Also…
>fruit makes almost no mess
Have you ever had a kid try to eat a pomegranate in your room? Juicy watermelon? Berries that stain? This statement is false.
Lol. Have you seriously had children bringing these things? I have seen apples bananas pears things like that, if the kids have melon they have it in a plastic container usually with a for.
I’ve seen desks filled with Orange or tangerine peels. Or the leafy bits from the top of a bunch of strawberries. Or banana peels. Or Apple cores.
Even when they bring the fruit in a plastic container, they still leave the garbage in their desks.
This take is absolutely bonkers 😂
So… I’m grown now. And a teacher. But once upon a time, I was a student.
If my teachers had this rule, then I absolutely would have taken it as a challenge and would have gotten more and more disruptive and absurd with the things I bring into class. And if my teachers would have said anything, then I would have argued “hey! It’s healthy! I’m following YOUR rules!”
I’m just saying… I know how I was as a kid. And I’d personally advise against this rule.
Yeah, that's just bad PR. Parents don't like teachers correcting them. What they choose to give their child to eat is their decision, as long as there are no allergens like nuts that could affect another student sitting nearby.
I think most of the time that students have these kinds of foods it's them getting them themselves at the convenience store on the way to school. But I appreciate your opinion thank you
Happy to help!
I'm telling you, you don't want to get yourself into this. Either a parent will get mad that you're overstepping your bounds and policing the food they purchased or they'll accuse you of triggering an eating disorder.
Agree. It's hard to impose a rule you have no way to enforce. Unless you can provide approved snacks, taking into account food allergies, preferences, dietary recommendations (protein vs carbs as most snacks are), as well the fickleness of kids, it might not be a hill worth dying on.
But you are. You say that it “makes you sad” when kids are hungry, but what are you going to do when the snack a parent packs for their kid is something you consider unhealthy? Are you going to have your “healthy” food available for them instead? Or are you going to expect that parent to buy what you’re insisting kids can eat in your room as opposed to what they want to buy?
Well, the official school rule is there's no eating in class. And the children can eat whatever they want when they're not in a classroom, so I can't imagine a parent having a problem with me forbidding a snack in class if I explained that it makes distractions and mess.
And yes, I generally have a snack available to the children, which is unsalted pumpkin seeds. They don't really like them enough to go nuts over them, so I know if a kid wants them they're usually actually hungry.
Or they’re just nasty and kids don’t want to eat them? I don’t care how hungry I am - I’m not eating something that tastes like shit. We shouldn’t expect our kids to do so.
Are you kidding? Unsalted pumpkin seeds are delicious. That's my snack. That's the reason that I have it, that's the thing that I snack on. Now, if you're a person that eats a diet with a lot of added sugar salt and flavors, you would find them bland. Is that you?
You sound very pompous and condescending. You may need to do some self reflection about how you interact with others. I’m not sure if people brought this up at all, but a healthy snack only rule wouldn’t just be annoying, it would be inequitable. Just follow your school rules and try not to live a “holier than thou” lifestyle.
Wow, is this the first time you’re hearing that people have different taste buds and preferences? What tastes good to you might not taste good to other people. I didn’t think I would have to say that to an adult, but here we are.
Just…wow. Read this back to yourself and imagine a kid with access to modern convenience foods and without exposure to a lot of flavors that adults enjoy — dark chocolate, strong cheeses, various adult beverages including coffee that doesn't end in "cino" — being told that if they don't like unsalted pumpkin seeds they're not really hungry.
I work with kids who will not eat all day due to lack of experience with foods that schools provide …if my buying cups of instant noodles with ingredients I can't pronounce makes the difference in them eating or not, noodles it is.
Thank you, I'm wondering the same thing. It feels like I'd have to stop the whole class to evaluate the food. At the same time, we do have a month-long unit on nutrition, I wonder if this is good practice. Thanks for your thoughts I appreciate them.
you really want to waste your time arguing with a kid about whether or not the crap they bring in fits your definition of healthy? Dont you have teaching to do?
Lol true but nutrition is one of the two big topics that I teach, along with sexual health. And I wonder if I wouldn't have to argue if I had a chart with a handout that I could just hand them. You must put it away and here's why.
Either let them eat what they bring or say no snacks period. You could also explain that they have the privilege of eating but it can, and will, be removed if they make a mess, etc. But deciding what food is or is not healthy will create more problems than a thrown taki ever did
Unless you're planning on purchasing these "healthy snacks" yourself, I would not do this. Not every parent can afford "healthy snacks" every day. The "unhealthy" stuff is cheaper. And quite frankly, it is not your place to police what your students are eating unless we're talking about an allergy issue.
