Healthy eating in the curriculum
Healthy eating and food education should be taught through Science and Design and Technology. From September 2020, healthy eating should also be taught as part of the new compulsory Health Education curriculum. The Eatwell Guide provides a picture of Healthy Eating that can be included within learning in the curriculum. The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
Food is also an excellent vehicle for learning and can be incorporated into teaching many other subject areas. Some examples from school in Leeds of how food is used across the curriculum are below.
History: Learning about the types of food people use to eat e.g. the Vikings, Tudors etc.
Geography: Learning about the climates and conditions needed to grow food, learning about where food comes from and food miles.
Art: Drawing and painting different types of healthy food
English: Writing instructions for recipes, creative writing about food, using descriptive words when tasting food
Maths: Counting healthy food, adding and subtracting types of food, learning about portions.
PE: Learning about energy balance and nutrition for athletes
Drama: Creating plays and performances to help educate about food and healthy eating
Languages: Leaning the names of foods in other languages or ordering heathy meals
How we can help
We can provide in-school or virtual consultancy and advice for reviewing your curriculum and supporting you to deliver food and healthy eating as a whole school approach. We can also support you to ensure healthy eating in the curriculum is included in your whole school food policy and staff are delivering consistent key messages across their subject areas.
Links and further reading
The Eatwell Guide: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/
Change4life School Zone: https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/40-school-zone/Change4Life
Food a fact of life: https://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/
Health Education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education
Personal, Social, Health and Economic education: https://www.schoolwellbeing.co.uk/pages/pshe