How to promote healthy eating in schools
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· Aside from providing nutritionally valuable menus, it is also important to engage children and teachers in educational activities that broaden their knowledge and understanding. The benefits of this stretch far beyond the school gates.
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· There are a multitude of ways that food education can be embedded across a school. From posters in the dining hall, to point of sale and leaflets, the school website, parent comms, cooking demonstrations, classes, assemblies, newsletters and so on.
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· But whatever the methods used, remembering to tell a good story around food makes all the difference. The healthy eating message is more likely to result in change if children can get involved, so teaching materials and activities need to be fun, engaging and interesting.
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· Sodexo has a strategic partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation, a leading UK nutrition charity, to deliver food education and training in schools. This will ensure the information taught in lessons reflects the reality of all food experiences, including breakfast clubs, lunches and tuck shops.
Food Education in Dolce School
· Dolce School Catering provides fun and educational cookery classes for pupils and parents. This allows the parent and child to learn more about healthy foods to encourage them to make healthy meals at home. Dolce also has lots of tasty recipes online that anyone can make. Our team hosts Food Science Classes in schools to teach children the importance of eating healthy.
Case Studies
KEY POINTS:
Japan case study:
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Has highest global life expectancy (~83.7years) due to their nutrition with very low obesity rates Men=3.8%, Women=3.4%
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In 2000 the government published ‘DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR THE JAPANESE’, this was later followed up and updated by the 2005 ‘JAPANESE FOOD GUIDE SPINNING TOP’. The 2005 guidelines were introduced to recommend dietary rules and the visuals of this diagram engaged young children about health from an early stage which has proven that the younger population are more responsive to such technical introductions.
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The Japanese food guide spinning top focuses on:
A) Carbs from whole grains and veggies (5-7 grain and 5-6 veggie dishes), 3-5 fish and meat dishes and milk products to be eaten in moderation (2 milk products and 2 fruit portions daily).
B) low in saturated fat, salt, raw sugar, processed sugar and sweets.
C) high quality fibrous carbohydrate diet provides sufficient fuel for maintained energy and activity.
D) portion control.
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Nutrition in japan focuses on fresh local produce from local food markets, cultural views are held that food should be prepared fresh not prepared with high sodium and preservatives for long-term storage.
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Masahiro Oji (government director of school health education) promotes lunch as an educational activity, ensuring children have the opportunity to learn about nutritional health and self-sufficiency.
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Western A. foundation is an adopted programme across Japanese schools that encourages kids to eat 30 different foods a day and over 100 different foods in a week to promote a balanced diet.
The researchers from the national centre of global health and medicine in Tokyo ran an analysis of those that did and didn’t adopt the guidelines and found that those individuals who did follow good nutritional practice had a 15% decrease in risk of mortality.
83.7 years life expectancy with 15%decreased risk of mortality
Engages the youth in primary school lunches and increases nutritional mindfulness
High carbohydrate diet with limits on dairy and meat intakes
Nordic diet case study:
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Palatability has a main influence on the successful adoption of diet as well as it being tailored to regional/seasonal conditions.
OPUS project (Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy new Nordic diet (NND)) investigates the possibilities of a successful diet that is palatable, environmentally friendly and locally sourced with the following key principles: sustainable, gastronomical potential and public health.
Aims: More calories from plant foods and root vegetables and less calories from meats. More foods from the sea, lake and wild countryside.
NND reduces mortality, promotes CV health, protects the environment and reduces the socio-economic diet costs.
OPUS project put into practice the NND diet in school lunches and the results were very positive, were children habitually adopted the NND based meals into their everyday lives.
KEY POINTS:
Sustainability, planetary support and locally sourced food
High focus on balanced diet
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Implemented well in the youth through packed school lunches