The National Food Strategy could transform young people’s diets

The focus on diets is directly linked with that of planetary health. There is no longer one without the other and empowering people to make healthier and more sustainable food choices is needed to make the report’s ambitions effective.

British businessman Henry Dimbleby’s report​​ brings together all the sectors involved in our food system for the first time – from farming to Government procurement, education to industry and trade with four key strategic aims:

1. Escape the junk food cycle to protect the NHS
2. Reduce diet-related inequality
3. Make the best use of our land
4. Create a long-term shift in our food culture

Nutrition education​

Points one, two and four shine a light on the importance of effective nutrition education and industry changes to create healthier and more sustainable long-term habits.

One of the report’s main recommendations was to introduce an ‘eat and learn’ initiative for schools, reasoning ‘eating well is much easier if you know how to cook from scratch’.

It notes that culinary skills and a focus on food and nutrition in schools have declined across every social class since convenience food became widely available. Since 2014, schools have been legally required to teach cookery and nutrition to all children up to the age of 14, but the Food Strategy has found this is not happening.

Food A-levels​

The report recommends the reintroduction of food A-levels and a review of qualifications such as GCSEs to ensure enough focus on nutrition and routes to further education, all supported by funding from the government.