These lesson plans have been created by Apetito’s in-house dietitians, chefs and nutritionists with the aim of creating educational content in line with the national curriculum that support teachers when delivering lessons on food and nutrition.
Jethro Lawrence, head development chef at Apetito, said: "It is so important for our children to be educated about how nutritious food can be delicious. The benefit of knowing where certain ingredients come from can help develop important life skills. Food knowledge promotes healthy eating habits, enhances cognitive skills, encourages children to try new flavours and builds their confidence around food."
Childhood obesity is a ‘significant’ health issue, with one in three children in England predicted to be obese or overweight when they finish primary school.
Rupert Weber, general manager for education at Apetito, added: “Whilst providing schools high-quality, nutritious meals is at the heart of what we do here at Apetito, we see our responsibility as going further than that. As a company with lots of in-house nutritional and dietetic expertise, we are passionate about supporting schools to effectively educate their pupils on food and nutrition.
“Children spend a considerable amount of their time at school, which makes it the ideal place for them to learn about nutrition and foster good food habits. Through the Mission Nutrition resources, we want to support and empower teachers to give pupils a hands-on understanding of the importance of having a balanced diet, and ultimately, ensure that pupils develop healthy eating habits to support their health and wellbeing."