Toronto Students Embrace Healthy Eating Through Food Education Project

Photo: Grade 4 and 5 students at Bala Avenue Community School say they’re eating more fruits and vegetables thanks to the lessons. (Nick Boisvert/CBC)

The Good Food Machine students help students grow, harvest and prepare foods in the classroom

Inside a classroom at Bala Avenue Community School, a group of students approach their indoor garden to snip off a piece of basil.

“It smells like mint tea,” says Grade 5 student Patricia. “It smells so good.”

Along with the tower garden — which is also sprouting kale, swiss chard and parsley — the students in this Mount Dennis-area school’s Grade 4 and 5 split class have access to a prep station and bicycle-powered blender to turn the plants and herbs into soups, smoothies and sauces.

The equipment and lessons are provided as part of The Good Food Machine, an initiative from FoodShare Toronto and its corporate partner LoyaltyOne.

The project, which runs at 10 schools in the GTA, is an attempt to increase food literacy and promote healthy eating by giving kids experience growing, harvesting and preparing food in their own classroom.

Now in its second year at Bala Avenue Community School, administrators say it appears to be working.

“I saw change right way,” said teacher Fatma Ibrahim. “A lot of [students], instead of bringing chips and candies and things for snacks, they’re bringing in little tupperware with fruits and vegetables.” READ MORE

Nick Boisvert
Oct 25, 2017
CBC News