How effective was this kit in promoting healthy eating in your classroom?
How effective were the components of this kit?
Please provide 2+ examples of student voice on the kit's impact on them
"I was surprised that cakes with vegetables in them could be sweet and delicious. If someone gave me cake and said it had courgettes in it, I wouldn't of tried it before but now I know it could be a really moist and yummy cake." "Now I know why Loretta (Our lunch provider) doesn't put the kind of biscuits we're used to in our healthy school lunches. It's kind of hard to make something like cake without lots of sugar but it's amazing how veggies can hide in a cake and the cake can still work. I hope she tries some of our best recipes. They were yum., especially the one with zucchini.""
Which kit components were the most impactful and why?
The scales were invaluable. Students were fascinated at experimenting with how heavy all sorts of things were and we had discussions about the difference between imperial and metric systems. They also learnt about tare weight and gross weight. The voucher was also a real treasure because the students enjoyed being able to come up with their own ingredients and not be restricted to what someone else had chosen for them.
What is the legacy this kit will leave behind on your learners?
Many see the value, and ease, of increasing their vegetable intake. They were surprised that cakes could still taste good without sugar! Hopefully this has opened their eyes to tasty food without all the sweeteners.
How effective was this kit in promoting healthy food in your classroom?
Really effective. Students have been much more understanding about the kind of food served in their school lunches having talked with Loretta and looked at ingredients online that meet the healthy tick requirements. They are way more aware of how much sugar and salt is in processed food.
What learning from this kit can students take home to impact their family's wellness and health?
They have shared recipes with their families and talked a lot about the baking because they have had such a lot of fun and had a few surprises along the way.
How high was student engagement throughout this kit?
What percentage of your students were familiar with tinned veges/fruit from use at home?
70%
How keen were your students to try healthy alternatives in baking at the start of this kit?
How inspired were your students to try healthy alternatives to backing after using the kit?
How can the learning in the kit go beyond the classroom to improve whānau wellbeing?
Understanding what is in packaged food can reduce the demand for these foods when whānau go shopping. Sharing their knowledge may increase awareness of healthier alternatives in some homes where little importance is placed on healthy options. I think accepting healthy alternatives as a viable option will make a big difference in homes where healthy options are promoted. Any parent that has a child more receptive to eating vegetables will be a happier parent!
What barriers do your students face to access healthy eating?
Cost. Lack of time for some whānau leads to dependence on convenience foods. Lack of awareness of what is in packaged food and for some families the knowledge required to cook basic nutritious meals.
