FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION (FNE) AS A PEDAGOGICAL DIMENSION: CHALLENGES, CONCEPTS, AND APPLICATIONS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) is recognized in Brazilian public policies as a continuous, formative and curriculum-integrated pedagogical dimension essential for promoting health and supporting the holistic development of students. This article analyzes how FNE is perceived, implemented, and strengthened in the daily practices of Vaneide de Oliveira Municipal School, located in Rio Crespo, Rondônia, focusing on 4th and 5th grade students of Elementary School. Grounded in Bardin’s (1977) Content Analysis, the research employed a qualitative approach complemented by quantitative elements, using questionnaires, direct observations, and documentary analysis of the school’s Political-Pedagogical Project and institutional records. The findings indicate that, although students demonstrate basic knowledge about healthy eating, contradictions persist between nutritional knowledge and everyday food choices. Pedagogical practices related to FNE remain fragmented and insufficiently aligned with the Brazilian Framework for FNE and current curricular guidelines. The study also highlights the need to strengthen teacher training, expand community participation, and integrate FNE into the curriculum in a transversal, continuous, and context-based manner, as supported by recent literature in the field. It is concluded that consolidating FNE as a pedagogical dimension requires articulation between public policies, school management, and interdisciplinary practices in order to promote critical, sustainable, and culturally meaningful food choices.