A proposal for food and nutrition education integrated into the preschool and elementary school curriculum

Materials were prepared for schoolteachers and healthcare workers to support permanent initiatives in food and nutrition education in schools, integrated into the curriculum. The article presents the matrix of food and nutrition topics that served as the basis for producing these materials (Matrix) and the convergence between the approach adopted in the activities in the Activity Manuals comprising the series of materials and food dimensions, the principles of the Framework for Food and Nutrition Education for Public Policies (Framework for Food and Nutrition Education), and the Brazilian National Curriculum Guidelines for basic education. The Matrix allowed designing educational activities that foster an expanded approach to food and nutrition which is simultaneously crosscutting and integrated into the curriculum. The activities allowed dialogue with various components of the curriculum and linkage between them. The activities' convergence with the Framework for Food and Nutrition Education was expressed in the contextualization of food practices in the schoolchildren's territories and realities; in the problematical approach, which encourages critical thinking and the promotion of autonomy, both for educators and schoolchildren; and inter-sector planning through topics and action strategies that encourage collaboration between healthcare professionals and teachers. The initiative presented in this article thus strengthens the actions by food and nutrition education in schools and can expand teachers' repertoire in food and nutrition and contribute to its crosscutting and routine inclusion in the curriculum.