When did we start eating for pleasure and not as a means to nourish our bodies?
I often see people eating a cookie and drinking coffee to relax or enjoying a cupcake with their morning coffee. These types of foods provide no nutritional value, and can even leave us feeling guilty or ashamed.
My first impression is that people eat unhealthy foods because they genuinely lack the information to make better decisions. Nutritional information is buried in pages of ingredient lists and scientific studies, so even if someone wanted to know what's in their pizza or fizzy drink they would not be able to find this type of information that easily.
Being a Health Coach student I try to learn about proper nutrition so I can pass the information to others. But, I must admit it can be hard for a lot of us to follow through when we are surrounded by unhealthy options everywhere we go.
Teaching Nutrition and Wellness in Schools
Now, that's a great idea. Teaching kids about proper eating habits and how to stay active can help prevent future health issues including obesity. In my opinion, it is never too early to start learning about nutrition and how to eat the right foods. That way when they get older they will already know how to make the best decisions for their health.
I love this idea because children are incredible learners and they are great at adapting to new ideas. I think that by the time they are teenagers it will be easier for them to understand the concept of proper nutrition.
Nutrition classes can help students learn the importance of nourishing their bodies with proper food. By learning about nutrition early in life you can start to change your habits with the hope that you won't have to make them so drastic later in life.
Children can learn how to read food labels and pick out healthy choices. They can learn about healthy foods, exercise, proper hydration, and how to take action when feeling stressed out.
If we can get support from teachers, parents, doctors and communities we will be able to make a huge difference in the lives of our children. Yes, it is time we start teaching nutrition in schools so that we can raise generations filled with healthy adults.
But, what can we do to make this a reality?
Rewriting the Future with Our Kids
Let's take a look at the food pyramid as it relates to children.
Fruits and vegetables provide an important source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre needed for good health. Except for certain foods (i.e. beans and peas), most fruits and vegetables are low in fat and naturally low in calories. Many vegetables contain potassium, dietary fibre, folate (folic acid), iron, calcium or vitamin C.
Do you know how many of these foods you can find at a fast food restaurant?
Usually, none.
Fast food restaurants do not offer anything on the menu that is in alignment with the foods mentioned above. You can usually find things like chips/french fries and hamburgers but they are loaded with salt, preservatives and high amounts of fat. This type of food does not provide the body with the nutrients that are needed to keep it healthy.
So what are we supposed to do? If we were to write a new food pyramid based on science and evidence I would start with the following:
Fruits and vegetables - These make up the majority of our diet. Fruits include apples, bananas, oranges, melons, berries and citrus fruit. Vegetables include broccoli, squash, carrots, leafy greens and tomatoes. You get the idea.
Dairy - Low-fat and fat-free milk, cheeses, yogurt and butter or margarine should be consumed as opposed to full fat.
Whole grains - Whole grains can include cornmeal, oatmeal, wheat kernels and brown rice.
Meat - this group should include low fat meats such as lean ham, chicken turkey, etc (I'm vegetarian so hesitant when adding this section but I'm aware not everyone is ready to turn vegetarian or vegan).
Pulse - Beans, lentils, chick peas.
Fish, shellfish and seafood - This group should include fish rich in oils. Thank salmon, tuna, sardines, etc as well as seafood (prawns, crab, mussels, etc.)
Vegetables oils - these include olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, etc.
This pyramid highlights the foods we should prioritise in our diets. The concept of these foods in a pyramid is easy to understand, even if it may seem intimidating for those used to eating fast food.
Also, it is important to remember that a healthy diet should also include physical activity.
Making a Difference
We have the ability to make a difference by teaching children about nutrition. By making this a part of our lives we can feel good about choosing healthy foods instead of the unhealthy things that are so readily available.
I would have loved to have learned about nutrition when I was growing up. Learning about how to eat healthy foods would have saved me from a lot of trouble, but, I don't blame my family or general upbringing. The information just wasn't readily available and I doubt there was enough incentive for the grown-ups to seek it out.
I hope we can help rewrite the future in a way that promotes healthy habits, so that we can spend less time looking for medical treatments that can end up being highly expensive, or, even worse, simply unavailable. Being proactive can make a big difference in our lives and our longevity.
If we are going to promote nutrition in the schools we we need to make sure that the education system is open to this idea. We need to get together with other parents, doctors and scientists and start researching methods to implement healthy eating habits in children at a young age.
Perhaps, one day, it will be easier for us all to learn about how we should fuel our bodies for optimal health.
