Bringing food to school from home implicates a lot of issues: logistics, taste, temperature control, shame, pride, and carrying devices. This episode unpacks the packed lunch, in particular those that the kids of first-generation immigrants bring to school. Two articles from Canadian Food Studies are covered, both co-written by Yukari Seko, “Unboxing the bento box” (Vol. 8, No. 3) and “Feeding children while Asian” (Vol. 12, No. 2).

Guests:

Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal.

Yukari Seko is an Associate Professor in the School of Professional Communication at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Director of TMU’s Centre for Studies in Food Security.

Shay Quinn is a PhD student in Community and Population Health Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan who examines how Indigenous youth express ideas about traditional foodways.

Mentioned in this episode:

- The Lunchbox (film written and directed by Ritesh Batra)

- Canada’s School Food Program

- The Miner’s Lunchbox, designed by Leo May

Credits:

Host/Producer: David Szanto

Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt

Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay

Additional music: Saseendran VV on Pixabay

Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb on Pixabay

Image: David Szanto

#DigestingFoodStudies

Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.