Introduction
Improving the health of the nation has never been more at the forefront with the government encouraging the nation to Change 4 life. School children are a natural starting point for education initiatives to help improve health; teaching children about good nutrition and healthier lifestyles will help them make more informed and better choices both now and in the future.
Some healthy eating messages are already making an impact, for example children now are more aware that they should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Where there appears to be a job to do is on understanding food provenance, with the research from the British Heart Foundation revealing 1 in 3 children do not know chips come from potatoes.
Child psychologist Richard Woolfson believes greater understanding of food provenance and preparation is crucial in teaching children about healthy eating, "Lack of food knowledge and a misunderstanding of what constitutes 'healthy food' may have a serious impact on the eating habits of children. The Potato Story is a great way of teaching kids about healthy food and where it is from, in a fun and interactive way. This will help them grow up with a good understanding of healthy eating."
Click here to watch the Field to Fork video
The Potato Story
The Potato Story is an unbranded educational initiative developed by McCain Foods (GB), a company passionate about potatoes and simply preparing great tasting food.
Focusing on food provenance The Potato Story uses the journey a potato makes from 'field to fork' to teach children in a fun, interactive and engaging way. The story focuses on how potatoes are grown and harvested, as well as the nutritional benefits of potatoes and the role they play in an overall balanced diet.
Did you know that all McCain potatoes have a Potato Passport? Why not download yours here.
This website contains four interactive and easy-to-use modules about plant and potato growth, and healthy eating too, covering a wide section of the KS2 Programme of Study for Sc 2 – Life Processes and Living things and Sc 1 - Experimental and Investigative Science.
The resource will also allow for cross-curricular links through ICT (Exploring simulations), literacy (with VAK opportunities including drama) and numeracy (measuring, collecting and presenting data).
To date The Potato Story has visited 130 UK primary schools and reached out to in excess of 17,400 primary school pupils. The Potato Story is currently on the road with plans to visit thirty primary schools by 13th November 2009.
McCain sincerely hope that The Potato Story will become an invaluable teaching resource for you and your pupils.