We are what we eat

Hi everybody!

     In this group post we are going to talk about the impact and influence that nutrition has on the educational and personal development.

School must play a fundamental role in educating on feeding, teaching what foods provide the nutrients necessary for a complete development, their composition and benefits or harms to health. School canteens should also serve to teach the properties of each food, as well as include variety and quality of nutrients.

     Schoolars need to follow an adequate diet to grow, develop, be protected from diseases, and have enough energy to study, learn and be physically active.

     Diverse investigations argue that a good nutrition is related to a good academic efficiency, in addition to the physical and emotional well-being. When a student is well nourished their attitude and predisposition for study tends to be better. In this regard, it is appropriate to create and sustain statepolicies that contribute to a healthy diet in schools by implementing educational programs. But it is not enough to implement but also to do the corresponding follow-up that allows to know to what extent progress has been made with the achievement of the proposed objectives.

     From the role of teacher is necessary to promote healthy practices involving all students and their families As future teachers, we think it is interesting to teach how to eat well through games like the ones we propose below:

1. The first one is to make a collage of healthy foods, cutting fruit, vegetables, fish and meat from magazines and sticking them on a plastic plate (throwaway) to create a balanced menu. Of course, depending on the age, teacher should provide more or less help. With this game they will learn which are the healthiest foods, those that according to the food pyramid they must consume every day and which ones should be eaten sporadically.

2. The game of the rainbow, through which we encourage students to taste different fruits and vegetables. They should make a list with each color and then bring different  snaks every day of the week. It can be done based on the snak they bring to school or the luch of each day.

3. Who is who in the food pyramid: the first step is to draw and paint fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and other foods. The main goal is to cut out a pyramid on a piece of cardboard and stick it in the classroom. As they try the food, students should stick them in the pyramid where appropriate. They will keep in mind what foods are healthiest and should be eaten each day and which ones are better to eat from time to time.

     We hope you found it interesting and that you are encouraged to try this type of games related to food, an aspect very related to education and development.

"Education does not change the world, it changes the people who are going to change the world."

Paulo Freire