Working with schools to promote Healthy Eating Limerick Food Partnership (LFP) Christine Gurnett MINDI RD LDN Senior Community Dietitian Health Promotion HSE West

Healthy Eating is easy? Lots of info available? Similar messages everywhere? New info means major changes in eating? Multibillion € Food and Nutrition Business – its competitive! Basic dietary guidelines x 50 years

Healthy eating seems complicated Nutrition knowledge/basic rules Planning menus, creating shopping list Shopping, finding ingredients + substitutes Cooking skills, risk taking + confidence Time management The art of keeping a few people satisfied All this at a reasonable cost Takes lifelong learning, practice, often needs support

Developing good eating habits Early age and determine diet for rest of life Evidence shows children’s diets can raise or lower the risk of long-term chronic illness Starting on healthy path at an early age is key as habits become ingrained in behaviour

School setting ideal More time + more food eaten in school setting Raise awareness Engage informally with parents and teachers Sometimes at no cost to parent ‘Trickle home effect’

Limerick Schools Health Eating Programs Healthy School Lunch Program since 2003 Healthy Eating Policies Breakfast Club Afterschool Club Cook It (Nutrition and Cooking Skills) – OLQP Primary/Post Primary TY Schools Pilot A supportive environment where healthy eating is the easy choice and the norm

Cook It 6 Week Cooking and Nutrition Curriculum Developed NI, adapted to Irish Food Pyramid Hands on experience with recipes related to each food group Extra themes; shopping on budget, dental health, healthy eating for children etc Transition Year curriculum and workbook being piloted

The Future National Nutrition Policy (co-ordinate and provide evidence based guidance) National Program for Food in Schools (Guidelines + train/monitor/evaluate) Roll out of Health Promoting Schools Model Whole school and whole family approach Dietitians with remit of working with educational sector locally (pre-school, Primary, Secondary, Third Level and teacher CPD) Kitchens + Eating spaces in schools Funding