What elementary school students taught me about nutrition for kids
- May 13
- 3 min read
I recently had the pleasure of teaching a group of curious and engaged elementary schoolers about healthy eating. We talked about balanced nutrition and what that looks like, and then we prepared a balanced snack together. It had been a while since I had worked with younger students, and I'd never taught a class to elementary schoolers on my own, so I was a little nervous about how it would go. But it went well and was a lot of fun! Interacting with the students and hearing their comments and questions during the class reminded me of a few key concepts when it comes to nutrition for kids - and it even taught me some new things to remember as I go forward. Here are a few things that stuck out to me.
Kids can be more adventurous with food than one might think. No-pressure, fun-focused access to new foods might be a key part of this.
I asked the students to share their favorite foods, and I was surprised (from an American perspective, at least) to hear that so many of them love sushi. These students are mostly Americans living in Japan, like me. Conveyor-belt sushi restaurants are both a novelty and ubiquitous here - and they offer sushi in small portions and for low prices. I wonder if the low-pressure, fun atmosphere in which many of these students might have tried sushi may have contributed to so many of them loving it!
I was also surprised that almost all of the students tried and enjoyed the snack that we made together (Rainbow Salsa - mango pineapple black bean salsa with chips or crackers). Of course, tasting the salsa was always presented as a low-pressure option, not a mandate, which I think opened some students up more to the idea. Plus, they were involved in the creation of the snack, so tasting the creation kept the fun going.
Involving kids in the kitchen is a great way to teach many life skills - not just nutrition.
When we assembled the salsa snack together, I had already prepared to quiz the students on some math when talking about measurements of different ingredients. But after the class, I realized just how many life skills we all coincidentally practiced while we did the 20-minute activity of making the salsa together. We practiced reading a recipe, reading in general, taking turns, problem-solving and flexibility with recipe substitutions, motor skills with stirring gently and using different spoons and utensils, and more!
Balanced eating makes intuitive sense to kids.
We talked a lot about balanced eating in the class. I explained the concept, but even before I did, comments from the students showed me that balanced eating made intuitive sense to them. And when I asked the class, "Are treats good for you?" it inspired thought and chatter, not an unequivocal "no." Whether that means they're growing up in homes that foster positive, nourishing relationships with food, or if it just comes naturally to kids, I'm not sure, but either way, it was healing to witness! Restriction or vilification of any food group does not come intuitively. Without outside influence saying otherwise, it seems to make perfect sense to kids that we need to eat a wide variety of food groups to lead healthy lives!
If you want to challenge yourself on your knowledge of a topic, ask elementary schoolers if they have any questions.
You only really know something if you can explain it to someone, right? I opened myself up to testing my knowledge when I asked these brilliantly curious students if they had any questions. I had to research a few things after the class! (A few species of plants and whether they are edible or not, whether eating too many carrots can really make your skin turn orange (answer: actually yes, but it has to be a LOT of carrots), etc.)
If you have young students in your life, I encourage talking about food and nutrition in general with them: It's never too early to start building a positive, balanced, nourishing relationship with food. Invite kids into the kitchen to help with food preparation, cooking, or even meal planning or creating a grocery list. Or, start even simpler with a fun game that I wish I had had time to play during this recent class. This "Would you rather?" game breaks the ice on talking about the different food groups and gets kids thinking positively about food, balance, and variety in a fun way. It can help start the conversation, and then you can continue it - Ask them why they chose what they chose!
Thanks for reading. Have questions or comments? Email me here!
