History
The Food Dude Healthy Eating Programme is the result of an extensive research initiative conducted by the Bangor Food and Activity Research Unit (BFARU), at the School of Psychology, Bangor University.
The research began in 1992, when the BFARU embarked upon a series of studies designed to establish a method of helping children learn to like eating fruit and vegetables.
In early research, more than 450 children between the ages of 2-7 years took part in studies conducted in homes, schools and nursery settings, in the course of which the Food Dude Programme was developed. It was found to be extremely effective at boosting children’s consumption of fruit and vegetables with long-lasting effects.
Following these initial successes, the BFARU went on to develop a stand-alone package to enable primary schools themselves to implement the programme across the full age of pupils. The programme was successfully introduced into several schools in the UK and Ireland, with over 3000 pupils taking part in the research. It is now being made available to all primary schools in Ireland. There are growing indications that other countries, such as Canada, Italy and the United States, also would like to introduce the Food Dude Programme to help combat childhood obesity and other health disorders.
The Food Dude Programme has gone from strength to strength over the years (see the current status of the programme). A remarkable multidisciplinary collaborative project, it brings together the BFARU, Government bodies, voluntary organisations, fruit and vegetable growers, processors and retailers, all in a common cause to improve the diets of British children.
Overall Project Aim: to increase children’s consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Objective:
- to establish the necessary conditions for the programme’s introduction into primary schools internationally.
View information on BFARU research staff.