What Is it All About?
Student leaders display photographs of sample lunches of typical youth in a common area of the school and challenge peers to decide whether each is healthy per Canada’s Food Guide, and what changes can make meals healthier if needed.
Why Do It?
Taking a realistic look and what students and their classmates eat each day can help them make healthier options.
How Do We Do It?
Student leaders hang photographs of generic lunches that youths commonly bring to school (e.g., tuna wrap, apple, cookies, pop).
Student leaders challenge their peers walking through the hallway to think critically to identify:
- what food groups from Canada’s Food Guide are present in a lunch;
- whether the serving sizes are appropriate for a person their age;
- whether they think the lunch is healthy; and
- what can make the lunch healthier.
Reward participating students with a healthy snack, or celebrate them in a way that doesn’t involve food (e.g., give them a pen, school button, healthy eating sticker).
What Else Do We Need?
- Copies of Canada’s Food Guide
- Illustrations of lunch items
How Do We Get Creative?
Students’ bring pictures of their favourite dishes in to share with the class.
Invite a local chef to school to teach how to make some quick and simple healthy meals at home.
Adapted from: Ophea. (2015). Level Up.