anti-food shaming practices in the garden

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Jezra Thompson

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Jun 10, 2021, 4:31:51 PM6/10/21
to School Garden Support Organization Network, Jackie Mendelson
Dear School Garden Educators, 

This summer we're revising our garden-based learning curriculum for elementary schools here at BUSD and we are thinking of strategies for including food neutral practices for our nutrition lessons. We're thinking about how we've taught nutrition historically and how to counter and approach the shaming or assumptions on body type that can be made. Do you have practices or lessons you can share that touch on this? 

Thank you! 

Jezra Thompson, MS
Supervisor, Districtwide Gardening & Cooking Programs 
Berkeley Unified School District 
Pronouns (she/her)

We teach garden-based and nutrition education at all schools! 
We support the health and academic success of all our students!







Andrea Kirkham

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Jun 11, 2021, 4:49:07 PM6/11/21
to Jezra Thompson, School Garden Support Organization Network, Jackie Mendelson

Hi Jezra,

This is an amazing question. So excited to see the responses.

 

We don’t have anything ready to go but are working on it. We hope to draft something that provides guidance for educators to avoid food and body shaming in the classroom, where children eat, in cooking environments, and gardening.

 

Off the top of my head, this would include tools to help educators:

·        Focus on food exploration, enjoying food and eating, and the “journey” of learning about food, growing food, cooking, etc. vs the goal (of doing any of this well or to “be healthy”)

·        Meet kids where they are at with their food and eating experiences. Some may have experienced pressure to eat, food insecurity, food or body shaming, etc. already and so just being sensitive to what is realistic and relevant for them.

·        Be inclusive about all foods (“healthy” or “not”), ways of eating (foodways, food security/access), and bodies (size, ability, etc.) in all activities.

·        Avoid ever commenting (whether to pressure, encourage, or praise) on any food that a child wants to try or chooses to eat (and whether they then reject or like that food). This is about maintaining an openness to learning and supporting their eating competence - and so avoiding food rules and not teaching them “adult jobs” such as focusing on what is healthy or not (especially important for children in younger grades).

 

I wish I had more to share re “how” to enact all of this, some references (Ellyn Satter is a go to), etc. Hoping to have something over the next few months. Looking forward to see what others are doing!

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks,

Andrea

Andrea Kirkham, PhD Student, MSc, RD (she/her)

Co-founder and Co-Director

Nutrition Education & Consulting

reimagining nutrition education

www.nutritioneducationconsulting.ca

416-557-7639

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Judy Sims

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Jun 14, 2021, 3:51:34 PM6/14/21
to Jezra Thompson, School Garden Support Organization Network, Jackie Mendelson
Great question and definitely an important consideration when approaching nutrition/food education.
I would be interested in any responses.  

As a garden educator I tend to emphasize that healthy soil helps grow healthy plants, when can then provide us with nutritious, delicious food.  We learn about composting and improving soil health, which, in turn, improves our health when we eat foods grown in this healthy, nutrient rich soil.   We have fun with "taste tests," too, like comparing a bagged, small carrot from the store with a garden fresh carrot harvested in our garden.  2nd graders decided to call freshly harvested snap peas as "nature's candy" because they think they're so sweet tasting!  Kids have harvested broccoli, celery, lettuce and more for the school salad bar, and are so proud when what they've grown is enjoyed as part of a healthy school lunch. 

 We've made kale chips from our own kale, right in the school kitchen under supervision of the lunch manager, and everyone loves them!  We've harvested and served up cooked heirloom fingerling potatoes, and they're yummy!  Each time food from the garden is introduced, posters are developed and messages shared about the nutritional benefit of that fresh produce.

I look forward to hearing ideas on nutrition education for elementary students!  I do enjoy the lessons and eating experiences I've developed on the food rainbow.

Judy Sims



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Judy Sims
Garden Education Program Development

3631 SW Admiral Street
Portland, OR  97221

Growing Edible Education and Healthy Children

Susanne Richards Zilberfarb

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Jun 14, 2021, 3:51:53 PM6/14/21
to Jezra Thompson, School Garden Support Organization Network, Jackie Mendelson
There's a book that may be helpful in your work. It's written by Michelle Payne Knoper, and there are several videos on YouTube you might be able to use. She may also be interested in working with you on this - if I were you, I'd reach out for sure. 
Here's a link to her website:
Susanne

