Healthy Eating

Back to School with Healthy Eating Programme

A new campaign which aims to encourage young children to eat more fruit and vegetables has been launched by Bord Bia. The Food Dudes programme has been designed to enable children to enjoy healthy diets and to create a healthy eating culture within primary schools. Over 30,000 children are expected to participate in the programme over the next three years. Currently, the average daily intake of fruit and vegetables by Irish school children is 'considerably lower' than the recommended five portions a day.

Classroom wall charts will be used to chart progress and children will receive a Food Dudes certificate and further rewards upon reaching particular goals. The aim of this phase is to maintain fruit and vegetable consumption in the longer term.

"Food Dudes is a very good scheme. The children benefit a huge amount from it. Their lunches are healthier and their skin and teeth are also healthier. I think they get a huge amount from it", said Catriona Ni Dhonnchu, a teacher at Gaelscoil Mide in Dublin, where the pilot project took place.

One-hundred-and-fifty schools have been selected to take part, of which St. Michael’s National School, Longford Town is one.

See www.fooddudes.ie for more information.