My Preschool Kitchen Rules

At a recent Block Course in Auckland nearly 50 New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) students took part in ‘My Preschool Kitchen Rules’ - an activity that involved students working in teams to create a dish to encourage healthy eating for children in early childhood education centres.

Students were asked to consider the age of the children, the new healthy food pyramid, culture and how they could promote te reo Māori within the recipe, name and consumption of their dish.

Toys, books and activities that interest young children were used as inspiration for creating healthy food that the children, and as it turned out the students themselves, could get excited about. “I’d be happy if my mum put that in front of me!” exclaimed a student after inspecting her teams meal that consisted of a smiling prince made with wholemeal pita bread, complete with watermelon crown.

At the end of the activity the meals were judged on their presentation, taste and nutritional value by College lecturers and fellow students. The final result was a range of colourful dishes that ranged from vegetable race cars to hungry caterpillar sandwiches. All of the food created used nutritious ingredients including wholemeal bread, protein, vibrantly coloured fruits and vegetables, and a little creativity from the students.

Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) Program Leader Carla Hedgeman explained, “Students were excited about the opportunity and at the end of it they have presented a range of really inventive and fun ways to encourage healthy eating for children.” The activity gave the students ideas that they could take back to their early childhood centres to promote healthy eating. One student talked about the enjoyment the children in her centre get from helping to prepare healthy snacks. “All the kids get so involved. It might not quite turn out to be a caterpillar, but they just love helping to make it, and it gets them excited about healthy eating,” she said.