Healthy Eating in Primary Schools

Citation

Speller, V. (2006), "Healthy Eating in Primary Schools", Health Education, Vol. 106 No. 5, pp. 412-412. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280610685965

This is a timely publication for the UK audience where at long last there is government recognition of the need to focus on the quality of nutrition in school meals after years of decline in standards. This book provides a thorough how‐to guide for primary school teachers and health‐promoting schools supporters to assist with the planning and delivery of healthy eating in the curriculum. Based on experience from a local schools programme, and with useful descriptions from a range of those involved in promoting healthy eating it takes a whole‐school holistic approach towards children's eating and relates to the UK personal, social and health education curriculum and the National Healthy Schools Programme.

What distinguishes the book from some other curriculum guides, and will make it relevant to anyone working with this age group, whatever their local systems of education and food provision in schools, are the first six chapters which provide a good overview of facts and evidence relating to children's eating drawn from reviews of international literature. These cover overweight and obesity, body image, gender differences, dieting, eating distress and disorders, covering the topic ably from physical, psychological and cultural perspectives.

Chapters 7 and 8 describe a whole‐school approach to healthy eating and the interviews with key workers drawn from school and the wider community, nicely illustrate some of the challenges and rewards of introducing healthy eating schemes such as breakfast clubs and cookery classes.

The remainder of the book, almost half, is devoted to 19 detailed lesson plans that introduce and cover the topic from all the angles presented in the opening chapters. These are tried and tested lesson plans, with teachers' guides, exercises and work sheets, also all available for printing from the CD‐ROM included. Topics start with general thinking about food eaten, food groups, cultural issues, feelings about body shape, image and the importance of physical activity. Whilst this focus on PSHE in the curriculum provides a useful tool, in the absence of other structured support for developing health‐promoting schools, teachers would need more advice on how to connect with local support, training and access to healthy foods to support changes in the overall school environment required. However, given the renewed emphasis on the provision of healthy food and removal of vending machines, this resource will help children to understand more about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity to enable them to make healthier choices and support changes in behaviour.