Dundalk's St Joseph's School win healthy eating award

St Joseph's National School, Dundalk, has been named Healthy Heroes School of the Month for June, thanks to the students' efforts in promoting healthy eating, sharing the honour with a Co Wexford school. 

They are among hundreds of primary schools across the island of Ireland that are participating in the Healthy Heroes initiative from the Irish Bread Bakers Association and Bord Bia, which aims to educate children on how to improve their eating habits, especially around lunchtime.  

Designed by teachers and behaviour change experts with the support of Dr Mary McCreery, one of Ireland’s foremost consultant nutritionists and dieticians, the hugely popular initiative is now in its sixth year. 

Commenting on their school's involvement in the initiative, St Joseph's teacher Tess Hughes explains how the school uses the Healthy Heroes programme: "5th and 6th class pupils led the club for the younger classes. They had breakfast together and talk about nutrition informally through teacher-led discussion.  

"It gave the children an opportunity to take ownership of their own club and develop leadership skills whilst having fun and taking part." 

Healthy Heroes gives primary school children the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer learning, which fosters valuable leadership, teamwork and communication skills, all the while learning to change their eating habits for the better. 

Ailbhe Byrne oversees the programme on behalf of the IBBA and says that the programme is going from strength to strength.

Ms Byrne said: “It is encouraging to see the positive feedback from St Joseph’s Dundalk which shows the success of the peer-to-peer aspect of the Healthy Heroes programme. Dundalk has shown that the programme encourages students to improve leadership, teamwork and communications skills, while at the same time having fun learning about healthy eating with their classmates. The knowledge gained by students will help them to make healthier choices going through life.”

The programme contains useful tips and suggestions on ways to include fruit and vegetables in lunch boxes as well as easy - to - understand information on the food pyramid and the contents of the ideal lunch box. The lunch of the month meanwhile offers plenty of suggestions that are designed to encourage children to have a balanced lunch.

Dr Elizabeth Finnegan, Healthy Eating Executive, Bord Bia said they are delighted to see the initiative continuing to promote healthy eating habits in classrooms.

“The Healthy Heroes programme has encouraged the children to improve their knowledge of food and where the items in their lunchboxes come from while at the same time supporting an interactive learning environment. By eating a variety of healthy foods such as seasonal fruits and vegetables and carbohydrates such as potatoes and breads, the children are incorporating a diet that keeps them fuelled in school all day long,” Dr Finnegan said.

For more information on how schools can get involved in the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club, visit www.fooddrinkireland.ie/ healthyheroes or email healthyheroes@realnation.ie.