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Susanne Richards Zilberfarb
Now sipping coffee and checking emails at
Maryland Ag Education Foundation www.maefonline.com 
Please direct soybean questions to Danielle Bauer, the new ED at
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Maryland Soybean Board www.mdsoy.com

mcgu...@gmail.com

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Jun 14, 2021, 6:36:20 PM6/14/21
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There is a wonderful book that has been seminal in this discussion around rejecting diet culture in general. It's called Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch and there is an entire chapter about raising "intuitive eaters" with kids. The suggestions are so helpful and the framework in general is an inclusive approach to eating that encourages us to rely on our own body cues for what and how much to eat (we are all born with these cues!! Kids usually have an easier time than adults at getting back in touch with them). The entire approach is weight and food neutral (there are no "bad" or "good" foods) which I think is a really important part of working with kids and food and avoiding food shame.

Shannon Stewart

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Jun 14, 2021, 8:35:50 PM6/14/21
to mcgu...@gmail.com, School Garden Support Organization Network
While I agree that food shaming should no longer be in any kind of garden or nutritional science education in schools, I wholeheartedly believe that not all food is created equal. 
This should be taught to (and experienced by) students. At all ages.

I have to say I’m a bit disappointed (and have been vocal about this on LinkedIn) about what our school district (San Diego Unified) puts out on social media, touting their ability to offer free food to all students. 

It’s food—but primarily frozen:

Tacos, burritos, empanadas, pizza, corn dogs.
On rotation. With a cutie and an apple. 
I know this because I’m a parent in the district, and have picked up the food on different days of the week.

It’s all processed, carb heavy, sugar laden, without a ton of variety (we have more than cuties and apples growing in this region, last I checked). 

All we are doing is encouraging the kids to continue on this path—addiction to carbs and sugar. 

Where does the farm to school program come in? What about all the gardens in this (and many other) school districts that  produce food, that cannot be distributed to students due to so many pages of rules and bureaucracy?

There’s a reason why Jamie Oliver quit trying to change the school food system in America—it’s run by “old white men” who think that any food is “good enough.”


We shouldn’t dance so lightly around this issue.
 We should allow kids to experience how they FEEL eating these frozen foods vs wholesome and nutritionally dense fruits, vegetables and better ingredients for simple recipes at home. 

It’s a conversation vs a shaming moment. It shouldn’t ever be centered on body weight/image/appearance and instead focus on energy levels, abilities of the brain to focus and learn, and shaping a lifelong understanding and appreciation of food choices.

Kids have choice! And a voice to express their choice. 

~Shannon

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 14, 2021, at 3:36 PM, mcgu...@gmail.com <mcgu...@gmail.com> wrote:

There is a wonderful book that has been seminal in this discussion around rejecting diet culture in general. It's called Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch and there is an entire chapter about raising "intuitive eaters" with kids. The suggestions are so helpful and the framework in general is an inclusive approach to eating that encourages us to rely on our own body cues for what and how much to eat (we are all born with these cues!! Kids usually have an easier time than adults at getting back in touch with them). The entire approach is weight and food neutral (there are no "bad" or "good" foods) which I think is a really important part of working with kids and food and avoiding food shame.

Justine Appel

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Jun 15, 2021, 8:24:09 AM6/15/21
to Shannon Stewart, mcgu...@gmail.com, School Garden Support Organization Network
Hey there! I really appreciate the nuance of what you’re saying, but I don’t think I agree with you about kids having a choice. Many (most?) kids don’t have a choice about what they eat at home. It’s the adults who can make choices in this realm - and often, parents are choosing between fresh/“whole” foods and a variety of other needs. As school staff, of course you should pressure your school administration to apportion more of its budget to foods that will feed kids’ brains. 

But that doesn’t address the curriculum piece. I think the origin of this question (and the original asker can correct me if I’m wrong) is in teaching a food curriculum that doesn’t build into kids the idea that, if they’re eaten frozen/junk food at home, that their households are “bad” or doing something wrong. Yes, expose kids to the wonders of nutritious food. But alongside that, plant in them the political consciousness to understand why everyone doesn’t have access to that kind of food all the time. (I’ve had really amazing discussions with kids about this - their curiosity and ability to understand complicated issues never ceases to surprise me). So when they finally DO start to have more control over what they eat, they aren’t stuck in (what is fundamentally) a classist framework of healthy eating. I don’t know - does that make sense? This is my gut reaction, but I know there’s a lot I don’t understand and am open to feedback here. 


