Rethink Food Literacy Education with BrightBites

Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH) is proud to present our new website - BrightBites - to the PHE Canada community! BrightBites is a website for the school community where you can find evidence-based information and resources that support positive relationships with food and bodies in schools. The website is available in both French and English.  

As adults working in schools - you play an important role in supporting children and youth to develop healthy eating habits and positive body image. This is why ODPH created BrightBites to support teachers and other adult influencers to shift the school food culture and to teach about food and nutrition in a way that fosters food literacy and positive relationships with food and bodies.  

BrightBites has three Guiding Principles to help you support students build a positive relationship with food and their bodies while contributing to a more inclusive school environment. 

Teach and talk about food and eating in a positive way.

Food goes far beyond nutrients. Food can bring people together, enable the sharing of culture and traditions as well as support physical and mental well-being.  

ACTION: Calling foods by their names instead of categorizing them in “healthy vs. unhealthy” categories can encourage students to explore foods with curiosity. Hands-on learning activities where students can see, smell, touch, cook and taste new foods are excellent for this! 

Respect roles and responsibilities related to food and eating.

Trust that families are doing the best they can with the resources they have to care for their children. It is important to recognize that most students do not have control over the food available to them.  

ACTION: Save nutrition education for the classroom, not for mealtimes. Trust students when they say they are full or hungry for more and refrain from making comments on what they eat or on the order in which they choose to eat.  

Promote body inclusivity.

Ensure all body shapes and sizes feel accepted and welcomed. All bodies, regardless of shape or size, deserve respect and equitable treatment. This approach contributes to creating a supportive climate that embraces diversity, helps increase self-esteem, and reduces the risk of discrimination. 

ACTION: Reflect on your own attitudes about body sizes, eating habits and health and challenge messages about body ideals and weight-based stereotypes. Bodies naturally come in all shapes and sizes. Be mindful of what you say and do and aim to be a positive role model by not commenting on your own or other people’s bodies and food choices.  

To learn more about how you can support food literacy and positive relationships with food and bodies in your classroom and school: 

• Explore the “In the Classroom” section of BrightBites for curriculum-linked activities to teach food and nutrition in a supportive manner that will get kids excited about food.  

• Check out the “School Food Climate” section of the website for information and practical changes  you and others in your school community can make to improve the school food environment and make it easier for students to develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies. Topics include rewards and incentives, fundraising, body inclusivity and enjoyable snack and mealtimes to name a few.  

• Use the “Resources” section to learn more about topics like “roles and responsibility in relation to food and eating” and explore examples of food-related situations or challenges that might come up in your classroom and how you can respond in a supportive manner.  

Additional Resource:  

Food Literacy – PHE Canada