Foo Ching Yee: Food Education Starts Young – Nurturing Mindful Eaters for Life

Posted 11st September 2024

In recent years, countries around the world have placed growing emphasis on “food and farming education” as part of essential life skills. Food education focuses on cultivating healthy eating awareness, while farming education involves hands-on agricultural experiences. Together, they encourage people to pay closer attention to what they eat, empower the younger generation to manage their diets, and extend this awareness toward society and the environment. ultimately improving the overall food culture.

Foo Ching Yee (Cyeefoo), who leads O Sentai Studio, has made it her mission to teach children the importance of food education. She believes it helps shape healthy eating habits, reduces the intake of unhealthy foods, and prevents health issues such as obesity and diabetes.

Food education can be traced back to ancient times, when diets were simple and natural. Over time, industrialization and modern lifestyles introduced processed foods, which led to various eating disorders and diet-related diseases. In recent years, food safety concerns have brought this issue into sharper focus. Japan, for example, has been deeply committed to food education for over 20 years and became the first country in the world to enshrine it into law. The concept of shokuiku (food education) is now deeply embedded in Japanese culture as a lifelong learning practice. In parts of Europe and the United States, schools are also incorporating food knowledge and basic cooking skills into home economics and health education classes.

Cyeefoo stressed that food education should ideally begin when children are young, starting at home. From choosing ingredients and cooking to dining etiquette and post-meal cleaning, parents can set the best examples. Simple methods—like explaining the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, or using books, drawings, storytelling, and games—can all help children better understand food and nutrition in ways that are fun and relatable.

Food education can begin at home, starting from selecting ingredients, cooking, and table manners, to final cleanliness and hygiene, fostering healthy eating habits in children

Sharing Meals Brings Joy and Relaxation

“When I was a child, whenever hawkers passed by our house selling fresh mackerel, my grandmother would buy some to make fish balls. Since I was too short, I’d stand on a little stool to watch her work, cleaning the fish, scraping the scales, removing the innards, shaving off the meat, beating it into a paste, then squeezing and shaping each ball before dropping it into water to cook,” recalled Cyeefoo, cherishing the memories of being by her grandmother’s side.

She remembers vividly how her grandmother would patiently answer her endless stream of questions while preparing the fish balls. “Understanding where food comes from and how it becomes a delicious dish naturally shapes our expectations around eating and guides us toward healthier habits. It really is that simple!”

Cyeefoo added that food education isn’t just about learning ingredient or nutrition knowledge. It’s also reflected in the attitude we bring to food, which mirrors the values we hold in life. Today, many families are so busy with their own activities that they seldom eat together. Some even eat while glued to electronic devices, which is something that harms both digestion and family bonds. “In truth, creating a warm and joyful dining environment not only ensures that children eat a balanced diet, but also allows families to relax, bond, and nurture harmony simply by sharing meals together.”

Guide children step by step to learn how to read food labels, so they can safeguard their health.

Working the Soil Together

Turning Picky Eaters Into Veggie Lovers

Balanced nutrition and proper portions are the foundation of a healthy diet. The Food Pyramid illustrates this principle with its layered triangular structure: the broad base represents foods that should be consumed most, while each layer above grows smaller, reflecting foods that should be eaten in moderation.

In 2020, the pyramid was updated in response to changing lifestyles and environments. Vegetables and fruits (dietary fiber) were moved to the base as the most important group, followed by whole grains (carbohydrates) in the second layer. The third layer highlights quality proteins, while oils, salt, and sugar remain at the very top, to be consumed sparingly.

“Children often need gradual guidance and encouragement before they are willing to try new foods,” explained Cyeefoo. “About ten years ago, when we started food and farming education, we had children plant their own crops at school. From learning about soil, to understanding the growing environment, to harvesting, we went through every step together, rain or shine, and shared in the results.” She shared that even picky eaters, when they witness firsthand how much effort it takes for vegetables to grow day by day, begin to appreciate food more deeply. Though it is a long journey, it’s also a rewarding start: on harvest day, children are far less resistant to eating the vegetables they’ve nurtured themselves. “Even scallions—normally picked out no matter how finely chopped were eaten willingly, simply because they had grown them with their own hands.”