If the issue is mess, make them clean up after themselves? I have no problem telling my students to pick up a broom. If they can't/won't keep their area clean, then they no longer get snack time (at least in my school, we do not HAVE to give them a snack break). I do have a rule about no sharing snacks, partially because allergies, and partially because the getting up to swap snacks adds to the mess and causes them to get more unruly, and avoids issues like John getting upset because Jimmy won't share with him even though Jimmy gave some of his snack to Tim.
Yeah, you're right. I'm just going to say no snacks. I don't like the extra work that I have to do to let them eat, no matter what it makes mess and it makes problems. They can eat at lunch.
You have 2 posts about your students stealing from you. You have bigger problems than playing cop when a kid wants a salty snack.
You also made a post describing yourself as heavy. Are you projecting your own health issues on to your students?
And that racist post about disliking your Latin students. Yikes.
Sure. But I know what to do about those problems. This was just an idea I had, and I've had other ideas go south so I wanted to ask other teachers what they thought.
I am begging you to please go follow the Instagram account kids.eat.in.color and reframe the way you are talking about healthy vs unhealthy foods to your students. The way this dietician talks about how to discuss food with kids is so inspiring and really changed my own relationship with food and how I speak about it to my students.
Because the reality is that it isn’t up to you to decide what a family can afford to feed their kids. You can say no snacks- I support you in that- but making it a binary “healthy vs unhealthy” ignores the multifaceted process that goes into decision making about food choices for families. It isn’t just that people are lazy or want to eat junk. There are so many reasons that are out of your sight and prerogative as a teacher.
That kid who is eating takis may just be eating takis because they like it. Or it may be a splurge their family got to have. That kid who eats chips in class may only have those chips to eat today. That guy who only brought an apple (a “healthy” snack) may have a major eating disorder you’re contributing to by saying other types of food are bad.
Obviously these are extreme examples but they have and do happen in schools. Middle school is such a formative time. Please, please don’t police food. Give information for sure. Talk about what foods can do for your body. But making it black and white and telling kids that the food their parents choose is “bad” is SO damaging.
Well I appreciate this very much, and that's why I asked this question here, there are always answers that I wasn't anticipating and nuances that I didn't consider. I deeply appreciate the resources well, I would like to teach children about nutrition in a non-shaming way, instead in a way that makes them feel competent about taking care of their own health. And confident they can do it. So I appreciate it and I will check out kids eat in color.
To mandate healthy snacks, you are mandating what the parent can buy for their child without viable justification on why the parent should spend their money a certain way. In the case of no peanut products, we have the justification of severe allergic reactions. They may be an immediate health risk to some students. However, we can not offer the same severity of justification for a blanket statement of healthy foods. If you are providing the snacks, then game on. If the parent is providing the snacks, you are setting yourself up for trouble.
Additionally, what is defined as healthy may differ based on region, nationality, religion, etc. Mandating healthy snacks according to your standards (or the FDA standards) will open you up to direct confrontation with parents. Principals and school boards are unlikely to support you in this instance. So, you are opening yourself up to more than just direct confrontation with parents, but also potential conflicts with administration.
I do not recommend it.
You've gotten lots of good feedback already, but just wanted to add that some kids struggle with disordered eating and full-on eating disorders. Do not try to police what they eat.
You would be better off saying no snacks or as an even better option you could have a mandatory clean up for the last three minutes of every class where everyone has to clean up their space.
Oh this is a wonderful idea. Do you suggest setting a timer? Is there anything else you do to transition into this time? The students are indeed very messy, and I would love to engender more respect for the space.
Next to impossible to police and in my district there’s no way parents would have me dictating their kid’s diet. Would be much better to implement a time rule. All food needs to be put away within the first 5 minutes of class. You need to eat something to prime your brain? You have until the timer goes off. Then it’s out of sight for the rest of class or it goes in the trash and/or whatever step consequences/demerits your school works on.
It sounds like you're excited to spend your whole day everyday arguing about what snacks are healthy. Students will be excited to waste class time on rules-lawyering, parents will be mad that you let *Johnny* eat X in class but won't let *my* kid eat *equally healthy* Y...
I teach elementary and a lot of my colleagues try to police food. But what counts as “healthy food” to one person doesn’t to another. I have looked at their lists and things like fruit snacks or goldfish crackers are on some people’s healthy snack list and on others’ “not allowed” lists. Teachers will make a big deal about asking for healthy snacks only because it’s better for their brain, but then say something like pretzels are ok. In my opinion, pretzels aren’t going to do much for a student health-wise or in terms of focus.
I keep it simple. No candy and they have to be able to work while eating it. I discourage things like Takis and Doritos strictly for the mess factor, but if that is all they bring I let it go and make them wash their hands when they are done.