Justine Appel (she/her/hers)
Agricultural Arts & RtI Ed Tech III
Brooksville Elementary School
207-326-8500
jap...@brooksvilleschool.org



Henriksen, Rebekka

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Jun 15, 2021, 10:35:06 AM6/15/21
to mcgu...@gmail.com, Shannon Stewart, School Garden Support Organization Network
I think the discussion around what school menus include and how to teach nutrition without using shaming language are perhaps separate. Food district sourcing is complicated, particularly when funded by federal grant programs. Yes, a main thrust of Farm to School is improving school menus by increasing locally sourced products and reduce heavily processed foods, but when districts are sourcing through large corps like Sodexo there are challenges. That said, many districts actually have the ability to waive various regs to get small amounts of produce into cafeterias/classrooms. I think advocating for menu changes and the language we use around nutrition ed are separate efforts.

Rebekka Henriksen
Farm to School Grant Facilitator
Schenectady City School District
518-929-8590
From: 'Shannon Stewart' via School Garden Support Organization Network <school-gar...@googlegroups.com>
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Susanne Richards Zilberfarb
Now sipping coffee and checking emails at
Maryland Ag Education Foundation www.maefonline.com 
Please direct soybean questions to Danielle Bauer, the new ED at
Delaware Soybean Board www.desoybeans.org
Maryland Soybean Board www.mdsoy.com

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Shital Parikh

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Jun 15, 2021, 4:54:21 PM6/15/21
to Justine Appel, Shannon Stewart, mcgu...@gmail.com, School Garden Support Organization Network
Very insightful email and food for thought.  Thanks
This thread is very helpful in linking School Gardens to curriculum at Middle School and High School level. I know Ag in the classroom has these discussion points, but I don't see much discussion along these lines in MS and HS Green Clubs as the focus is more on STEM learning and plants and biology or eating healthy and fresh. I'll share with MS and HS green Clubs as a topic of discussion.  thanks
Shital Parikh
Master Gardener, School Garden Consultant
"To plant a garden, is to believe in tomorrow" Audrey Hepburn


To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/school-garden-network/2BCBEF03-244D-4D56-9924-B64D36AFAFB8%40brooksvilleschool.org.

Manzano Janelle

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Jun 15, 2021, 8:24:18 PM6/15/21
to Henriksen, Rebekka, mcgu...@gmail.com, Shannon Stewart, School Garden Support Organization Network

Hi all,

 

I wanted to chime in – I am the current F2S Program Coordinator with San Diego Unified. I am under Food Services and yes, sourcing can be complicated as we rely on grants and student participation (through USDA reimbursement) for funding. (We are self operated). Though it should be noted that our distributor does in fact know of our F2S goals and tries to source as many items for us locally as they are aware that we are part of the “California Food For California Kids” initiative with The Center for Ecoliteracy.

 

I believe there’s a large gap between nutrition ed in the classroom and what’s being served in the cafeteria. Many food services across the country are working towards more of these Farm to School efforts (procuring locally, plant based items, scratch cooking) but if students aren’t eating/participating in school meal program then we don’t have funding to continue or expand these Farm to School efforts. Or if they aren’t eating an item then we have to take it off the menu. Again, we are a self operating business and must balance supply & demand.

 

Therefore- I believe the conversation of nutrition education and cafeteria go hand in hand.

 

Even in my role, I am technically not allowed to do Nutrition Education. I hold nutrition presentations through a “marketing and promotion” lens. But this is better because when I teach Eat the Rainbow, for example, I relate the lesson back to the salad bar. Or if I teach MyPlate then I give examples of entrée items they will see on their trays in the cafeteria during lunch. (i.e why the free-range chicken drumstick is a better choice than the chicken nuggets or reminding them they don’t need to take a milk at all). I have been working with our STEAM department, County Nutrition Educators, and some garden educators to incorporate this type of lens as well in their lessons.

 

Despite all this – our Food Services has definitely took a hit this past year due to COVID-19 curbside meals. We lack our usual labor force and funding to continue our usual F2S efforts. The only F2S program we are really able to execute is Harvest of the Month, and I have been able to host virtual tastings with a mindful eating exercise once a month.

 

Would be happy to discuss on this further!! I find this misunderstanding very common. My goal is to balance the work between F2S Food Services (and the bureaucracy of school districts in general) with the community/school gardens. 😊

 

Kindly,

Janelle Manzano, MPH

Food and Nutrition Services Dept. || Farm to School Program Specialist

858.836.8901|| jman...@sandi.net || 6735 Gifford Way, Rm. 5 || San Diego, CA 92111-6509

San Diego Unified - Food and Nutrition Services Logo Only  

“Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.” – Michael Pollan

 

Contact me for nutrition lessons for K-12 students, food service/farm to school presentations for parents, or school garden support!  

