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About the school
Macarthur Girls High School is on the Parramatta River next to Parramatta City. The school has approximately 1,000 students, with 78% classified as being from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Context
As part of a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ unit in Year 8, students learnt about healthy eating by analysing the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating chart. Students recognised what foods they should eat, but many commented that they ate what they were served at home (by their mother) and that some traditional foods were not necessarily healthy options. Many students are from India, Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries, in which the content of some traditional meals can present a barrier to establishing healthy food habits.
Project outline
To overcome this barrier, teachers proposed a change to student learning experiences. This included examining alternative and healthy ways of preparing foods and providing simple ideas to help reduce the fat and sugar content of the foods they cook and eat. Students also looked at portion sizes and at the types of foods that make up the meals (e.g. rice, pasta, breads).Once the basics of food knowledge and understanding were in place, students participated in a food tasting session. They selected a food from their culture and modified it to ensure it made for a healthier meal. For example, they changed the way the meal was prepared and/or the ingredients used. Each student presented a sample of their food for tasting and shared their modified meals with the class.
What worked well?
The project was well received by students and the PDHPE teaching staff, and it helped increase enthusiasm for teaching this part of the syllabus. It ensured that the learning needs of the students were catered for and that learning was relevant to their lives. We felt we were able to support the students to make suggestions on how to make healthier meals. The cultural food tasting session was a great success. Not only did it promote an awareness of healthy food options, but it contributed to an understanding and acceptance of a variety of cultures among the students.
What would you do differently?
To broaden student access to healthier meal choices, we suggest that students write up their recipe modifications and hand them out to the rest of the class.
Where to now?
We plan to continue undertaking these teaching and learning activities in Year 8. They are now included in the Year 8 ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ unit of work.
Summary
We recommend that this would be most successful in a school that identifies as having a similar student population to Macarthur Girls High School. It’s also important to have the support of students and their parents, as it does involve purchasing food and preparing meals, and enough time must be provided to allow for the session to be successful. A final suggestion is to use the modified recipes to create a cross-cultural recipe book for distribution to other students. It could be used as a school fundraiser.