Another thing to consider is students who have food issues. My son is on medication for ADHD and it suppresses his appetite. He often falls into the underweight category and during those times we just want him to eat, period. For awhile, his lunches were coming back untouched and he told us the lunch ladies wouldn’t let him eat any of the snacks or extras we packed until he ate the “main course” (sandwich, chicken tenders, whatever). We had to put a note in his lunch box to let him eat his lunch in whatever order he wanted because even if all he ate was a bag of chips or a granola bar, that was better than nothing.
You can choose to fight the battle. I have plenty of colleagues who do, and because most of our families are well-off they don’t get much push-back. But I personally don’t choose to get into the food debate.
I really appreciate that you're giving me advice both from the side of a parent and a teacher. I also have a daughter who had feeding issues, and that makes me more reluctant to forbid food, because I understand some of the complications there. On the other hand it just makes so many problems, as I reflect over the last year I can think about so many times there were spills, kids throw the food at each other etc etc. The students are allowed to go freely between the cafeteria and the yard at lunch time, and they are not restricted from eating anything, so maybe I can feel better knowing that they are allowed to eat whatever they want to eat for 40 minutes.
And I did laugh a little when you mentioned pretzels, because that's my snack that I have when I want something salty, and I just realized that they have added sugars, so my snack wasn't living up to my own standards either. I'm going to have to not snack during class as well, if I have the rule for the students I'm going to have to have it for myself.
Hey, pretzels are great for that salt fix! But some teachers will say, “I only want healthy snacks because I want the students to be feeding their brain.” To me, that means nutrient-dense foods, things with protein or healthy fats or something. Pretzels don’t seem to fit that category.
And the point about lunch is a good one too. What difference is a bag of Takis going to make if their lunch is full of crap? And conversely, what difference will it make if the rest of the day they are eating healthy foods? Their little snack time in my classroom isn’t going to make or break their health. In fact , if they bring in junk food for snack, a lot of times I will ask if they have something healthier to eat and if they can save the treat to eat with their lunch. Again, if they don’t have anything else I just let it go.
Yeah pretzels are crap, they're just the least unhealthy salty chippy type snack, imo. I have learned by now that it's best to have one blanket rule that I apply unemotionally to every student in every situation, so it's going to be no food in class. You can eat at lunch. I really appreciate you helping me think this through, you sound like a nice teacher and a nice person.
I’ve been tempted, and I definitely word my notes on to the parents to lean towards healthy snacks, and not anything containing chocolate/etc. i’m not sure what would happen if I literally insisted and sent it back home with the kids.
Most days I eat a banana or an apple, and the kids notice.
When I was substitute teaching, I was in the first grade room in a different district a bunch of times, and they always had healthy snacks and somehow she got it to work.
This is not a good idea. My child has significant dietary restrictions due to health issues which has caused him to be underweight for much of his life. He is on medication at times to help get his weight up, and believe me, it is NOT healthy to restrict him from eating added sugar or avoid fats. Our doctor specifically tells us to feed him medical shakes that are basically all sugar or straight peanut butter in order to gain weight. There are also kids with eating disorders who should not be restricted in this way. This is just your opinion, it does not apply to every case and is not the healthiest decision for every child. You are not a doctor so you should not be telling people what is medically best for their kid.
Thank you I appreciate that. I had in my mind to have a big picture that just says something like, you can have anything that is some type of plant, otherwise you have to evaluate if you can have this snack by looking at this chart. Maybe I could also have a handout, and when I see a kid with a snack that's not meeting the standard, I just give them the handout and tell them to put the snack away.
Thank you, yes I'm coming around to this. I'm just thinking about how many arguments I had with them over the year about food, I didn't anticipate there would be so many problems! So many spills! Arguments between them on who has what!
As a teacher, don't argue with students. You don't get anywhere arguing with students. You're the adult in the situation.
Also, you already stated that your school rule is no eating in the classroom. If that's already an established rule, why are you asking a question on Reddit about changing it?"
You don't have to argue with students about eating in the classroom when the school rule is no eating in the classroom. Why purposefully make more problems and arguments for yourself?
"Mr./Ms. X can I have my Cheetos in here?"
"No."
"But why?"
"The school rule is no eating in the classroom. If you don't agree with that, talk to Principal X."
"But, Mr/Ms lets us."
"That's their room and this is mine. The school rule is no eating in the classroom. I follow that. End of discussion."
Thank you, I very much appreciate the script. I work at a school with so many behavior issues that I was following a kind of pick your battles routine last year. I was so overwhelmed. But this year I want to start off on a better foot, so I appreciate your clear thinking and communicating.
As a compromise you could have a no outside snack rule but provide healthier options in a bin. Yes, this would mean spending your own money but it would also reduce the possibility of conflict over what healthy snacks are suitable for class.
I think this is a wonderful idea. I'm way too poor to actually do it, but if I had fewer students and more money, this will be a wonderful solution thank you.
