By: Wesley Mai and Violet Pham, Master of Public Health in Nutrition and Dietetic students at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
When we talk about healthy eating for children, the conversation often revolves around what is placed on their plate - but what about what gets left behind?
Food waste literacy - teaching students the knowledge and skills to reduce waste - is an often-overlooked element of nutrition education, especially in school food programs.
This year, the Great Big Crunch is putting a spotlight on local procurement, not just as a way to bring fresh, nutritious food to schools, but also as a powerful tool to connect children with where their food is coming from. When children understand the journey an apple takes from a local orchard to their lunch tray, they are more likely to value every bite.
How does local procurement help minimize food waste in school food programs?
School food programs offer a unique opportunity to teach students about sustainability, starting from the source of their food to how to dispose of it responsibly. When designed with sustainability goals, these programs help foster understanding of our food systems. By showing students how to minimize food waste and properly compost food scraps, schools can turn cafeterias into classrooms for learning about eco-conscious habits in daily life. (Edible Schoolyard Berkeley, 2017).
Local procurement is at the heart of this learning experience. When schools prioritize purchasing fresh, locally-grown produce, they naturally reduce food waste in several ways. Shorter supply chains can cut “production waste”, such as losses during harvesting and distribution. Freshness and quality often lead to higher consumption rates as students are more inclined to eat a crisp apple from a local orchard than a wilted, mushy one that traveled thousands of miles. This reduces “plate waste”, or the food left uneaten (Food Secure Canada, 2021) (Eustachio Colombo et al., 2019).
How can classroom activities foster food literacy and awareness of household food waste?
Food waste is more than just tossing out leftovers - it’s a hidden environmental problem that starts in our kitchens. Nearly half (47%) of all food waste in Canada happens at home, contributing to 6.9 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. That’s the same as putting 2.1 million more cars on the road! (Love Food Hate Waste, 2022).
The good news? Educators and parents have a unique opportunity to teach kids how to make a difference, right in the classroom.
Teaching kids about food waste isn’t just about reducing garbage; it’s about shaping lifelong habits. The classroom offers a hands-on environment where students can learn how their everyday choices impact the planet.
So, what’s ending up in the trash the most? Vegetables, fruits, and leftovers. Shockingly, 63% of the food wasted in Canadian homes is still perfectly edible! (Love Food Hate Waste, 2022).
One of the best ways to spark curiosity about food waste is through interactive activities. Therefore, the Food Scrap Challenge activity was designed to encourage students to see food scraps as valuable ingredients and to address the growing need for creative food waste solutions. Through playful exploration, they uncover surprising facts. For example, carrot tops can be blended into a flavourful pesto, and stale bread can be repurposed into crispy croutons.
From there, the challenge ramps up as students work in teams to brainstorm ways to repurpose food scraps into tasty dishes. With a dash of creativity and problem-solving, they pitch their ideas in a “MasterChef”-style showdown, describing how their dish reduces waste while boosting flavour. To wrap up, they take the challenge home, turning food scraps into a meal and sharing their creations with their families.
When kids learn to see food differently, they become part of the solution. With small, everyday changes, they can help shape a future where less food goes to waste and more ends up where it belongs - on our plates. Let’s make food waste literacy an exciting and action-driven part of every classroom!
References
Edible Schoolyard Berkeley. (2017, October 27). The Edible Schoolyard Project. https://edibleschoolyard.org/berkeley
Eustachio Colombo, P., Patterson, E., Schäfer Elinder, L., Lindroos, A. K., Sonesson, U., Darmon, N., & Parlesak, A. (2019). Optimizing School Food Supply: Integrating Environmental, Health, Economic, and Cultural Dimensions of Diet Sustainability with Linear Programming. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(17), 3019. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173019
Food Secure Canada. (2021). School Food and the Sustainable Development Goals: A pathway to meeting multiple goals and targets. https://foodsecurecanada.org/resources-news/news-media/school-food-and-sustainable-%20development-goals
Love Food Hate Waste. (2022). Food Waste in The Home. https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/about/food-waste/
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