Canada's food guide kids
Toolkit for educators: Taste the tradition
Summary
Children will explore foods that are part of different cultures around the world and in Canada. They will make a recipe as a group and discuss how it relates to Canada’s food guide.
Prep time
45 minutes
Activity duration
60 minutes
On this page
- Learning goals
- Materials
- Planning considerations
- Connecting to Canada’s food guide
- Activity instructions
- Optional learning extension
Learning goals
- Prepare foods using a recipe.
- Identify the benefits of including cultural and food traditions as part of eating.
- Recognize that preferences and eating habits can be shaped by cultures and food traditions.
Materials
- World map
- Forks, 1 for each child
- Small plates, 1 for each child
- Safety scissors, 1 pair for each child
- Foods from around the world cards and answer key
- Spoons, 2 for each group of 3 to 4 children
- Small bowls, 2 for each group of 3 to 4 children
- Measuring spoons, 1 per group or 1 for the entire group to share
- Black bean and corn salad recipe and ingredients, or an alternative recipe
Planning considerations
- Consider how you much time you would like your group to spend on this activity.
- Gather recipe ingredients and preparation equipment. If preparing the black bean corn salad:
- Dice the red bell peppers, tomatoes, and cooked chicken.
- Rinse and drain the black beans and corn kernels.
- Prepare dressing in advance, or complete this step with the group.
- Connect with parents or guardians to identify any concerns about food allergies and dietary restrictions.
- Wash your hands before handling or preparing food.
- Consider various cultural backgrounds to ensure that children feel comfortable discussing their cultures and experiences.
Connecting to Canada’s food guide
- Review Cultures, food traditions and healthy eating for your activity planning
Activity instructions
Engage
- Introduce the concept of culture to the children.
- Ask:
- What does the word culture mean?
- For example, beliefs and practices of groups of people.
- What are examples of culture? For example:
- the stories people share
- the languages people speak
- the traditions people celebrate
- Do you think food is part of culture?
- What does the word culture mean?
- Explain that culture can influence:
- how you eat
- what you eat
- when you eat
- where you get food
- how you prepare food
- Explain that in many cultures, meals and specific foods are a very important part of different celebrations and are key to connecting with others
- Ask:
- What foods do you enjoy eating and why?
- Who introduced you to those foods?
- Are there celebrations or holidays on which you eat a specific type of food?
- Does your family have a favourite recipe or food you enjoy eating?
- Have you tried any foods from different cultures?
- If so, what have you tried?
Tip: Be mindful that children have varying access to food and water. These topics (e.g. which foods they enjoy eating at home or with family) may be difficult for some to discuss. They may induce feelings of shame or judgment by others. Before choosing to undertake this activity, make sure it is relevant to the children in your group and be prepared to address access to food and water with compassion.
- Show children the world map and explain that as a group you will discuss different types of food that are common to some areas around the world.
- Share with children that First Nations Peoples and Inuit have long lived in relationship with the lands that we now know as Canada. The Métis have also had an important relationship with the land. Traditional or country foods include many types of game, fish, seafood, birds, berries and other plants. The reason is that plants and animals from the lands, waters and air vary widely from region to region. Explain that these foods are a rich source of nutrients and hold cultural and spiritual value.
- Explain to children that in other countries, food is also an important part of the local culture. The plants and animals that grow and live in different areas of the world influence which foods are part of cultures and foods traditions.
- Also, explain to children that while some food originates in different countries, many people in Canada also celebrate and share these foods as part of their culture.
- Hold up or show the Foods from around the world cards and ask children if they know what food is shown on the picture and what country it originates from. Share the ingredients for each food with children and help them identify the country of origin for each food. Note that some foods may originate from different regions and have different names, or variations in preparation and ingredients.
- Ask:
- Have you tried any of these foods? Which foods have you tried?
- How are these foods similar (e.g., some are soup, some have vegetables, etc.)? How are these foods different (e.g., they all have different recipes, etc.)?
- Why do you think these particular foods are popular in certain countries (e.g., these foods are grown or easily available in those countries, winter is cold in Ukraine and beets which are the main ingredient of borscht keep well in the winter, etc.)?
- Can you think of any other foods from around the world?
- Can you think of any foods that are traditionally consumed by First Nations, Inuit or Métis in Canada?
- What foods do you enjoy at home? Do you eat foods that are specific to your culture or food traditions (e.g., locally harvested foods like berries or wild game)?
Explore
- Divide children into groups of 3 to 4 participants. Ask children to wash their hands and their workspace.
- Provide each group with 2 bowls, 2 spoons, cilantro, and 1 pair of clean safety scissors for each child.
- Explain to children that cilantro is a herb and that herbs are plants that are used to flavour and garnish foods. Invite children to smell one of the cilantro leaves.
- Working together, each group will carefully cut up their cilantro to make homemade black bean and corn salad.
- Circulate to each group to distribute black beans, tomatoes, corn kernels, diced red bell peppers, diced cooked chicken, and some dressing.
- Remind groups to stir the salad ingredients in one bowl and the dressing ingredients in the second bowl (if they are preparing the dressing). Invite the children to add dressing to their salad.
- Invite children to try the black bean and corn salad, if they wish to do so. If a child decides that they do not wish to try the salad, you can invite them to politely decline by saying, “No, thank you.” Remind children that likes and dislikes vary among people, and that’s ok!
Explain
- As children eat the salad, ask them how foods that are traditionally from other places connect to Canada’s food guide.
- Invite children to list the ingredients from the black bean and corn salad and name which food groupings in Canada’s food guide the ingredients belong to.
- Ask children if there is a food from the whole grain food grouping that they might like to eat with this salad.
Optional learning extension
Send a blank index card home with each child and ask them to write their favourite recipe on it. This can be a:
- family recipe
- online recipe
- recipe they make up
Have some cookbooks available for children to look through and pick a recipe.
Invite children to choose recipes that may be part of their cultural or food traditions. Ask each child to draw a picture of the meal on the back.
Create a cookbook with the index cards and share it with the group so all children can experience new tastes and flavours shared by their peers.
Tip: Be mindful that children have varying access to food and water. Receiving a cookbook with recipes to try from their peers may be difficult for some. Before choosing to undertake this activity, make sure it is relevant to the children in your group and be prepared to address access to food and water with compassion.