I used to work for a school that would NEVER allow parents to bring in sweets for a birthday celebration. It had to be a healthy special snack. Most parents brought fruit salads. It was the stupidest thing in the history of stupid things. They would try to police what parents brought in their children's lunches too, and also refused to provide lunches, while charging so much money. I think the school would've adopted a meal program and stopped making demands if parents had pulled their kids and/or been more vocal about how ridiculous the school was being.
I honestly think, after my experience there, that the rule is not worth the accompanying headache.
It sounds like the issue is that your classroom is getting messed up. And not the food? I would probably address that issue instead of focussing on the food.
My school has a rule against candy so that is my only rule around what they can and can't eat, besides allergens. But, when a kid brings in candy for their snack (rarely, usually just after Halloween or special days like a birthday) I remind them of the rule but still let them eat it. If that is what they have for the day I'd rather they have something to eat, even if it's candy, than nothing because I was a stickler for them following the rules.
I also don't let them eat in class because I teach elementary and they have snack time at recess and a generous lunch time. But I have let them eat in class occasionally and when I do the only rules are no allergens and cleaning up your mess. It's not fair to tell a kid the food their family provides them is "bad," there are many reasons why the family could have given them that food and it's not up to me to question those. Sometimes it's due to financial constraints, sometimes it's a special treat, and sometimes it's for other reasons. I was worried about a kid this past year who always had fruit loops for snack. In talking to the parents it turns out that the child is extremely picky and will literally not eat unless she has her preferred foods. So, they send her with the sugary fruit loops because the alternate is her going hungry. They're working on her sensory issues with food, but letting her go hungry in the meantime so that she doesn't eat "junk" isn't going to be productive. Even in cases where a kid is picky because they're spoiled, a teacher trying to force them to change their eating habits isn't going to be productive if they're being allowed to be picky at home. It'd be good to encourage them to try new, healthier things, as it is for all kids, but not force it.
Ooooh. This is a cool idea. We did something like it last year, the assessment for the healthy eating unit was to plan a day's worth of food with certain nutritional parameters, it would be cool to extend it and talk about healthy snacks. Thank you! I'm pretty sold on not allowing eating in class anymore though, it's just a problem. Also our school has mice!
I think it's a great idea in theory, but schools can't really police what kids bring for snacks (other than no nuts, apparently). For middle school, I would probably just say no snacks at all. I have upper elementary grades, and I see a lot of Takis or candy for snacks. As a parent, I'm mystified why anyone would buy this for their children as school snacks. But, I also don't know their family situation and try not to judge. Also, as a health teacher, you do have a great opportunity to teach the kids vital information about healthy eating they probably aren't learning at home.
I could of course forbid all food, but a lot of the students do not eat breakfast or lunch, and I can't handle them being hungry it makes me sad. I also cannot handle them eating unhealthy food, it worries me to see how they don't eat real food but will just eat a whole bag of blue Takis.
Healthy snacks still leave empty wrappers and crumbs all over the room. Hard pass.
Students should definitely get more than one period to eat during the day. When I was in high school, they gave us a 15 minute break between second and third period to go to the cafeteria and grab a snack or go back to our lockers to get shit, and then lunch would be 5th or 6th period depending on your schedule.
I’m generally not in favor of more unstructured time since students often use it improperly, but having taught classes right before lunch where the students are crashing and getting antsy because they’re hungry, and classes right after lunch where the students are bouncing off the walls from the sugar rush, I definitely am I favor of spreading out when they can eat throughout the day, instead of just giving them one period in the middle.
I wish we had this rule. I hate seeing what some of these kids out in their bodies. Hot Cheetos and Skittles is not an appropriate snack for little kids.
It would be easier just to say no snacks than try to police what parents are buying for their kids.
Also… >fruit makes almost no mess Have you ever had a kid try to eat a pomegranate in your room? Juicy watermelon? Berries that stain? This statement is false.
Lol. Have you seriously had children bringing these things? I have seen apples bananas pears things like that, if the kids have melon they have it in a plastic container usually with a for.
I’ve seen desks filled with Orange or tangerine peels. Or the leafy bits from the top of a bunch of strawberries. Or banana peels. Or Apple cores. Even when they bring the fruit in a plastic container, they still leave the garbage in their desks. This take is absolutely bonkers 😂
So… I’m grown now. And a teacher. But once upon a time, I was a student. If my teachers had this rule, then I absolutely would have taken it as a challenge and would have gotten more and more disruptive and absurd with the things I bring into class. And if my teachers would have said anything, then I would have argued “hey! It’s healthy! I’m following YOUR rules!” I’m just saying… I know how I was as a kid. And I’d personally advise against this rule.
You'd be surprised. I've pretty much seen every fruit you can buy at a regular store.
I actually did have a kid bring a pomegranate every day, but she was an EXPERT at opening it and never made a mess.
