Food and Beverages - Cultural Considerations

Discovering Cultural Traditions

Families who move to Canada bring with them a wealth of cultural traditions, customs and religious beliefs surrounding food and eating. Other families might follow certain eating practices due to their own value system (e.g. vegetarianism).

Learn About and Enjoy Foods from All Over the World

Perceptions of what a healthy food is can vary from one culture to another. Teaching students about the food practices of various multicultural groups helps with acceptance and trust.

Your school can help by:

• Encouraging students to share their family's food and eating practices.
• Ensuring that students realize that one value system or food practice isn't superior to another.

Getting Started

Cultural Profiles:
This site provides cultural profiles of many countries from which new Canadians originate.

Discover Healthy Eating! A Teacher's Resource for Grades 1 - 8:
This resource supports The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education (1998). Contains background information and activities specific to food and multiculturalism.

• Grade 1: Activities 14, 15, 17 (41 KB, 8 pages)
• Grade 3: Activities 2, 4-7, 9-11 (41 KB, 8 pages)
• Grade 6: Activity 8 (44 KB, 9 pages)

Food Guides in Other Languages:
Translated versions of food guides are available in French, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi (Persian), Korean, Punjabi, Urdu, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Tamil. Contact Peel Public Health for a free guide.

Guide to Understanding Halal Foods (527 KB, 4 pages)

This resource provides information about foods acceptable to the Muslim community. It also assists with planning and serving meals, snacks or refreshments for Muslim students.