Rainbow Plate is a social enterprise in Toronto, Canada, founded in 2012 by Janet Nezon. From launch until 2018, we designed and delivered hands-on, sensory-based food education workshops to children in local schools, early years settings, camps, and community and health organizations. Using rainbows of real food to spark children’s imagination, Rainbow Plate helped cultivate connections and change their behaviour around food. Rainbow Plate workshops reached and impacted over 16,000 children, inspiring them to become Rainbow Food Explorers.
Expanding the Rainbow Plate impact, Janet Nezon now works to support adults who influence children’s developing relationships with food and eating. She facilitates professional learning and inspires and supports educators, parents and health professionals through engaging and entertaining speaking, experiential workshops and practical food literacy resources.
A research evaluation of the Rainbow Food Heroes kindergarten program, conducted in 2016 in collaboration with Ryerson University, validated what we had seen all along: our programs changed children’s relationships with food. The evaluation showed a statistically significant impact on both children’s willingness to eat fruits and vegetables, and on their actual consumption of these foods. Following their Rainbow Plate workshop experience, children selected 40% more fruits and vegetables and increased their actual consumption of these foods by 50%, compared to pre-program measurements. Read the full article published in the Journal of Child Nutrition and Management.
Food education today is about much more than just fruits and vegetables. Janet helps educators redefine “healthy eating” to embrace a weight-neutral, inclusive and equity-based approach. She invites people to consider food as a beautiful and engaging vehicle for learning across all areas of the curriculum.
Janet Nezon, Founder, Principal
Janet is the Rainbow lady behind this colourful movement. With a BSc in Nutritional Science, a Master’s degree in Health Promotion and a long career as an educator, she's part food education disruptor, part social entrepreneur and part visionary force. She’s also a mom of three grown children and a grandmother, so she’s been there. She knows what it’s like to raise and feed a family. She's an academic at heart and loves exploring the evidence and the 'WHY' behind this powerful and fresh approach to food education. Janet is passionate about making a difference and determined to help create a healthier future. She’s grateful for the support and contributions of so many individuals and organizations who have helped to bring this colourful vision to life.
Connect with Janet to learn more about inviting her to speak, hosting workshops for your team or organization, and practical tools to help make food literacy education engaging, inclusive and fun for children and families.