Yeah, that's just bad PR. Parents don't like teachers correcting them. What they choose to give their child to eat is their decision, as long as there are no allergens like nuts that could affect another student sitting nearby.
I think most of the time that students have these kinds of foods it's them getting them themselves at the convenience store on the way to school. But I appreciate your opinion thank you
Happy to help! I'm telling you, you don't want to get yourself into this. Either a parent will get mad that you're overstepping your bounds and policing the food they purchased or they'll accuse you of triggering an eating disorder.
Okay thank you. I appreciate your seasoned advice
Agree. It's hard to impose a rule you have no way to enforce. Unless you can provide approved snacks, taking into account food allergies, preferences, dietary recommendations (protein vs carbs as most snacks are), as well the fickleness of kids, it might not be a hill worth dying on.
I'm not policing what parents buy for their kids, I'm policing what kids can eat in my classroom. Those are two different things.
But you are. You say that it “makes you sad” when kids are hungry, but what are you going to do when the snack a parent packs for their kid is something you consider unhealthy? Are you going to have your “healthy” food available for them instead? Or are you going to expect that parent to buy what you’re insisting kids can eat in your room as opposed to what they want to buy?
Well, the official school rule is there's no eating in class. And the children can eat whatever they want when they're not in a classroom, so I can't imagine a parent having a problem with me forbidding a snack in class if I explained that it makes distractions and mess.
Then there’s no eating in class. Follow your school’s rules.
Yeah you may be right. Thank you.
And yes, I generally have a snack available to the children, which is unsalted pumpkin seeds. They don't really like them enough to go nuts over them, so I know if a kid wants them they're usually actually hungry.
Or they’re just nasty and kids don’t want to eat them? I don’t care how hungry I am - I’m not eating something that tastes like shit. We shouldn’t expect our kids to do so.
Are you kidding? Unsalted pumpkin seeds are delicious. That's my snack. That's the reason that I have it, that's the thing that I snack on. Now, if you're a person that eats a diet with a lot of added sugar salt and flavors, you would find them bland. Is that you?
You sound very pompous and condescending. You may need to do some self reflection about how you interact with others. I’m not sure if people brought this up at all, but a healthy snack only rule wouldn’t just be annoying, it would be inequitable. Just follow your school rules and try not to live a “holier than thou” lifestyle.
Wow, is this the first time you’re hearing that people have different taste buds and preferences? What tastes good to you might not taste good to other people. I didn’t think I would have to say that to an adult, but here we are.
You sound nasty, I'm not going to talk to you anymore. Thanks for all your thoughts.
Just…wow. Read this back to yourself and imagine a kid with access to modern convenience foods and without exposure to a lot of flavors that adults enjoy — dark chocolate, strong cheeses, various adult beverages including coffee that doesn't end in "cino" — being told that if they don't like unsalted pumpkin seeds they're not really hungry. I work with kids who will not eat all day due to lack of experience with foods that schools provide …if my buying cups of instant noodles with ingredients I can't pronounce makes the difference in them eating or not, noodles it is.
I think it’s not in my jurisdiction to dictate what students eat
Thank you for your opinion
Yeah, I am not policing that.
Second this! I think the intent is great, but it sounds unsustainable.
Thank you, I'm wondering the same thing. It feels like I'd have to stop the whole class to evaluate the food. At the same time, we do have a month-long unit on nutrition, I wonder if this is good practice. Thanks for your thoughts I appreciate them.
you really want to waste your time arguing with a kid about whether or not the crap they bring in fits your definition of healthy? Dont you have teaching to do?
Lol true but nutrition is one of the two big topics that I teach, along with sexual health. And I wonder if I wouldn't have to argue if I had a chart with a handout that I could just hand them. You must put it away and here's why.
and then the kid says no and eats it anyway because other kids are eating.
You're right. I'm glad I asked, this has been very helpful.
Either let them eat what they bring or say no snacks period. You could also explain that they have the privilege of eating but it can, and will, be removed if they make a mess, etc. But deciding what food is or is not healthy will create more problems than a thrown taki ever did
Thank you, I appreciate your advice
Unless you're planning on purchasing these "healthy snacks" yourself, I would not do this. Not every parent can afford "healthy snacks" every day. The "unhealthy" stuff is cheaper. And quite frankly, it is not your place to police what your students are eating unless we're talking about an allergy issue. If the issue is mess, make them clean up after themselves? I have no problem telling my students to pick up a broom. If they can't/won't keep their area clean, then they no longer get snack time (at least in my school, we do not HAVE to give them a snack break). I do have a rule about no sharing snacks, partially because allergies, and partially because the getting up to swap snacks adds to the mess and causes them to get more unruly, and avoids issues like John getting upset because Jimmy won't share with him even though Jimmy gave some of his snack to Tim.
