Curriculum for Food and Health (MHE1-01)

Gjelder fra: 2006-08-01T00:00:00 +2

Gjelder til: 2021-07-31T00:00:00 +2

Purpose

Food and meals are important for our physical and mental health, and also for social well-being. Knowledge about food and meals that can promote good eating habits may help to reduce health inequalities in the population. Our eating habits reflect individual choices, cultural expressions and religious convictions, and are thus an important part of our identity. In a multicultural society, awareness of Norwegian food culture and the special features of Sami food tradition is important, as is also having knowledge about and respect for food traditions in other cultures. Greater diversity in the food-product market demands greater consumer competence so that consumers can make informed choices about their own health and environment.

As a broad educational subject, the food and health subject shall help the pupils to gain insight into and skills in critically choosing and reflecting on food and meals, providing them with knowledge to deal with practical, social and personal aspects of life. As a creative subject, food and health shall open for experimentation and the development of critical judgment connected to food and meals. This may inspire the pupils to use this competence outside school and later in life. As a practical subject, the teaching in food and health shall stimulate the pupils to prepare food and instil in them the joy of working and good working habits, as well as shall show them how to be discerning consumers so they can assume responsibility for food and meals at home and in their leisure time, and in working and social life. The teaching in the subject shall contribute to promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Preparing food for others is an expression of care, friendship and hospitality. The food and health subject is an important arena for cooperation and development of the pupils’ social competence. Practical creative work is important, where the emphasis is on skills, trying out new things and creativity. The subject provides opportunities to cooperate with local food producers, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the school health service. The teaching in the subject must be adapted to and build on what each pupil has of knowledge, skills and experience so that the pupils will experience success and be motivated to use this competence in their daily lives.

Main subject areas

The subject has been structured into main subject areas with competence aims. The main subject areas complement each other and should be viewed in relation to one another. Goal attainment in one area thus also develops competence in the other areas.

The food and health subject has competence aims after Years 4, 7 and 10 in primary and lower secondary school.

Overview of the main subject areas:

Years	The main subject area
1-10	Food and lifestyle	Food and culture	Food and consumption

Food and lifestyle

The main area food and lifestyle refers to developing the skills and motivation to choose a healthy lifestyle. Composing nutritionally safe and good food in accordance with recommendations for a healthy diet from the health authorities is an important foundation on which to base the teaching in this main area. Emphasis will be given to food that is varied, inviting and tasty. Reflection on the relationship between food, lifestyle and health is important.

Food and consumption

The main area food and consumption refers to learning about different foods, food labelling and production, and about learning to be critical and responsible consumers. Emphasis shall be given to developing skills and motivation so that a lifestyle can be chosen which takes the human being and the environment into consideration. Entrepreneurship as a creative process, from idea to finished product, also belongs in this main area.

Food and culture

The main area food and culture refers to the importance of food and meal customs, whether referring to everyday meals, holidays and parties, and knowledge about traditional Norwegian food and food in different cultures and religions. The food should be inviting. Both the preparation and presentation of food is connected to technology and design.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours are given in 60-minute units:

Primary school

Years 1–7: 114 hours

Lower secondary school

Years 8–10: 83 hours (85 hours for those who complete Year 10 in the spring of 2014)

Basic skills

The basic skills are integrated in the competence aims where they contribute to developing the competence in the subject while also being part of this competence. In food and health, the basic skills are understood as follows:

Oral and written skills in food and health can mean being able to explain taste, smell and aesthetics. Insight into the subject matter is connected to oral presentations and written work. In connection with meal situations, communication through conversations is important. Oral skills in the food and health subject are also connected to explaining practical problems and formulating questions, and to arguing and communicating ideas in the subject in conversations with others. Written skills may be writing one’s own recipes and procedures, preparing invitations and illustrations and assessing activities.

Being able to read in food and health refers to studying, interpreting and reflecting on subject related texts with increasing levels of difficulty. This means being able to collect, compare and systematise information from recipes, user guides, goods labelling, advertising, information material and other factual texts, and critically assessing them according to the aims of the subject.

Numeracy in food and health is important in practical work with recipes. It is also important to be able to assess the nutritional and energy content of food and to compare prices of goods.

Digital literacy in food and health refers to searching for information, comparing and assessing nutritional content and presenting subject content.