Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is enlisting thesupport of the country’s education professionals as it continues to deliver its key healthy eating and food safety messages to school pupils across Scotland.
FSS is attending this week’s Scottish Learning Festival - the largest gathering of education professionals in the country - where it will offer practical advice to teachers on giving lessons to establish healthy eating habits among pupils.
Scotland’s national food body has produced resources to support teachers in delivering the areas of the curriculum that cover healthy eating and food safety.
The Scottish Learning Festival, held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow from 21 to 22 September, is expected to attract around 5,000 visitors including head teachers, senior educators, policy makers and teachers at primary, secondary and special education schools.
FSS has produced a new Eatwell Guide Information pack for teachers, which demonstrates the proportions of food groups needed for a healthy balanced diet and provides suggestions on how to share these messages in schools. The food body has worked with the British Nutrition Foundation and Public Health England to provide the Guide for Scottish schools.
The main advice within the Guide is that the primary components of the diet should be fruit and vegetables and starchy carbohydrates.
FSS Deputy Chair Louise Welsh, said: “Teachers play a crucial role in offering sound nutritional advice to pupils and positively influencing them. We are helping provide the educational resources they need to deliver simple and reliable information on food groups and achieving a healthier diet.”
FSS will be at stand H60 at the Scottish Learning Festival and staff will be on hand to offer advice, support and healthy eating lesson plans for teachers.
In addition to the Eatwell Guide Information for Teachers, Cookin Castle joins FSS’s suite of flagship educational resources. The online interactive game, launched last year, helps teach and promote healthier eating and good food hygiene practices to P4-P7 children.
The Cookin Castle Teachers’ Guides and other items will be available for visitors to the stand to take away and use in classrooms.
FSS Chief Executive Geoff Ogle, said: “Teaching youngsters life lessons such as healthy eating and food hygiene are just some of the many important roles education professionals have to perform as part of their day to day working life.
“FSS acknowledges the contribution teachers are making and our job is to offer resources to deliver engaging and stimulating lessons.
“Clearly, we are suggesting that youngsters should cut down on the amount of sugar and high fat snacks they consume and increase the amount of fresh fruit, vegetables and fibre in their diet.
“Cookin Castle provides teachers with support in delivering the health and wellbeing elements of the Curriculum for Excellence.”