Changing Poop, Changing Children's Futures: Nagoya Higashi Gakuin's 'Good Poop Project' Fully Launched!

Nagoya Higashi Gakuin (Headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, President: Hachiman Shigeo) has been implementing the nutrition education project 'Good Poop Project' since the start of Reiwa 5 and has been in full operation since Reiwa 6. This project is now being widely announced to the public.

Through daily meals, this program supports the creation of healthy lifestyle habits for children, offering an early childhood education program with medical supervision.

Nagoya Higashi Gakuin Good Poop Project (https://azumayouchien.com/unchi/)

"Poop" is a message from a child's body

The 'Good Poop Project' is not just about providing 'nutritionally balanced meals,' but also about re-examining what children eat, how they chew, how they excrete, and how they grow, from the perspectives of education, nutrition education, and medicine.

The project involves a team of expert women doctors, including gastrointestinal and obstetrician-gynecologist specialists, who collaborate with the kindergarten's meal and childcare facilities to create an environment that nurtures children's abilities to eat, chew, and excrete during early childhood.

While 'poop' is a familiar word for children, it is rarely discussed openly at home or in educational settings.

Nagoya Higashi Gakuin views meals as 'educational time to nurture children's bodies' and strives to create menus that allow children to experience as many ingredients as possible.

The goal is to incorporate 100 different ingredients into the meals.

By naturally encountering ingredients such as vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms, beans, fish, and fermented foods, which are often lacking in home meals, during their time at the kindergarten, the project aims to broaden children's taste and interest in food.

Additionally, before each meal, a small dried sardine is thoroughly chewed and eaten during 'Chewing Time.'

This daily practice helps children develop the habit of chewing their food well.

The 'Good Poop Project' at Higashi Gakuin is not just about what children eat but also about how they eat it.

The name 'Good Poop Project' is easy for children and parents to understand.

However, behind the name is a serious commitment by a group of professionals who are dedicated to addressing the issues of food and health during early childhood.

The project involves not only staff but also women doctors specializing in gastrointestinal and obstetric-gynecological fields, who have been addressing the mechanisms of the body and the health of mothers and children. This team is called 'Team Female Doctors.'

This initiative involves various thoughts and commitments.

[Value of Dried Sardines]

The daily consumption of one dried sardine is not just for obtaining nutrients such as calcium and iron. It helps strengthen chewing ability, and by experiencing the bitterness of the sardine's innards, children gradually learn to recognize it as umami.

This is utilized as an educational material to raise awareness of flavors and aromas and to increase interest in natural snacks.

[Challenge of 100 Ingredients]

The project aims to use 100 different ingredients, including those that are not commonly found in typical school meals.

By incorporating a variety of ingredients, the project aims to familiarize children with diverse ingredients and broaden their interest in food.

[Commitment to Organic]

The project is committed to using organic ingredients for vegetables, such as using onion skins to make soup and using carrots with their skins on.

By utilizing ingredients as much as possible without waste, the project aims to provide rich food experiences while also working on reducing food waste.

These initiatives have resulted in positive feedback from children and their parents.

[Children and Parents' Voices]

- Taste and smell have developed
- I have come to appreciate the natural flavors
- I feel that constipation has improved
- I now eat my meals without leaving any leftovers, etc.

*Note: Nagoya Kindergarten and Higashi Funeship Kindergarten are currently accepting inquiries for enrollment. For more details, please contact the Nagoya Higashi Gakuin website.

Expanding Kindergarten-Based Nutrition Education to Businesses and the Community

The 'Good Poop Project' is not just a project that is confined to the kindergarten.

The project is supported by the efforts of many people and companies, including those who produce, deliver, and prepare the food, as well as those who support nutrition education and provide meals to children.

Nagoya Higashi Gakuin is also considering collaboration with companies and organizations that support the purpose of this project, aiming to provide 'nutrition education that reaches children's real lives.'

There are many possibilities for expanding from the kindergarten, such as providing local ingredients, co-developing nutrition education programs, holding parent-child events, reducing food waste, utilizing organic ingredients and fermented foods, and jointly issuing information related to SDGs.

The 'Good Poop Project' is a new initiative by Nagoya Higashi Gakuin that connects early childhood education, nutrition education, medical knowledge, and corporate co-creation.

[Overview of the 'Good Poop Project']

Name: Good Poop Project

Implementation: Nagoya Higashi Gakuin

Main Supervising Doctors:

Mayumi Komatsu (Gastroenterologist)

Kiko Mori (Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Nagoya Higashi Gakuin Staff) and others

Main Contents:

- Meal creation aiming for 100 different ingredients
- 'Chewing Time' before meals
- Raising awareness of children's meals, chewing, and excretion
- Collaboration with the women doctors team 'Team Female Doctors'
- Initiatives related to nutrition education, local ingredients, and corporate collaboration

Implementation Facilities: Kindergartens operated by Nagoya Higashi Gakuin

Target: Children attending the kindergarten, parents, families considering enrollment, companies and organizations interested in nutrition education, children's health, and community collaboration

Project Page: https://azumayouchien.com/unchi/

Nagoya Higashi Gakuin Website: https://azumayouchien.com/

*Note: We will arrange for kindergarten visits, interviews with experts, and media coverage.

About Nagoya Higashi Gakuin

Nagoya Higashi Gakuin is a school corporation engaged in early childhood education and childcare in Meito-ku, Nagoya City.

We cherish each child and create an environment that connects to their future through daily play, learning, meals, and life.

[Corporate Overview]

Corporate Name: Nagoya Higashi Gakuin

Address: 210-2 Chome, Kame no I, Meito-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, 465-0094

Representative: President Hachiman Shigeo

Operated Facilities: Nagoya Higashi Kindergarten, Higashi Funeship Kindergarten, Azuma♪Rarara Daycare, Aeon Yumemirai Daycare, and others

Business Content: Early childhood education, childcare, child-rearing support, nutrition education activities

Established: July 4, 1967

Website: https://azumayouchien.com/

*Note: Please contact us for inquiries regarding media coverage, kindergarten visits, photo provision, and corporate collaboration.