Healthy Youth Playbook

The 5 Categories of Food Literacy (A framework)

Use this framework from Public Health Ontario’s Food Literacy for Life to guide the development of your food and nutrition education program activities and set planned outcomes.

1. Food and Nutrition Knowledge 

• Food Knowledge:
  • To know the variety of foods within all food groups.
  • To know where food comes from and what is in it.
  • To make informed decisions on food choices including what is available locally.
• Nutrition Knowledge:
  • To understand the nutrients in food and how these can affect health and well-being.
• Food and Nutrition Language:
  • To understand commonly used words to describe characteristics of nutrition in food.

2. Food Skills 

• To be able to prepare meals using basic skills like chopping, measuring, reading recipes, and being food safe.

3. Self-Efficacy and Confidence 

• Food and Nutrition Self-Efficacy:
  • To believe in one’s ability to apply food and nutrition-related knowledge to make healthy choices in a complex food environment.
• Cooking Self-Efficacy:
  • To have confidence in one’s ability to use cooking equipment and prepare tasty meals with available food.
• Food Attitude:
  • To understand one’s attitude toward food and trying new foods.
  • Having the desire to choose and prepare healthy and safe food to enjoy at all times.

4. Ecologic Factors 

• Food and Other Systems:
  • To understand how the broader food system and society impacts an individual’s decisions about food.
  • To understand how an individual’s food choices impact the broader food system.
• Social Determinants of Health:
  • To understand the social and environmental conditions that can result in inequities in health status, which can impact the capacity to make decisions about food and cooking.

5. Food Decisions 

• To be able to apply knowledge and skills to make healthy food choices. 

“Adolescents who reported confidence in reading and understanding food labels, liking to cook, as well as having an understanding that cooking meals can lead to healthier eating had significantly higher total food and nutrition knowledge.”

(Brown, R.; Seabrook, J.A.; Stranges, S.; Clark, A.F.; Haines, J.; O’Connor, C.; Doherty, S.; Gilliland, J.A. Examining the Correlates of Adolescent Food and Nutrition Knowledge. Nutrients2021, 13, 2044. Link Here )

Food and Nutrition Education Programming Development Checklist

Start planning food and nutrition education program activities by answering the following questions with your team.

1. 1. What food and nutrition knowledge are young people being introduced to?
   2. How might you support students in learning about food labels?
   3. How might students demonstrate an understanding of healthy food vs. unhealthy food?
   4. What opportunities do students have to learn cooking skills and prepare meals themselves?
   5. How can food safety knowledge be incorporated into programming activities?
   6. What behavioural changes do you want to see among students participating in food and nutrition education activities?
   7. In what ways are students introduced to where their food comes from and food systems?
   8. What connections can students demonstrate between food justice and the impact of food inequities on social determinants of health?

At Pathways, we believe excellence is achieved through evidence, employing a continuous cycle of learning, evaluation, and improvement.

The purpose of food and nutrition education is to increase youth food knowledge and skills, leading to long-term healthy habits and strengthening overall youth health and well-being. 

So how do you know you effectively measure this positive impact?

Consider the following literature-based outcome indicators developed through our work with the Students Commission of Canada to get a baseline before implementing programming and evaluate the change after:

Potential Measurable Outcomes 

1. 1. 1. Increased preparation of healthier meals
      2. Increased likelihood of consuming a healthier diet
      3. Feeling better physically and mentally
      4. Feelings of satisfaction in preparing food for oneself and others
      5. Increased knowledge, food skills, and self-efficacy for culinary job opportunities

Use the sample questions below to get a jumpstart on assessing how young people are benefiting from your program activities:  

Start the conversation with students one-on-one or in a focus group:

1. 1. 1. What do you do when you’re at home and hungry? At school? In the community?  
      2. When was the last time you looked at the ingredients or nutrition data on food packaging and what were you looking for? 
      3. What does exercise look like for you in any given week?  

Engage students in a formal survey to compare data before and after they participate in your program activities:  

1. 1. 1. How often do you prepare food at home?
      2. Outside of school, how many hours a week do you exercise?
      3. How many fruits and vegetables do you eat a day?
      4. How often do you drink drinks containing sugar and/or energy drinks?
      5. To what extent do you agree with the following statement?: I can identify what are healthy and unhealthy food options
      6. To what extent do you agree with the following statement?: I have an interest in improving my overall health
      7. To what extent do you agree with the following statement?: I understand how to make balanced food choices in my everyday meals
      8. To what extent do you agree with the following statement?: I can identify systemic barriers (racism, classism) that affect healthy eating.

“Student nutrition programs contribute significantly to reducing tardiness and illness, to improving students’ behaviour in class, and to improving students’ abilities to concentrate, retain and apply information.” (Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty & Nutrition, 1994. Nutrition Policy. Retrieved from the Ontario Student Nutrition Program website.)

(Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty & Nutrition, 1994. Nutrition Policy. Retrieved from the Ontario Student Nutrition Program website. Link here.) 

Resources in English:

1. Pathways Kitchener Food 4 Thought: Video Recipe Playlist

2. Pathways Ottawa Cooking with Anne: Video Recipe Playlist

Resources in French:

1. Pathways Verdun Cuisiner – Cook – Cocina: Print Recipes