- YTC Quicklinks
As a YTC leader, you can help create opportunities for youth to develop assets that will help them grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible individuals. You can do this by:
- Learning the names of youth and greeting them by name at each session.
- Taking time to talk with youth and getting to know them.
- Expecting youth to behave responsibly. Let them know what is expected of them during YTC sessions, including rules and consequences.
- Encouraging everyone to be respectful of one another.
- Choosing to see youth for their assets and not their limitations.
- Giving feedback along with encouragement.
YTC offers a unique opportunity for adults to model healthy attitudes and behaviours for youth.
- Teaching cooking to youth
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Most people learn best by doing, so whenever possible, allow youth to try tasks on their own.
Youth will need to be supervised when they are using knives and sharp kitchen utensils (e.g., graters, peelers and blenders) Review food safety, as well as the importance of handwashing and cleanliness at each cooking session. The youth may not know the name of different utensils, cooking terms and appliances used in the kitchen. It is important to begin each class with a review of the terms and supplies that will be used.
- Sampling the recipes and discussion
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When youth are tasting the recipes at the end of the session, they will likely talk about what they like and do not like about them. Many of the youth will be trying some foods for the first time. It is important not to pressure anyone to try something if they do not want to. Children often need to see a food up to 15 times before they are willing to taste it and they are more likely to want to try a food if they feel no pressure. Some adults feel that a ‘one bite rule’ is helpful. They feel that if the child has ‘one bite’ of a new food, they will realize that it is tasty and want to eat more. This is not recommended in YTC sessions as this is a form of pressure.
- Talking about food and eating
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When students see the adults in their lives enjoying a variety of foods, they are more likely to do so themselves. When children see adult influencers speaking negatively of certain foods and beverages or dieting to lose weight, they receive the wrong message from a person they look to for guidance.
What is the best way to teach students about eating?
The best way to teach students about eating is through a positive and inclusive approach. Place the focus on the importance of food to give us energy to learn, play, grow and keep our bodies functioning. Reinforce that eating looks different for everyone and will depend on many factors including family and cultural context, food access and availability, personal preferences, allergies and intolerances, and personal experiences.
Should I teach students about calories and nutrients?
Children are concrete thinkers and it is not until age 12 that they start to understand abstract concepts such as nutrition. For students in grades K-8, rather than emphasizing the health benefits of certain foods, try to inspire curiosity about food through experiential learning and food exploration. Emphasizing health benefits does not support learning to accept foods and can lead to anxiety for some students. Focusing on building skills related to growing, identifying and preparing foods can go further in supporting the life-long enjoyment of a variety of foods.
Should I be talking about “unhealthy foods” or “junk foods”?
Try talking about all foods in a neutral manner. Labelling food into “good or bad”, “healthy or unhealthy” categories promote “all or none” thinking without considering the many factors that influence eating patterns including food skills, convenience, food availability and socioeconomic and family situation.
While it is true that some foods are more nutritious than others, that doesn’t mean they are superior foods. There are many ways that food can promote health and fuel our bodies. Some foods provide us with energy, pleasure or have cultural significance, and sometimes it is simply the social aspect of eating that allows food to contribute to our mental well-being.
How can I support students to listen to their hunger and fullness cues?
Our bodies provide us with internal cues such as hunger and fullness signals that can guide us to eat the types of food our body needs in the right amounts. It is important to encourage children to follow these cues.
Human beings have long tied food to emotion, culture and tradition; this means that sometimes people eat for reasons other than hunger. These reasons can be in response to positive or negative emotions, celebrations or daily routines. Teach students the difference between physical and emotional reasons for eating. Physical hunger is based on the biological need for food. Emotional hunger can lead us to eat in response to feelings such as sadness, anxiety, happiness or anger. Emotional eating is normal and can be an effective coping strategy when used moderately and in combination with other non-food-based strategies.
Positive eating habits include enjoying all foods without experiencing feelings of fear or guilt around eating particular foods.
Content in the “Talking about food and eating” section is adapted with permission from the KFL&A resource, A Tool for Every Educator.’
Hand out copies of the Food Guide Snapshot or refer youth to Canada’s Food Guide for more information.
If participants ask questions that you are not able to answer or that deal with issues of body weight, dieting or calories, refer them to the UnlockFood.ca website or to Health Connect Ontario (toll-free at 8-1-1) to speak with a Registered Dietitian.
- Involving parents
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Support from parents/guardians is important for youth to be able to practice what they learn during YTC sessions. Parents and guardians must feel that their child can safely use equipment and follow recipes. Take the opportunity to speak with parents and guardians, when possible, to reassure them that youth aged 10 and up should be able to do almost any task in the kitchen safely. Encourage them to allow their child in the kitchen to prepare meals together. Invite them to participate in one or more of the sessions if possible.
Questions? Email us at ytc@wdgpublichealth.ca
