Food literacy: The determination and the identification of its components, and its place in the curricula

Today, an adequate and well balanced diet is important for each individual for healthy and productive life. An healthy individual who is responsiple for own nutrition can get enough nutrients to meet energy demand as well as nutrition components in an increasingly complex and differentiated nutrition system. It is possible to manage the nutrition system properly by having the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviors related to the supply, preparation and consumption of foods. In this context, it is inevitable for each individual to become a food literate for a healthy and sustainable life. In this research, it was aimed i) to determine the components of the concept of food literacy in line with the opinions of field experts in different disciplines and to define the food literacy in line with the components, ii) to determine the place of food literacy in the curricula covering the topics of nutrition and nutritional contents at primary and secondary levels. The explanatory sequential mixed design included in the mixed research method was determined as the research design. The quantitative data of the study were obtained by using the Delphi technique with 89 field experts from 14 different disciplines working at 35 different universities. The qualitative data of the research was gathered through document analysis that includes the examination of current curricula published by the Turkish Education Board within the framework of food literacy. In the Delphi process, an 81-item questionnaire prepared by reviewing the relevant literature was used as the data collection tool. The data obtained from the Delphi process was analyzed utilizing descriptive analysis and the curricula through the content analysis method. According to the findings obtained from the analyses, the scope of food literacy was determined by 75 items including the dimensions of planning and management, selection, preparation and consumption. Food literacy was defined as a set of interrelated knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and behaviors covering the planning and management, selection, preparation and consumption processes for nutrient intake to meet the energy and nutrient needs of the individual. It was concluded that the curricula examined in line with the determined scope of food literacy were not at the level to cover all dimensions of food literacy and did not include a hierarchical structure in accordance with the principle of spiral in education. The similarities and differences of the findings with the studies in the national and international literature were discussed critically, and suggestions were made to eliminate the possible effects of the deficiencies in the relation of the identified dimensions of food literacy with the curricula. Key Words: Food literacy, Nutrition, Mixed Research Method, Delphi Technique, Curriculum