In Japan, elementary and junior high school students stay in their classrooms during lunch, where they also learn about nutrition, Japanese food culture, and history

When picky children witness how hard it is for vegetables to grow day by day, they naturally learn to cherish food and become more willing to eat the vegetables they once disliked.

Learning Through Play

Building Food Awareness

Food education doesn’t have to stay in textbooks. Hands-on experiences like planting crops or cooking meals allow children to directly observe and connect with food in their daily lives. Games and activities can also make this learning engaging. One example is “Winner of Delicacies” , a locally inspired card game created by O Sentai. By combining different ingredient cards, players discover Malaysia’s diverse dishes. Children start by recognizing basic ingredients through play, and from there, naturally begin exploring questions about nutrition.

Through a variety of food-related experiences and activities, children develop a deeper understanding of what they eat, realizing that food is not just for filling the stomach. “Food education shapes our attitude toward life and the environment, as well as our responsibility for our own health. Starting with something as simple as three balanced meals a day, we can build lifelong habits that have a profound impact on a child’s future,” said Cyeefoo.

In today’s digital age, parents and teachers can easily access global food knowledge online. But amid food crises and safety concerns, there is also value in looking closer to home—paying more attention to the information behind the products we buy, and actively taking part in community-based healthy eating activities, workshops, and talks. These real-life, practical experiences form the foundation of meaningful food education.

During the cooking process, different tasks can be assigned according to age.

Concrete Implementation of Food Education

A More Holistic Understanding for Children

Among Asian countries, Japan stands out as a pioneer in food education. Since the enactment of the Basic Act on Shokuiku in June 2005, the nation has systematically promoted food education, embedding it into school life. Japanese students not only learn about healthy eating but also participate daily in preparing school lunches, gaining practical cooking skills while internalizing the importance of balanced nutrition. France also treats food education as a fundamental part of national education with schools emphasize not only cooking skills but also the cultural and historical background of food. Similarly, countries like Australia, China, the United States, and New Zealand have already integrated food education into schools and communities.

Cyeefoo explained that food education can help children develop healthy eating habits, such as choosing fresh fruits and vegetables and reducing processed foods. These habits lower the risk of obesity while ensuring the body receives more complete nutrition. Over the long term, food education also strengthens children’s knowledge of nutrition, helping them understand the daily requirements of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

“Schools can start by teaching the basics of nutrition—classifying food into categories such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. With this foundation, schools can move on to practical skills and interactive activities, such as gardening, composting, reading food labels, cooking, food appreciation, and discussion. This process transforms the abstract idea of food education into tangible learning experiences, enabling children to better understand food and its relationship with the environment, going far beyond textbook knowledge.”

Cyeefoo: Creating a healthy and joyful dining environment not only ensures that children eat a balanced diet, but also helps them relax and feel at ease.

Identifying Food Before Eating

Teaching Children to Read Labels

Cyeefoo believes that children need to learn how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy foods. The most important step is to read and understand the composition of food products, then assess whether the food is healthy based on its nutritional content. Generally, foods with more additives or high amounts of oil, salt, and sugar are considered less healthy.

In her classes, she and her team introduce children to simple food labels, such as vegetarian, halal, calorie count, healthy choice, and allergen warnings. With the help of images and simple icons, children can already perform an initial screening. Next comes understanding the ingredient list—by recognizing what goes into the food, and cross-referencing with the nutritional knowledge they have learned, they can then decide whether it is a healthy choice.

During cooking activities, Cyeefoo assigns different tasks based on the child’s age group. For example, younger children can learn to wash vegetables, mash steamed food, or shape ingredients; children around seven to nine years old can practice peeling, washing dishes, or wiping tables. By participating in food preparation, children better understand that food is about sharing and joy. “Of course, creativity is encouraged during cooking,” she adds. “Children are guided to combine ingredients or design dishes. Through this type of interaction, they also learn about the nutritional value and uses of various ingredients.”