DairyCo

Food Dudes

Food Dudes for primary schools changes children's eating habits for life. With growing concerns around childhood obesity caused by unhealthy diet and lifestyle, the Food Dudes programme works by motivating young children to include fruit and vegetables in their daily diet, both in school and at home. 

By repeatedly tasting different fruit and vegetables, children discover that they like these foods and soon feel the benefits of healthy eating. The Programme complements the current National School Fruit and Veg, and free milk schemes for Key Stage 1 pupils.

Designed by psychologists at Bangor University, the programme uses three fundamental psychological principles - 'the 3 Rs' - Reinforcement; Role-modelling and Rewards, to bring about long-lasting behaviour change. 

Food Dudes has generated great interest lately due to the Government funded National rollout in Ireland, and the success of the regional rollout to every primary school in Wolverhampton. The Department of Health is also currently funding pilot studies in Bedfordshire and Yorkshire.

There are three phases to the programme:

• Initially, children are given fruit and vegetables to eat with their morning milk, whilst watching DVD adventures featuring the Food Dudes, a group of positive role-model children. The Food Dudes eat fruit and vegetables every day, which gives them super-powered energy to help them defeat the Junk Punks, who are trying to deprive the world of healthy food.During this first phase (which lasts sixteen days), rewards are given each day to children who successfully eat fruit and vegetables in school and at home.
• In Phase 2, the focus switches to lunchtime, where children continue to be rewarded for eating fruit and vegetables as part of their school meal or packed lunch. 
• Phase 3 requires the school to maintain motivation by encouraging the children to continue eating fruit and vegetables in the school dining hall and at snacktime.  

For more information contact the National Food Dudes Project Coordinator, Pauline Milne on 01248-388534 or email p.a.milne@bangor.ac.uk or visit our website http://www.fooddudes.co.uk/.

Sponsors include: Horticultural Development Company (HDC) School Food Trust, NHS, Worshipful Company of Fruiterers.