CATERING & NUTRITION
Healthy eating and good health: a lesson children cannot afford to skip Education Today hears from RACHEL SIPAUL, Senior Dietician at apetito. ‘
You are what you eat’. There is nothing closer to the truth when we talk about children and their food choices. Not only does good nutrition fuel their physical growth, it also plays an essential role in their mental well-being, both of which can have a lasting impact well into adulthood. Schools are an ideal place to engage children to have a positive relationship with healthy, sustainable food - and this is a life lesson no one can afford to skip.
We know a healthy diet for children is essential during this critical time for development and growth. A well-balanced diet provides children with the energy to keep active, nutrients for growth and to prevent diet-related illnesses. Keeping active and eating a balanced diet will also help maintain a healthy body weight. In addition, the benefits of eating well on a school day are well recognised, enabling children to concentrate, participate and learn. One of the consequences of getting this wrong is the current childhood obesity crisis. Recent data from the Health Survey for England (2024) reports in children aged 2-15 years,
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nearly one third are overweight (27%) and 15% obese. This has serious impacts not only in the short term, for example, increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, asthma and mental health concerns, but also for the longer term, as children who are overweight or obese, are more likely to be overweight, with the associated adverse health risks, in adulthood. Fortunately, it is well recognised that schools are an ideal setting to engage children on the benefits of health and good nutrition. In England, teaching cooking and nutrition forms part of the design and technology national curriculum for Key Stages 1-3. Food education similarly falls within the national curriculum for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Key learning outcomes aim for the children to: • understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
• prepare and cook a variety of dishes • understand ingredients seasonality • know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown and processed.
By the end of Key Stage 3, students should June 2025
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