Food systems in a Steiner education school and our school Tridha
Steiner education, based on the principles of Rudolf Steiner, emphasizes on holistic development and a bond with nature and your day to day living. Steiner schools are made to balance home, lifestyle and growth as staying close to the roots as possible.
There are few points which every Steiner school follows or believes in, when it comes to the food system.
Nutrition and Wholesome Foods
Nutrition is considered an integral part to physical and mental well-being. Meals in Steiner schools often prioritize whole, minimally processed foods, and made at home meals as per the cultural practices followed. Emphasis is placed on balanced diets that support growth and learning in every child. Meals are always done together as a class.
Most Steiner schools in our country including Tridha, follow the Coop or Child Based Food Serving System, where in every student has a pre-planned lunch turn and food gets made in those individual households and served to the kids. Thus children end up learning about various cultures, cuisines and in turn learn to respect the diversity in the class. Students set up tables, serve each other, and clean up, leading to the learning of a sense of community, gratitude and togetherness.
Tridha also encourages parents to send festival based meals to teach the younger children the importance of seasons, culture and food made accordingly. In the kindergarten years, teachers often cook with the children and involve them in peeling, cutting, chopping, cleaning etc. Special meals like Modak for Ganapati or Sheer Kurma for Eid or roasting corn on the charcoal sigri during the rains or even baking cakes for birthdays is very commonly seen in Tridha.
Seasonal fruits are a common part of Tridha. Every child gets a seasonal fruit as a mid-snack.
Hands-On learning through Gardening
Gardening is a core activity in Steiner education – especially in the primary years. Students actively participate in planting, tending, and harvesting produce. This hands-on approach teaches patience, and builds a sense of responsibility in the child. It also encourages them to grown and nurture their own sapling or plants at home. This teaches them how the food they eat is produced.
Composting and Waste Reduction
Food systems in Steiner schools often include composting programs to recycle organic waste from meals and gardens. This closes the loop in the food system, illustrating the importance of sustainable practices.
Even we at Tridha have our very own Tridha Terrace Farming Community which follows these principles.
Thus the benefits of such a beautiful food system are many.
What children learn?
- Sense of Responsibility, Respect and Togetherness
- Understanding various cultures, choices, preferences and tastes
- Patience, Gratitude and Thankfulness
- And finally the understanding of each child, their sentiments, emotions and feelings by sharing and eating the food together, which also encourages a sense of bonding and growing together.
This post has been authored by Malavika Khanna, a Tridha parent