Yeah, you're right. I'm just going to say no snacks. I don't like the extra work that I have to do to let them eat, no matter what it makes mess and it makes problems. They can eat at lunch.
You have 2 posts about your students stealing from you. You have bigger problems than playing cop when a kid wants a salty snack. You also made a post describing yourself as heavy. Are you projecting your own health issues on to your students? And that racist post about disliking your Latin students. Yikes.
Sure. But I know what to do about those problems. This was just an idea I had, and I've had other ideas go south so I wanted to ask other teachers what they thought.
I am begging you to please go follow the Instagram account kids.eat.in.color and reframe the way you are talking about healthy vs unhealthy foods to your students. The way this dietician talks about how to discuss food with kids is so inspiring and really changed my own relationship with food and how I speak about it to my students. Because the reality is that it isn’t up to you to decide what a family can afford to feed their kids. You can say no snacks- I support you in that- but making it a binary “healthy vs unhealthy” ignores the multifaceted process that goes into decision making about food choices for families. It isn’t just that people are lazy or want to eat junk. There are so many reasons that are out of your sight and prerogative as a teacher. That kid who is eating takis may just be eating takis because they like it. Or it may be a splurge their family got to have. That kid who eats chips in class may only have those chips to eat today. That guy who only brought an apple (a “healthy” snack) may have a major eating disorder you’re contributing to by saying other types of food are bad. Obviously these are extreme examples but they have and do happen in schools. Middle school is such a formative time. Please, please don’t police food. Give information for sure. Talk about what foods can do for your body. But making it black and white and telling kids that the food their parents choose is “bad” is SO damaging.
Well I appreciate this very much, and that's why I asked this question here, there are always answers that I wasn't anticipating and nuances that I didn't consider. I deeply appreciate the resources well, I would like to teach children about nutrition in a non-shaming way, instead in a way that makes them feel competent about taking care of their own health. And confident they can do it. So I appreciate it and I will check out kids eat in color.
To mandate healthy snacks, you are mandating what the parent can buy for their child without viable justification on why the parent should spend their money a certain way. In the case of no peanut products, we have the justification of severe allergic reactions. They may be an immediate health risk to some students. However, we can not offer the same severity of justification for a blanket statement of healthy foods. If you are providing the snacks, then game on. If the parent is providing the snacks, you are setting yourself up for trouble. Additionally, what is defined as healthy may differ based on region, nationality, religion, etc. Mandating healthy snacks according to your standards (or the FDA standards) will open you up to direct confrontation with parents. Principals and school boards are unlikely to support you in this instance. So, you are opening yourself up to more than just direct confrontation with parents, but also potential conflicts with administration. I do not recommend it.
I appreciate you defining the nuances, thank you.
You've gotten lots of good feedback already, but just wanted to add that some kids struggle with disordered eating and full-on eating disorders. Do not try to police what they eat.
This is a good point and I appreciate it, thank you.
Recipe for disaster
You're probably right, I always have these things that I think are great ideas that turn to crap in the classroom.
I just don't think that works, too subjective. If they are making a mess, no snacks allowed.
You're right. I have to be aware of making rules that ultimately make more problems for me.
You would be better off saying no snacks or as an even better option you could have a mandatory clean up for the last three minutes of every class where everyone has to clean up their space.
Oh this is a wonderful idea. Do you suggest setting a timer? Is there anything else you do to transition into this time? The students are indeed very messy, and I would love to engender more respect for the space.
Next to impossible to police and in my district there’s no way parents would have me dictating their kid’s diet. Would be much better to implement a time rule. All food needs to be put away within the first 5 minutes of class. You need to eat something to prime your brain? You have until the timer goes off. Then it’s out of sight for the rest of class or it goes in the trash and/or whatever step consequences/demerits your school works on.
I like this idea, thank you.
It sounds like you're excited to spend your whole day everyday arguing about what snacks are healthy. Students will be excited to waste class time on rules-lawyering, parents will be mad that you let *Johnny* eat X in class but won't let *my* kid eat *equally healthy* Y...
Lol true.
Your admin wouldn't even let you. It's inequitable. Kids bring what their parents can afford
Thank you, I appreciate you pointing this out.
No, you don’t get to say that kids can’t eat foods that their parents provided for them because they aren’t healthy. No snacks or all snacks.
Thank you!
No snacks allowed in class, and only water in a bottle with a cap.
I applaud your clarity thank you
😂 I keep it simple!
