Stage 3: Sharing Platform

Ms. Yeung Lai Kwan , Teacher

• Kids, especially those aged 4 to 5, like listening to stories. Teaching them the advantages of eating vegetables through story-telling can arouse their interest, as compared to sheer classroom lecture. It would be even better to tell them the story through the use of puppets.

   

• The kids would discuss what vegetables they should bring to school, and they would be interested in learning different vegetables. Some of them hated vegetables before, but now they change their mind and think vegetables are superb.

   

• Parents can record the kids’ vegetable intake at home using the ‘Eat Vegetables Everyday’ record sheet designed by us. The kids are encouraged to eat more vegetables. Some parents recall that their children used to shun vegetables, but now they eat them more often.

   

• We learnt a lot from the lunch arrangements. For example, we can classify unhealthy food by reading the nutritional facts on food labels of pre-packaged food. We have also designed nutritious lunch menus for the pupils. By providing children with steamed rice with minced vegetable and different vegetables such as cabbage, pumpkin and tomato at lunch, the children will gradually get used to the taste of vegetables.

   

• My eating habits have changed after learning about the health hazards of frequent meals of greasy food. I have also become more careful in choosing what to eat.

   

Conclusion

The pilot project spreads the message of healthy eating in school. The teachers have improved the menus by including more vegetables and providing fruits as refreshment. Besides, a daily 30-minute fitness exercise has been introduced for the children. The Parent-Child Activity Day was held twice in the year to encourage parent participation. The school has also signed up for the ‘Joyful Fruit Day’ and organised nutrition talks. These practices are effective in improving children’s health.