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rivkaAlex's nursery school newsletter this month brought the news that "Bolton Hill Nursery will be the recipient of a free nutrition education program - Food Is Elementary - for preschool and elementary school students. [...] The Food Studies Institute is devoted to changing the health destinies of children through proper nutrition and education. The curriculum is designed to create a positive experience of plant-based (fruits, veggies, grains) foods and food preparation that is fun, hands-on, and sensory-based."
Well, that sounds nice, but I read Junkfood Science, and it's made me skeptical of "nutrition education" as it tends to be offered in schools. So I looked up the Food Studies Institute and found this description of the lessons.
Now I am writing a letter to the parent and Board member who is listed as a contact person for the program. I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions people may have, especially from a Size Acceptance/Health At Any Size perspective and/or an "I know preschoolers" perspective.
Here's the letter:
Hi [name redacted],
I saw in the Bolton Hill newsletter that the "Food is Elementary" program is going to be offered at Bolton Hill Nursery this fall. I'm [Rivka], and my daughter Alex is in the Yellowbird room. I looked at the foodstudies.org website, and I have a few questions about the program.
Generally speaking, could you please give me an idea of how the program as described on the website here:
http://www.foodstudies.org/Curriculum/LessonSummaries.htm
will be adapted for nursery school kids?
Some parts look great to me, like the lessons about exploring different fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and doing hands-on cooking in the classroom. But I'm concerned about whether the curriculum gives kids messages that fats, sugar, and refined grains are "bad."
The lesson summaries mention teaching children that fat will clog up their arteries and that they should count fat and sugar grams in food. I'm assuming that this will be adapted, given that most of our kids are still learning to count at all! But given that fat is an essential dietary requirement, and that it's recommended that preschoolers get 25-35% of their calories from fat, I'm worried that there might be confusion if the children are taught that fat will make them sick.
Could you also please give me a sense of whether the curriculum will teach that some foods are "good" and other foods are "bad?" We try to avoid such judgments in our family, because I think they lead to an unhealthy, dieting-oriented mentality. I am particularly worried about introducing those concepts in nursery school, because children this age are such concrete thinkers and tend to see things in strict black and white.
Finally, are there any messages in the program that it is bad to be fat/overweight/obese, or that children should try to avoid becoming fat? As you may know, dieting and body image problems are becoming more and more common in children, and are now appearing in the early elementary years. I would be very concerned about my child being exposed in school to messages about the importance of restricting weight gain, especially at a time when she is growing so rapidly.
Again, it looks as though the curriculum has many segments that are highly positive and offer the kids opportunity for fun exploration. I'm hoping that you can put my mind at ease about these other elements!
I can be reached at this e-mail address, or at [phone numbers]
Thanks very much,
[Rivka]
Well, that sounds nice, but I read Junkfood Science, and it's made me skeptical of "nutrition education" as it tends to be offered in schools. So I looked up the Food Studies Institute and found this description of the lessons.
Now I am writing a letter to the parent and Board member who is listed as a contact person for the program. I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions people may have, especially from a Size Acceptance/Health At Any Size perspective and/or an "I know preschoolers" perspective.
Here's the letter:
Hi [name redacted],
I saw in the Bolton Hill newsletter that the "Food is Elementary" program is going to be offered at Bolton Hill Nursery this fall. I'm [Rivka], and my daughter Alex is in the Yellowbird room. I looked at the foodstudies.org website, and I have a few questions about the program.
Generally speaking, could you please give me an idea of how the program as described on the website here:
http://www.foodstudies.org/Curriculum/LessonSummaries.htm
will be adapted for nursery school kids?
Some parts look great to me, like the lessons about exploring different fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and doing hands-on cooking in the classroom. But I'm concerned about whether the curriculum gives kids messages that fats, sugar, and refined grains are "bad."
The lesson summaries mention teaching children that fat will clog up their arteries and that they should count fat and sugar grams in food. I'm assuming that this will be adapted, given that most of our kids are still learning to count at all! But given that fat is an essential dietary requirement, and that it's recommended that preschoolers get 25-35% of their calories from fat, I'm worried that there might be confusion if the children are taught that fat will make them sick.
Could you also please give me a sense of whether the curriculum will teach that some foods are "good" and other foods are "bad?" We try to avoid such judgments in our family, because I think they lead to an unhealthy, dieting-oriented mentality. I am particularly worried about introducing those concepts in nursery school, because children this age are such concrete thinkers and tend to see things in strict black and white.
Finally, are there any messages in the program that it is bad to be fat/overweight/obese, or that children should try to avoid becoming fat? As you may know, dieting and body image problems are becoming more and more common in children, and are now appearing in the early elementary years. I would be very concerned about my child being exposed in school to messages about the importance of restricting weight gain, especially at a time when she is growing so rapidly.
Again, it looks as though the curriculum has many segments that are highly positive and offer the kids opportunity for fun exploration. I'm hoping that you can put my mind at ease about these other elements!
I can be reached at this e-mail address, or at [phone numbers]
Thanks very much,
[Rivka]