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zwar...@gmail.com

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Jun 16, 2021, 1:30:42 PM6/16/21
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I have a problem with a lot of the garden fresh healthy food lessons. I've seen kids, that are taught by garden educators that organic is better, refuse food from their parents just because it's not organic. The family was being evicted and any food at all was a struggle. We must always meet our students where they are. Teach nutrition based on what is available to those students. So what if the cafeteria is only giving you apples and cuties. How many are being eaten? Work on getting more kids to try and then eat their cuties and apples. Yes garden carrots are better than plastic bag carrots. But what is available is plastic bag carrots and that is still better than potato chips. Some one said kids don't have choices. That's mostly true. They can eat what is given to them or not. Help them be willing to eat the healthy foods that are given to them. 

I bring dry good, and canned good when I teach nutrition. I specifically get what has been in the food banks boxes recently. But I never point that out. It's just part of the examples of healthy food. Kids don't always know where their food at home comes from, but there were several kids that pointed out that they had the same food at home. They were happy to see their home life included. 

A nutritionist told me that canned food is the best source of nutrition for families in challenging home situations. If their power is out, it won't go bad. Some things can be eaten straight out of the can. Other things like beans need less cooking time from the can than from dry which mean a lower power bill. 

Be kind.

Shannon Stewart

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Jun 16, 2021, 3:17:21 PM6/16/21
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Canned food/beans/soups are an excellent source of nutrition!

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 16, 2021, at 10:30 AM, zwar...@gmail.com <zwar...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have a problem with a lot of the garden fresh healthy food lessons. I've seen kids, that are taught by garden educators that organic is better, refuse food from their parents just because it's not organic. The family was being evicted and any food at all was a struggle. We must always meet our students where they are. Teach nutrition based on what is available to those students. So what if the cafeteria is only giving you apples and cuties. How many are being eaten? Work on getting more kids to try and then eat their cuties and apples. Yes garden carrots are better than plastic bag carrots. But what is available is plastic bag carrots and that is still better than potato chips. Some one said kids don't have choices. That's mostly true. They can eat what is given to them or not. Help them be willing to eat the healthy foods that are given to them. 
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Illene Pevec

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Jun 18, 2021, 2:26:44 PM6/18/21
to Jezra Thompson, School Garden Support Organization Network, Jackie Mendelson
I suggest an "Eating the Rainbow" for your program. I have done some work in Brazil with children's gardens for improved nutrition and was impressed with the usefulness of this focus of a national program there about a decade ago to combat malnutrition. I have use it with preschoolers also and if one thinks about eating a rainbow every day it gives a framework for exploring the garden to find one color a day. or something of each color, but also discussion of many issues of diversity and importance of diversity in the plant world for all the other life forms to thrive including humans.
I hope this is helpful to you.
IMG_5437.jpg

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Illène Pevec, PhD


Growing a Life: Teen Gardeners Harvest Food, Health and Joy,  published by New Village Press, 2016


"Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. Begin it now! "
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Anna Jackson

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Jun 18, 2021, 6:43:50 PM6/18/21
to Illene Pevec, Jezra Thompson, School Garden Support Organization Network, Jackie Mendelson
Such an important topic! 
Working with teens, we get questions all the time about diets, "the teas that the Kardashians drink", and spend lots of time correcting misconceptions about diets in general.  Our Nutrition Educator developed a lesson about intuitive eating and loves this book-


We try to teach that nutrition is about balance and nourishment instead of calorie counting or restricting yourself from eating certain foods.  Providing the information about how to read a nutrition label, being mindful of the added sugars in beverages, etc.  We've also learned that bridging nutrition to athletic performance is a great way to connect the concepts of food as nourishment, and since sports rule the universe for most of our youth, we also have a lesson about nutrition and athletics.  You can see the lightbulb go on when kids consider how well they play soccer after eating a good breakfast versus the alternative. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/school-garden-network/CAJoUdtKH376MVgOmoENv_v8Xncjb_qxPDV4eKn-Qifzb4KGcSQ%40mail.gmail.com.


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Anna Jackson, MPP
Farm to School Coordinator

Healthy Schools Chair, 
Partnership for a Healthy Ventura County


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