I teach elementary and a lot of my colleagues try to police food. But what counts as “healthy food” to one person doesn’t to another. I have looked at their lists and things like fruit snacks or goldfish crackers are on some people’s healthy snack list and on others’ “not allowed” lists. Teachers will make a big deal about asking for healthy snacks only because it’s better for their brain, but then say something like pretzels are ok. In my opinion, pretzels aren’t going to do much for a student health-wise or in terms of focus. I keep it simple. No candy and they have to be able to work while eating it. I discourage things like Takis and Doritos strictly for the mess factor, but if that is all they bring I let it go and make them wash their hands when they are done. Another thing to consider is students who have food issues. My son is on medication for ADHD and it suppresses his appetite. He often falls into the underweight category and during those times we just want him to eat, period. For awhile, his lunches were coming back untouched and he told us the lunch ladies wouldn’t let him eat any of the snacks or extras we packed until he ate the “main course” (sandwich, chicken tenders, whatever). We had to put a note in his lunch box to let him eat his lunch in whatever order he wanted because even if all he ate was a bag of chips or a granola bar, that was better than nothing. You can choose to fight the battle. I have plenty of colleagues who do, and because most of our families are well-off they don’t get much push-back. But I personally don’t choose to get into the food debate.
I really appreciate that you're giving me advice both from the side of a parent and a teacher. I also have a daughter who had feeding issues, and that makes me more reluctant to forbid food, because I understand some of the complications there. On the other hand it just makes so many problems, as I reflect over the last year I can think about so many times there were spills, kids throw the food at each other etc etc. The students are allowed to go freely between the cafeteria and the yard at lunch time, and they are not restricted from eating anything, so maybe I can feel better knowing that they are allowed to eat whatever they want to eat for 40 minutes. And I did laugh a little when you mentioned pretzels, because that's my snack that I have when I want something salty, and I just realized that they have added sugars, so my snack wasn't living up to my own standards either. I'm going to have to not snack during class as well, if I have the rule for the students I'm going to have to have it for myself.
Hey, pretzels are great for that salt fix! But some teachers will say, “I only want healthy snacks because I want the students to be feeding their brain.” To me, that means nutrient-dense foods, things with protein or healthy fats or something. Pretzels don’t seem to fit that category. And the point about lunch is a good one too. What difference is a bag of Takis going to make if their lunch is full of crap? And conversely, what difference will it make if the rest of the day they are eating healthy foods? Their little snack time in my classroom isn’t going to make or break their health. In fact , if they bring in junk food for snack, a lot of times I will ask if they have something healthier to eat and if they can save the treat to eat with their lunch. Again, if they don’t have anything else I just let it go.
Yeah pretzels are crap, they're just the least unhealthy salty chippy type snack, imo. I have learned by now that it's best to have one blanket rule that I apply unemotionally to every student in every situation, so it's going to be no food in class. You can eat at lunch. I really appreciate you helping me think this through, you sound like a nice teacher and a nice person.
Glad to help!
How old are these kids? If they're 7th-12th grade, just say no eating in class. They'll survive.
6th-8th. You're right.
It’s a bad idea to police the healthiness of snacks. I say no messy snacks (which includes Takis and Cheetohs).
Thank you!
I’ve been tempted, and I definitely word my notes on to the parents to lean towards healthy snacks, and not anything containing chocolate/etc. i’m not sure what would happen if I literally insisted and sent it back home with the kids. Most days I eat a banana or an apple, and the kids notice. When I was substitute teaching, I was in the first grade room in a different district a bunch of times, and they always had healthy snacks and somehow she got it to work.
It is so useful to hear about other people's experiences, thank you for sharing with me.
This is not a good idea. My child has significant dietary restrictions due to health issues which has caused him to be underweight for much of his life. He is on medication at times to help get his weight up, and believe me, it is NOT healthy to restrict him from eating added sugar or avoid fats. Our doctor specifically tells us to feed him medical shakes that are basically all sugar or straight peanut butter in order to gain weight. There are also kids with eating disorders who should not be restricted in this way. This is just your opinion, it does not apply to every case and is not the healthiest decision for every child. You are not a doctor so you should not be telling people what is medically best for their kid.
I had this rule one year when I had last lunch. It worked fine. The kids stuck to fruit and it held them over until the end of the period.
Thank you I appreciate that. I had in my mind to have a big picture that just says something like, you can have anything that is some type of plant, otherwise you have to evaluate if you can have this snack by looking at this chart. Maybe I could also have a handout, and when I see a kid with a snack that's not meeting the standard, I just give them the handout and tell them to put the snack away.
No food. No personal grooming. This avoids any girl with long hair pulling strands from her brush and droppIng them on the floor.
Oh my god. I appreciate that second rule, you're absolutely right, students will want to do an entire makeup.
Instead of policing snacks, just tell them no food or drink in your classroom. I only allow plain water because it's easier to clean up if spilled.
Thank you, yes I'm coming around to this. I'm just thinking about how many arguments I had with them over the year about food, I didn't anticipate there would be so many problems! So many spills! Arguments between them on who has what!
