Schoolchildren in the UK have such poor knowledge of food sources that some believe fish fingers are made from chicken, according to a study released today.
More than a quarter of primary school children in the UK also think that cheese comes from plants, research by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) shows.
The study, conducted as part of the BNF’s annual Healthy Eating Week, found that 13% of 8 to 11-year-olds believe that pasta comes from an animal and one in ten 11 to 14-year-olds do not know that carrots and potatoes grow underground.
Children’s food group knowledge was also tested, with almost a quarter (23%) of 5 to 7-year-olds saying that bananas, roast chicken, broccoli and wholegrain bread belong in the dairy and alternatives food group.
One sixth of the same age group reported that bread, yogurt, chocolate and salmon belong in the fruit and vegetables food group.
Analysis: Is it important for kids to know where their food comes from?
This latest survey from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) paints a fairly damning picture of children, and what they know about where their food comes from. As a standalone point, it doesn’t really matter that a fifth of UK children think that fish fingers are made of chicken, or that a quarter didn’t realise cheese was a dairy product. But the implication is that, if a child isn’t educated about where their food comes from, they won’t be able to play an active role in making the food supply of the future more sustainable, and they won’t be able to equip themselves effectively against the global obesity battle. If a child grows up thinking that chocolate and yogurt are vegetables, they’re less likely to make wise decisions about their diet in later life.
That’s why the BNF’s director, Roy Ballam, has stressed the importance of teaching children about diet and health in schools. He has called on the UK government to include food and nutrition education for teachers in its national Obesity Plan, giving them the right training and understanding to address children’s misperceptions around food.
The research was conducted among 5,040 children of primary and secondary school age across the UK, who were also quizzed about where they got information about healthy eating.
Over half (54%) of 11 to 14-year-olds use the internet as a reliable source of information on healthy eating, increasing to almost two thirds (64%) for the 14 to 16 age group. Schools are reported as the second biggest source of information for 14 to 16-year-olds (51%).
Managing director of the BNF Roy Ballam said: “With no formal professional support provided to teachers centrally, schools and individual teachers take on the responsibility for interpreting and delivering the curriculum in their own way. This approach means that there is a risk of conflicting or misleading messaging being disseminated through schools across the UK.
“This, combined with the latest results of the survey showing that the internet is one of the most popular sources of information for teenagers, means that it has never been more important for schools and teachers to be armed with the correct information so that children and young adults are able to decipher between fact and fake news.”
Ballam concluded: “At the BNF, we would like to see food and nutrition education for teachers included in the government’s Obesity Plan to ensure that all teachers receive relevant training and have an understanding of the important role they play in supporting the health and wellbeing of children in their care.”
The purpose of the BNF Healthy Eating Week survey was to find out what children and young people know, do and think in regard to healthy eating, cooking and physical activity.
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