As studies show many children have no idea where food comes from, Lisa Salmon looks at a new initiative designed to remedy that and consequently encourage healthy eating
APPARENTLY 90 per cent of children say they know which foods are healthy; a figure that's obviously reassuring.
What is less reassuring, however, is some of the other figures in the research by the consumer trends consultants, Future Foundation. Say, for example, how more than half (52 per cent) of children questioned believed (wrongly) that potatoes count towards their 'five-a-day' total, or how 10 per cent also think carrot cake counts. Combine this with research last year by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), which revealed that nearly a third of primary school children thought cheese came from plants, and 18 per cent believed fish fingers were from chicken, and it's clear that many children in Britain and Northern Ireland have a worrying food knowledge gap.
In a bid to bridge that gap, a new scheme has persuaded suppliers to open their farms and factories to teach children about the origin of food.
The Tesco Farm to Fork trails are designed to help children learn how, for example, milk is produced, where eggs come from and how lettuce grows. In addition, staff at Tesco stores in Britain and the north will be teaching children about different foods and giving practical demonstrations, like baking bread from scratch, tasting new fruits and vegetables and learning about fish and seafood. Farm to Fork, which is part of the Tesco Eat Happy Project, is backed by supporters including Diabetes UK, the Children's Food Trust and the National Farmers' Union, and is open to every primary school in the UK.
Through Google's Connected Classrooms technology, classes will also have the opportunity to talk to food suppliers across the world - banana growers in Costa Rica, for example - in live video chats, while Sorted Food, Europe's largest social media cooking channel, will be engaging children with content that makes cooking fun and accessible.
It's hoped this Eat Happy Project will help primary school children learn about and have a healthier relationship with food - something that will clearly be welcomed by their parents, half of whom fear the impact of their children's diet on their long-term health. "We know parents are concerned that kids don't always understand how food is made and where it comes from, which is important to developing a strong positive lifelong relationship with food," Tesco UK managing director Chris Bush says. "Working closely with teachers, our suppliers and a number of partners including the Children's Food Trust, we want to help improve the relationship primary school kids have with food."
There is a second phase of the Eat Happy Project later this year, too, which will involve cookery courses for kids, working with the Children's Food Trust (CFT).
Linda Cregan, CFT chief executive, says: "Improving the diets of our children should be a priority for all of us. "Parents, schools, food retailers and manufacturers all have a responsibility to make sure our children are eating healthy, nutritious food. If our children grow up with an understanding and interest in both cooking and eating healthy food they have the best opportunity to reach their full potential."
Nutrition scientist Eleana Papadopoulou reiterates that this will only be possible with an understanding of food origins. Referring back to last year's BNF research, where 21 per cent f primary school children had never visited a farm, and more than a third (34 per cent) of five to eight-year-olds thought pasta came from animals, she says: "Being better informed about where food comes from and how it's produced and processed is important and could affect current eating habits and potentially the long-term health of children and young people. "We welcome initiatives that help to support this kind of learning." She also points out that it's not only these initiatives that have a responsibility, though. All parents, and especially those whose children don't have access to such schemes, can help their children learn more about healthy eating by involving them in decisions about family meals, taking them shopping to buy ingredients, and allowing them to help with food preparation and cooking. "If possible, parents could also involve their children in gardening," she says. "It's a way of helping them understand where fruit and vegetables come from and how they can be used to make their meals healthier."
* Schools can register for the Farm to Fork trails at www.tesco. com/eathappyproject.
For more information on children's healthy eating, cooking, food and farming, visit www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
*FUTURE OF FOOD:For children to have a better relationship with food they need to understand where it comes from and the journey it takes to get to their plates