Bringing teachers to the table: the need to teach food in teacher education

We cannot underestimate the importance of food in schools, yet in the education sector, we have. Despite increasing societal focus, broad attention to food in schools remains largely missing from mainstream education research, and teacher education more specifically. This paper is a contribution in emerging scholarship that critically considers food in education research by arguing that food in schools is a crucial area generally overlooked by the field of teacher education. This paper articulates my experience incorporating food within teacher education, through the design and teaching of a course entitled “Food and Schools” for education undergraduate students at a flagship state university. I highlight major course themes and aspects and key insights from students and conclude with considerations for teacher education programs.