Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body: common misconceptions

If your child says… “Local crops have nothing to do with traditional meals.”

Ask together

Why might families regularly cook a grain grown around them?

What’s true

What grows nearby can influence what families cook.

If your child says… “Cooking changed only because people wanted different tastes.”

Ask together

Could an easier tool help a family prepare its usual food?

What’s true

New tools can change cooking even when tastes stay the same.

If your child says… “One food can contain only one nutrient.”

Ask together

How can the same peanut contain both protein and fat?

What’s true

Peanuts contain protein and fat; an oily patch remaining after drying indicates fat.

If your child says… “Essential vitamins must be eaten in large amounts.”

Ask together

Does needing a vitamin mean we need a large amount?

What’s true

A nutrient can be essential even when the body needs very little.

If your child says… “Juice gives me just as much fibre as fruit.”

Ask together

Where does the removed pulp go when only the juice is drunk?

What’s true

Juicing removes much of the pulp that contains fibre.

If your child says… “All the nutrients and fibre are enough without water.”

Ask together

Can nutrients and fibre do all the jobs water does?

What’s true

Water belongs in a balanced diet because it supports nutrient absorption and waste removal.

If your child says… “Millets give us no useful nutrients.”

Ask together

What do the arrows show these grains contributing to meals?

What’s true

Millets supply several nutrients that help meet our food needs.

If your child says… “Food miles start at the shop.”

Ask together

How did the shop get the food?

What’s true

Transport before food reaches a shop also counts.