Food for Life

Olivia Cruse

Teacher - Food Studies

Esta Ganci 

Teacher - Food Studies

In Year 8 Food Studies students learn practical life skills in food literacy and cooking. 

Cooking is an essential life skill that everyone needs to master. In Food Studies classes, students can develop necessary skills to prepare healthy and balanced meals for themselves and their families. These lessons equip them with practical knowledge that they can apply throughout their lives, promoting independence and self-sufficiency. 

Year 8 Food Studies classes provide an opportunity to educate students about nutrition and healthy eating habits. They can learn about the importance of incorporating fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, and lean proteins into their diets. Understanding basic nutrition principles can help students make informed choices and develop healthier eating habits, reducing the risk of diet-related health issues. 

In Term 2 Week 7 our Year 8 Food studies students consolidated their semester's learning by completing their final assessment task titled Healthy Lunch Design Task. Students were provided with a Design Brief which outlined specifications that they needed to consider when planning their chosen recipe. 

Design Brief 

You will be attending a family function and have offered to help with the catering. 

• Your lunch must be prepared and cooked within 70 minutes. 
• It must be a healthy meal, so it needs to fit the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and should contain ingredients from a minimum of 2 food groups. 
• Your lunch must be stylishly presented so that it may be photographed and should have superior taste and texture. 
• When deciding what meal to cook, you must take into consideration the allergies and food requirements of your family. Your grandfather is a diabetic and cannot consume foods high in sugar. Your brother and 2 older cousins have a very serious nut allergy and cannot consume anything with nuts or traces of nuts. Finally, your aunt Margaret dislikes spicy food, so you may wish to take this into consideration when planning your meal.  

The kitchen was buzzing with excitement and activity as students prepared and produced their designed healthy lunch dishes.  There was lots of discussion both within and between groups of students as they navigated the various challenges that arose during the process of completing the task, and it was great to see such a busy but supportive environment in the classroom.  

In particular the styling and plating of many of these dishes was extremely professional. It was clear to see that students had thought about how best to present their healthy lunches - to ensure that everyone would want to take a bite!