Healthy Eating and Oral Health

Healthy Eating and Oral Health

The food children eat impacts their physical health, emotional wellbeing, memory and attention, oral health, and risk of disease as they grow up. In turn, the food children eat is greatly influenced by the food system (how food is produced, marketed, transported and consumed).

The effects of poor diet and food systems are unevenly distributed. For example, children from the most deprived areas have a greater chance of being an unhealthy weight and having tooth decay, compared to children from the least deprived areas. In more deprived areas there is reduced access to healthy food options, and a greater density of hot food takeaways, which are often located close to schools.

It is estimated that almost two thirds of UK children and young people’s diets is ‘ultra-processed (which lacks fibre and contains ingredients like emulsifiers), and packed lunches are more likely to contain ultra-processed food than school dinners. Food production and transport also contributes to carbon emissions and climate change, which is one of the top concerns for children and young people in Hampshire.

Schools are impacted by, and impact, food systems. Children and young people eat around one fifth of their main meals at school (as well as snacks, drinks, and breakfasts) and their behaviours and tastes are shaped by what, where, and how they eat at school.

Teaching in practice

Hampshire is taking whole system action on the complex problems of healthy food and childhood obesity, and schools are key partners in this. The most effective actions schools can take are to:

  1. Implement the School Food Standards, working with your catering company where necessary. The Checklist for headteachers is a good place to start, or the Small School Toolkit.
  2. Provide a comprehensive curriculum on food, including topics like food waste, digestion and gut health, budgeting, and body image. Consider how other subjects can support this, such as food technology, maths, geography, and science.
  3. Promote a sustainable food culture. Some local schools have found initiatives like community gardens, cook and eat clubs, and connecting to local farms have also helped build relationships with pupils and families.
  4. Support the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) in your school, to engage with parents and carers, and use the Childhood obesity and NCMP report to understand county and school-level trends in child growth and weight.
  5. Equip all staff to recognise where a family may be struggling with food security, weight, or oral health. These topics can be difficult to talk about, so ensure at least one staff member is equipped to have positive, non-stigmatising conversations with children and their families and provide signposting.

This section provides web links to information and resources that support these actions. Please note we do not endorse products, services, or advertisements on external or third-party sites.

National Guidance

Teaching about healthy eating and oral health is a statutory requirement for key stages 1 to 4, as part of health education. Cooking and nutrition is a statutory part of the national curriculum for key stages 1 to 3. The government also supports The school food plan and provides guidance on Standards for school food in England and School food standards resources.

Key stage 1: Design and technology

  • use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
  • understand where food comes from

Key stage 2: Design and technology

  • understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
  • prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
  • understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed

Primary: health education

  • what constitutes a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content)
  • the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals
  • the characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health)
  • about dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene and dental flossing, including healthy eating and regular check-ups at the dentist

Resources

Curriculum planning

Connects-food: resources for primary settings including a self-review tool and actions schools can take to improve their food curriculum and provision, rated by cost and evidence

National providers

School milk subsidy scheme: free milk for under 5s and subsidised milk for children aged 5 to 11

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM): all children in reception, year 1 and year 2 are entitled to a free meal at school

Free school meals (FSM): guidance for schools on the provision of free school meals, including information on eligibility

Chefs in Schools: onsite and online training for kitchen teams on sustainable and affordable cooking and growing

Let’s Get Cooking: a hub of information about providing healthy children’s food offering 15 training courses for schools and caterers related to improving food for children 

Lesson and activity planning

Food – a fact of life: resources for teaching young people aged 3-16 years about where food comes from, cooking and healthy eating

Countryside Classrooms: resources, places to visit, and school support around rural life, farming, and green spaces

TastEd: resources and support focused on trying new fresh fruit and vegetables through sensory food education

Gardening resources for schools: School Food Matters provide step-by-step resources to start growing food

School Zone: curriculum-linked teaching resources on healthy eating, including links to Sugar Smart, the EatWell plate, and the Food Scanner app

Mental Health Foundation - Body image school pack: single lesson plan, assembly, and booklets co-designed with pupils on body image (designed for secondary but useful for primary)

e-Bug: single lesson plans developed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on oral hygiene for key stage 1 and key stage 2

Dental Buddy: lesson plans and activities from the Oral Health Foundation for key stage 1 and key stage 2 (3 lessons for each key stage)

SEND and Alternative Provision

Food – a fact of life:  dedicated resources for pupils with additional needs, including skills for independent living and recipe videos

Parents, carers, and families

Information and advice: text ChatHealth on 07507 332417 to speak to a member of the School Nursing team or visit Hampshire Healthy Families

Making achievable changes: Hampshire Healthy Steps supports families to set goals and build new healthy habits through a flexible six-step programme

Starting conversations: Talking to your child about weight is guide for all parents and carers to help them talk with their children about weight in an open, supportive way that helps children feel good in their bodies

Picky eating: Berkshire NHS provides a useful booklet on Fussy eating: How to help a child accept new foods

Saving money and minimising food waste: Hampshire Smart Living 

Accessing food: Hampshire connect4communities provides Household Support and Holiday Activities, and Healthy Start provides free vitamins and food vouchers for under fours

Cooking and shopping: Healthier Families provides Lunchbox ideas and recipes, Food swaps, and a Food scanner app