Book 9, Question 125
Why Say Thanks Along the Food Chain?
We say thanks along the food chain because many hands help get dinner to your plate! From soil microbes and farmers to truck drivers, grocers, and cooks, lots of people and living things help. Gratitude is part of being a food detective.
More fun facts
- In one United States study, researchers looked at 1,441 children's own expressions of thanks for food, including ideas about where food comes from and how it keeps them well.
- The same research surveyed 110 parents and found that families who talk about food, model thankfulness and involve kids help children feel more grateful for food.
- In a study of 1,017 ninth and tenth graders from four high schools, some students wrote weekly gratitude letters for 4 weeks.
- The teens who wrote gratitude letters reported healthier eating over time than teens who just listed their daily activities.
- The healthy eating boost from gratitude was still slightly noticeable 3 months later.
- Researchers think part of the reason is that expressing gratitude lowered the teens' bad moods.
- In another study, 327 college students spent 8 minutes writing either thanks to others, thanks to themselves or a regular note before choosing a healthy eating goal.
Questions kids ask
How can I thank the people in the food chain?
You can say thanks to whoever cooked, learn where your food was grown, and waste less, which respects the work of farmers, drivers and store workers.