Food literacy is about supporting children in developing food skills and a positive relationship with food. In child care settings, this means creating everyday opportunities for children to explore, grow, prepare, learn and enjoy food in engaging, age-appropriate ways. This helps to build important skills that support their growth and development. These experiences help them feel included and valued, which aligns with How Does Learning Happen?.
Food literacy includes:
- Building food skills
- Understanding where food comes from and how it grows
- Exploring how food is connected to culture, community, enjoyment and the environment
- Supporting children to talk about, touch, and try a variety of foods—without pressure
When children have positive food experiences early on, they’re more likely to feel confident around food and make choices that support their health and well-being.
Age-Appropriate Ways to Promote Food Literacy
Encourage Exposure Through Food Play
- Pretend play: restaurant, cooking, grocery store, gardening.
- Sorting by shape, size, colour, texture.
- Drawing fruits and vegetables, making edible faces or structures using food.
- Look for opportunities throughout the day for children to use their senses to explore foods.
- Use “loose parts” (e.g., wood blocks, yarn, etc.) to represent food instead of only store-bought food toys. This allows for inclusion of foods from various cultures that may not be reflected in commercial toys.
Build Food Skills at Mealtimes
- Teach children about washing hands before meals or preparing food.
- Serve family-style meals (add link) where children can practice serving themselves.
- Provide simple ways for children to help with food preparation (e.g., washing produce, stirring, pouring), and introduce cooking vocabulary (e.g., whisk, chop, measure).
- Involve children in sorting food waste and composting.
- Encourage children to look, touch, smell, and talk about food without pressure to taste. Let them explore food at their own pace. This builds trust and comfort around new foods and makes learning interactive.
Explore Food Origins and Gardening
- Talk about the many places food comes from: grocery stores, markets, restaurants, gardens, farms, or through gathering, hunting, and fishing.
- Explore how different foods grow— what grows underground, on trees, or on vines? Which parts of the plant do we eat? Use books or pictures to help children visualize.
- Create a play garden, a small container garden, or a larger garden if space allows. It doesn’t need to be fancy; growing seeds in a cup will be exciting for children! Planting, watering, and harvesting help children develop a sense of ownership and curiosity. Connect with your local public health unit for tips on safe gardening with children.
- Engage community groups, families or local farmers to share their gardening and growing experiences.
Celebrate Food and Culture
- Include books, songs, and stories that highlight foods and celebrations from different cultures.
- Invite families to share recipes or food traditions
- Reflect diversity in your setting’s menu and play materials.
- For more information on culture and food traditions, visit Canada’s Food Guide.
