Food literacy is having the knowledge and the set of skills to grow, prepare and consume healthy foods while supporting one’s health, community, and the environment. It’s essential for adults but especially for children and teenagers as it’s nurtured in youth. Here are some tips to develop your family’s food literacy.

Grow things and grocery shop together
If you have a backyard or a balcony, you can grow vegetables at home such as tomatoes and peppers, or herbs such as basil or chive. Gardening is a sensory experience that teaches your children where food comes from, helps to develop their fine motor skills and provides a sense of pride.

Bring your children to the grocery store. Try to buy local and in season and talk about options with your child. If your child is of reading age, they can read the grocery list, and then you can search for the food together…a practical treasure hunt! Beyond the store, choose activities that reinforce where food comes from, like going apple picking or visiting a farmers’ market.

Cook and meal prep together
While the ability to cook and complete tasks improves with age, it’s good to start early! When the children are smaller, you can give them simple and safe tasks such as washing vegetables. Using words to describe and name foods will help your child to recognize them. If your children are of reading age, you can have them read recipes or ingredient lists. And for them to be involved, turn it into an event, like having homemade pizza with fresh ingredients on Friday nights.

Food is culture
A huge part of food literacy is about embracing the culture and traditions of food, such as passing down family recipes. You can get grandma’s spaghetti recipe and make it together, try a dessert for the first time, or delve into a new type of cuisine. Cooking with your kids will help them develop a palate and become less picky eaters (every parent’s dream!). They’ll be more likely to approach food and cooking with open-mindedness.

Teach responsibility
As anyone will attest, cooking three meals a day takes a lot of organization, energy and time. That’s where your children come in: they can take on tasks such as getting the food out of the fridge, chopping vegetables, reading a recipe or grating cheese.

If you have a tween or teenager, send them to the grocery store with money in hand, which will help them learn the value of money and the price of food items. Budgeting groceries is an important skill to have before youngsters move out on their own. 

On top of budgeting, cooking helps to put math skills into practice, such as measuring or dividing. It also teaches about scientific concepts, such as how different ingredients mix together.  

Food literacy is a skill that takes time and effort to work on, but it’s also a fun (and tasty) part of everyday life.