platforms.

Listen in to learn the importance of prioritizing providing nutritious meals to sustain the health and development of kids. You will also learn how Cynthia is helping teach families how to reinvent their cooking using the ingredients they already have to make healthy meals.

What You Will Discover:

· 00:00 Teaching Families to Reinvent Their Cooking

· 01:41 How Cynthia leads efforts to offer education opportunities to migrant families.

· 03:13 How County offices of education make themselves available to support schools.

· 05:55 Why most schools are seeking mental health services and resources such as food.

· 08:34 The importance of prioritizing healthy nutrition to sustain kids’ health and development.

· 12:47 The importance of food education in preparing kids to become health-conscious adults.

· 15:20 How to reinvent our food from unhealthy to healthy while incorporating culture.

· 22:45 Cynthia’s favorite food, plus her efforts in teaching families how to cook differently.

Connect with Cynthia:

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiasalas805/

Next Episode

Kosher Food in a Jewish Classroom: The Intersection of Tradition and Education with Dean Goldfein

On this episode of FoodED, Svetlana Elgart, the host of the show, sits down with Dean Goldfein, the head of the Contra Costa Jewish Day School in the San Francisco Bay area, to discuss the role of food in the classroom. The school has been around for several decades and has 150+ students in grades K-8. It's a community Jewish day school that does not have any particular denominational affiliation, but roughly half the families are affiliated with a particular denomination of Judaism.

The school keeps kosher to an Orthodox modern standard because some families in the community are traditionally religious. The podcast explores the latest research and best practices in food education and aims to create a school environment that promotes thriving food education for all students.

Timestamps

00:02:14 A community Jewish day school with no denominational affiliation, Hebrew Judaics make up approximately 30% of the day, with a focus on humanities and critical thinking skills. Speaking modern Hebrew is emphasized due to its importance among half of the global Jewish population.

00:04:18 The school was founded with a diverse community and a strong math program. Israeli food development was also discussed.

00:07:59 The Torah has sections on what Jews can and cannot eat, including pork and shellfish. Goldfein now keeps to kosher provision protocols and does not mix milk and meat. He sees it as a way to be respectful of tradition and aware of what he's eating. There may not be any real nutritional or health benefits.

00:12:11 Working in a community school, Goldfein understands the challenges of catering to different Jewish dietary practices without excluding anyone. Living traditionally observant in San Francisco is difficult due to the limited availability of kosher options.

00:14:22 Hot lunch program with healthy options and limited meat. The school community struggles with sugary snacks and cultural traditions.

00:19:34 School offers a hot lunch program Tue-Thu, with rotating options & vegetarian alternatives. Kitchen open Mon/Fri for hands-on nutrition lessons.

00:23:09 Schools prioritize physical and mental wellness, with a focus on movement and outdoor activities. Encouragement to avoid prepackaged foods, setting limits on ordering out, and promoting healthy home-cooked meals.

00:27:08 Health, wellness, and movement in school are important.

00:29:09 Closing remarks: promote student success.

Connect with Dean Goldfein

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-goldfein-979ab14

Website: https://www.ccjds.org/about/administration-and-staff/