Nutrition & Kai - Fuelling Our Bodies

Purpose:

Explore emotional relationships with food and surface diet culture myths

Teacher Instructions:

1. Silent Reflection (2 min): "Think about your relationship with food. Do you feel stressed about what you eat? Guilty? Neutral? Happy?"
2. Four Corners (5 min): Students move to corners based on statements:
   • Corner 1: "I rarely think about what I eat"
   • Corner 2: "I sometimes worry about eating 'bad' foods"
   • Corner 3: "I often feel stressed or guilty about food"
   • Corner 4: "I feel neutral/positive about my eating"
   In corners, share (if comfortable) why you're there
3. Debrief (3 min): "Food shouldn't cause stress. This lesson is about information to empower you, not rules to follow. There are no 'bad' foods - just foods that nourish more or less."

Teacher Instructions:

1. Macronutrients (6 min): Teach the big three:
   • Carbohydrates: Body's main energy source (bread, rice, kūmara, fruit). Not the enemy! Brain runs on glucose from carbs
   • Proteins: Building blocks for muscles, organs, immune system (meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts)
   • Fats: Essential for brain, hormone production, vitamin absorption (avocado, olive oil, fish, nuts). Healthy fats ≠ weight gain
2. Micronutrients (3 min): Vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts but critical (Vitamin C for immune system, calcium for bones, iron for blood, etc.). Best source: variety of colourful whole foods
3. Water (2 min): Technically a nutrient! Body is 60% water. Needed for every body process. Most teenagers are chronically dehydrated
4. Fibre (2 min): In plants, helps digestion, keeps you full, feeds good gut bacteria
5. Quick Activity (2 min): Show pictures of foods, students call out what macronutrient is primary

Purpose:

Value traditional foods as nutrient-dense and culturally significant

Teacher Instructions:

1. Kai Māori Examples (8 min): Present traditional foods with benefits:
   • Kūmara: Complex carbs, high in fibre, Vitamin A, antioxidants. Sustained energy
   • Fish (ika) & Seafood: High protein, omega-3 fats for brain health, minerals. Kaimoana = ocean food
   • Native birds (historically): Muttonbirds (tītī), kererū (now protected) - high protein
   • Fernroot (aruhe): Starchy carb, ground into flour
   • Native greens: Watercress (kowhitiwhiti), puha - vitamins, minerals, bitter greens
   • Berries: Pōhutukawa flowers eaten, other native berries - antioxidants
2. Colonisation Impact (3 min): "Traditional Māori diet was incredibly healthy - lean protein, complex carbs, greens. Colonisation introduced flour, sugar, processed foods. Health stats worsened. Returning to kai Māori is reclaiming health and culture."
3. Cultural Foods Sharing (4 min): "What are traditional foods from your culture? What makes them special?" Students share in pairs, then a few volunteers share with class

Purpose:

Apply nutrition knowledge to realistic scenarios and marketing awareness

Teacher Instructions:

1. Food Label Detective (7 min): Show examples of food labels (cereal, juice, snack bars). Teach how to read:
   • Ingredients list: Listed by quantity, first = most. Long ingredient lists with unpronounceable chemicals = highly processed
   • Sugar: Many names (glucose, fructose, corn syrup, etc.). Check grams - 4g = 1 teaspoon
   • Serving size tricks: Unrealistically small to make nutrition look better
   • Health claims: "Low fat" might be high sugar. "Natural" is unregulated term
   Practice: Which of these two foods is more nutritious?
2. Marketing Tricks (4 min):
   • Cartoon characters targeting kids
   • "Superfood" hype (kale is good, but not magic)
   • Celebrity endorsements
   • Health halos ("made with real fruit!" = tiny amount + tons of sugar)
3. Quick Scenarios (4 min): What would you choose and why?
   • School canteen: Pie vs. Sandwich
   • After school snack: Chips vs. Fruit vs. Nuts vs. Baking
   • Drinks: Soft drink vs. Juice vs. Water vs. Flavored water
   Discussion: No judgment answers - what factors into your choice? (taste, cost, convenience, hunger level, what's available)

Teacher Instructions:

1. Avoid Diet Culture (1 min): "This is NOT about losing weight, restricting food, or labelling yourself 'good' or 'bad' based on eating. It's about nourishing your body."
2. Realistic Goal-Setting (3 min): Students write ONE small nutrition goal for this week. Examples:
   • "Eat breakfast 4 out of 5 school days"
   • "Try one new vegetable this week"
   • "Drink water instead of fizzy drink with lunch 3 times"
   • "Bring a piece of fruit for morning tea"
   • "Eat dinner sitting down, not while on phone"
3. Exit Ticket (1 min): Share goal with a partner for accountability