Food Day School Curriculum 2013

Lesson 4: Navigate the Environment
— Getting Started —
Overview
Now that students have learned the Food Day Eating
Goals in Lessons 1–3, this lesson examines the strong
influence our food environment has on what we
eat. The food environment is everything from food
advertisements to what is available in the corner store
and from the ice-cream truck driving down the street
to the garden in our neighborhood. Students learn
that much of what is available in our food environment
does not support the Food Day Eating Goals of
“Eat Real,” “Mostly Plants,” and “Not Too Much.” For
example, vending machines are packed with sweetened
beverages and snacks that are overly processed
and have more ingredients than we can count. Yet,
at the same time, there are growing opportunities
for wholesome eating, such as fruit and vegetable
stands, farmers’ markets, gardens at schools and in
the community, and families taking time to cook and
eat together. Every time we choose what to eat, we
vote with our food dollars. Therefore, we need to take
opportunities to navigate through the challenges of the
environment and seek out opportunities to “Eat Real.”
The lesson ends with students making a Navigate the
Environment Action Plan.
Behavior Change Objective
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to
navigate the food environment to “Eat Real,” “Mostly
Plants,” and “Not Too Much.”
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
• describe the food environment in their
community;
• list at least two opportunities in their food
environment that can help them meet the Food
Day goals;
• create an action plan that navigates through their
environment to make a choice that meets the Food
Day messages.
Background for Teachers
In developed countries like the United States, the
food system makes processed food products available
in an ever-widening array of choices. More than
50,000 food items are available in U.S. supermarkets,
and about 9,000 new brand-name processed foods
are introduced each year. In addition, many overly
processed foods and sweetened beverages are available
all around us — from vending machines to
mini-markets at gas stations to corner stores.
Despite food seeming to be everywhere, access to
health-promoting foods is more limited. Many people
need transportation to reach a supermarket or a
farmers’ market where fresh, whole foods such as
fruits and vegetables are typically available. Often the
places where students can pick up food on the way to
school or after school have mostly overly processed
food products and few wholesome foods.
The information that surrounds food is complex as
well. Billions of dollars are spent on food advertising
every year and much of this is for less-healthful
foods. Additionally, the way the media presents food
and nutrition information is sensationalized and
confusing. It takes critical thinking skills to competently
navigate the information environment.
Taken together, the food and information environments
push us towards processed food products,
sweetened beverages, and fast foods and pull us away
from water, vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods.
We hope Lessons 1–3 convinced you and your
students of the importance of the Food Day Eating
Goals of “Eat Real,” “Mostly Plants,” and “Not Too
Much.” To meet these goals, we need to navigate
through the challenges of the food environment in
order to find healthful choices. This way, we take
control and make positive changes.
This lesson is about understanding our food environment
and personally navigating through it. In the
next, and final, lesson, you and your students will
become advocates to create a better food environment
for your community.
54 | Food Day Lessons