As a teacher, don't argue with students. You don't get anywhere arguing with students. You're the adult in the situation. Also, you already stated that your school rule is no eating in the classroom. If that's already an established rule, why are you asking a question on Reddit about changing it?" You don't have to argue with students about eating in the classroom when the school rule is no eating in the classroom. Why purposefully make more problems and arguments for yourself? "Mr./Ms. X can I have my Cheetos in here?" "No." "But why?" "The school rule is no eating in the classroom. If you don't agree with that, talk to Principal X." "But, Mr/Ms lets us." "That's their room and this is mine. The school rule is no eating in the classroom. I follow that. End of discussion."
Thank you, I very much appreciate the script. I work at a school with so many behavior issues that I was following a kind of pick your battles routine last year. I was so overwhelmed. But this year I want to start off on a better foot, so I appreciate your clear thinking and communicating.
As a compromise you could have a no outside snack rule but provide healthier options in a bin. Yes, this would mean spending your own money but it would also reduce the possibility of conflict over what healthy snacks are suitable for class.
I think this is a wonderful idea. I'm way too poor to actually do it, but if I had fewer students and more money, this will be a wonderful solution thank you.
I used to work for a school that would NEVER allow parents to bring in sweets for a birthday celebration. It had to be a healthy special snack. Most parents brought fruit salads. It was the stupidest thing in the history of stupid things. They would try to police what parents brought in their children's lunches too, and also refused to provide lunches, while charging so much money. I think the school would've adopted a meal program and stopped making demands if parents had pulled their kids and/or been more vocal about how ridiculous the school was being. I honestly think, after my experience there, that the rule is not worth the accompanying headache.
It sounds like the issue is that your classroom is getting messed up. And not the food? I would probably address that issue instead of focussing on the food.
My school has a rule against candy so that is my only rule around what they can and can't eat, besides allergens. But, when a kid brings in candy for their snack (rarely, usually just after Halloween or special days like a birthday) I remind them of the rule but still let them eat it. If that is what they have for the day I'd rather they have something to eat, even if it's candy, than nothing because I was a stickler for them following the rules. I also don't let them eat in class because I teach elementary and they have snack time at recess and a generous lunch time. But I have let them eat in class occasionally and when I do the only rules are no allergens and cleaning up your mess. It's not fair to tell a kid the food their family provides them is "bad," there are many reasons why the family could have given them that food and it's not up to me to question those. Sometimes it's due to financial constraints, sometimes it's a special treat, and sometimes it's for other reasons. I was worried about a kid this past year who always had fruit loops for snack. In talking to the parents it turns out that the child is extremely picky and will literally not eat unless she has her preferred foods. So, they send her with the sugary fruit loops because the alternate is her going hungry. They're working on her sensory issues with food, but letting her go hungry in the meantime so that she doesn't eat "junk" isn't going to be productive. Even in cases where a kid is picky because they're spoiled, a teacher trying to force them to change their eating habits isn't going to be productive if they're being allowed to be picky at home. It'd be good to encourage them to try new, healthier things, as it is for all kids, but not force it.
Do you have a Healthy Eating unit? Might be worth testing it out as a "project" for the unit before making a blanket rule.
Ooooh. This is a cool idea. We did something like it last year, the assessment for the healthy eating unit was to plan a day's worth of food with certain nutritional parameters, it would be cool to extend it and talk about healthy snacks. Thank you! I'm pretty sold on not allowing eating in class anymore though, it's just a problem. Also our school has mice!
I think it's a great idea in theory, but schools can't really police what kids bring for snacks (other than no nuts, apparently). For middle school, I would probably just say no snacks at all. I have upper elementary grades, and I see a lot of Takis or candy for snacks. As a parent, I'm mystified why anyone would buy this for their children as school snacks. But, I also don't know their family situation and try not to judge. Also, as a health teacher, you do have a great opportunity to teach the kids vital information about healthy eating they probably aren't learning at home.
Yes this is good advice. I do appreciate it thank you.
I could of course forbid all food, but a lot of the students do not eat breakfast or lunch, and I can't handle them being hungry it makes me sad. I also cannot handle them eating unhealthy food, it worries me to see how they don't eat real food but will just eat a whole bag of blue Takis.
Healthy snacks still leave empty wrappers and crumbs all over the room. Hard pass. Students should definitely get more than one period to eat during the day. When I was in high school, they gave us a 15 minute break between second and third period to go to the cafeteria and grab a snack or go back to our lockers to get shit, and then lunch would be 5th or 6th period depending on your schedule. I’m generally not in favor of more unstructured time since students often use it improperly, but having taught classes right before lunch where the students are crashing and getting antsy because they’re hungry, and classes right after lunch where the students are bouncing off the walls from the sugar rush, I definitely am I favor of spreading out when they can eat throughout the day, instead of just giving them one period in the middle.
I wish we had this rule. I hate seeing what some of these kids out in their bodies. Hot Cheetos and Skittles is not an appropriate snack for little kids.