Food literacy curriculum on the menu

Manitoba has introduced a new recipe for its health classes, with "food literacy" playing a key role. The pilot program aims to expand nutrition units in schools, addressing topics beyond the traditional subjects of puberty, drug risks, and dissecting Canada's food guide. Sarah Elvins, a food historian at the University of Manitoba, emphasizes that food decisions are complex due to social, political, cultural, and economic factors.

Food literacy skills, which include measuring cups, label analysis, and informed choices, are introduced in Grade 2. Discussions about food advertising, disordered eating, and the connection between nutrition and mental health have been moved to earlier grades. Students will also learn about social determinants of health and their impact on food choices, as well as the importance of taste and hunger satisfaction in meal planning.

Grade 11 delves into food sovereignty, sustainable farming, and poverty's effects on households and communities. In Grade 9, students will research "body-inclusive and food-neutral marketing." Community dietitian Clara Birnie welcomes the province's embrace of neutral language, eliminating the need for Grade 3 students to differentiate between "everyday" and "some-time" foods.

The draft curriculum is being piloted this fall, with the province planning to officially update nutrition lessons for kindergarten to Grade 12 students in September 2028. Grade 5 students will explore how food intolerance, religious beliefs, and food textures influence eating habits. High school students will study the hierarchy of food needs, including enough, acceptable, reliable, ongoing access, good tasting, novel, and instrumental.

The changes reflect a holistic approach to nutrition, incorporating Indigenous traditions and values. Charles Cochrane, executive director of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre, supports this approach, noting that students will learn to make healthier choices for themselves and influence their families positively.

Premier Wab Kinew highlighted the province's high Type 2 diabetes rate, emphasizing that sugary drinks cause more damage to Manitoba than alcohol or methamphetamine. The new curriculum aims to address this issue by teaching students about the dangers of sugary beverages.