September 29, 2011

Food literacy is an important issue - especially in schools, where kids can be learn how to eat healthy, and how to pick better foods, early on in life. On September 30, over 500 school children will head to Queen's Park, the centre of Ontario government, to raise awareness of food literacy and education. The event is organized by FoodShare Toronto, and they're calling it an "Eat-In."

So what happens at an Eat-In? This one's going to feature 52 hands-on activities for the kids - who will range in age from Kindergarten to Grade 12 - as well as lots of local ingredients prepared by top Toronto chefs. There's also a synchronized local apple crunch at 1:15 pm, which may or may not rattle a few Legislature windows.

The Eat-In's organizers want the Ontario government to increase food education in schools, in various areas of the curriculum, from sciences to humanities to health and nutrition. Along with the 500 students who are heading to the Legislature lawn, another 10,000 students will hold smaller local Eat-Ins across the province.

Of course Ontario's not the only province that's concerned about food literacy - Healthy Alberta has a great site that encourages kids and adults alike to improve their understanding of good food and eating habits, and Health Canada has a roundup of different provincial programs focused on kids and good food right here.