Healthy Eating Week is back, and it is bigger than ever. More than 7,900 nurseries and schools have already registered to take part, representing over 3.7 million children. Organised by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), the fifth annual Healthy Eating Week will take place from 12 – 16 June 2017.
In addition to the schools and nurseries registered for the event, this is the first year that universities and colleges have been invited to get involved. Over 110 universities and colleges and over 140 workplaces will be participating from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – involving 484,186 adults in the activities.
Roy Ballam, Managing Director and Head of Education at the BNF, said: “Each year Healthy Eating Week continues to grow. With the importance of a good diet and regular physical activity increasingly prominent, adults and children alike are keen to increase their knowledge on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
“Over 4 million people are set to participate in Healthy Eating Week 2017, and with seven weeks left to go we expect even more schools, colleges, universities and businesses to get involved. Registration is free for all, and participants will benefit from a variety of resources – all designed to boost the nation's understanding of healthy eating.”
The theme for Healthy Eating Week this year is 'applied learning'. The idea is to encourage school children to take ownership of their own health by becoming their school's 'Ambassadors' for the week – flying the healthy eating flag and motivating their peers. Schools can download Ambassador Packs, to encourage applications for the Ambassador roles. To support the week of activities, all participants will also receive a board game, posters, and activity ideas, and a series of daily challenges. This year's challenges include: Have breakfast, 5 A DAY, drink plenty, get active and try something new. There will also be health webinars and online cooking activities.
Findings from a new research study, one of the largest surveys of its kind, conducted among 4,000 UK children (aged five – 16) will be released on Monday 13 June to coincide with the week. The research will provide an insight into children's knowledge about healthy eating and the origins of food, as well as their eating habits and physical activity levels at different ages.
