Multiple countries around the world invest significant resources in healthy nutrition educational programs within their education system, with the understanding that healthy eating habits in childhood may contribute to reducing overweight and obesity, improving learning achievements and proper physical and mental development. Furthermore, these habits may accompany the individual years ahead and contribute to the adoption of a healthy lifestyle for individuals and their families. The education system serves as a central environment for learning and development, and therefore integrating healthy nutrition education into the curriculum is gaining increasing recognition as an essential strategy for promoting lifelong healthy habits. Around the world, countries have implemented diverse approaches to teaching healthy nutrition in schools, reflecting unique cultural and social contexts as well as multiple governmental policies.
This document, which is based mainly on a literature review, presents some examples and characteristics of various programs for teaching healthy nutrition in the education system, together with insights emerging from evaluation studies. In addition, key points from World Health Organization policy documents are also presented.
Healthy nutrition programs and health promoting schools are part of the current and past efforts to provide nutrition education in Israeli schools. This review may provide additional knowledge and insights that can assist in further developing programs for the Israeli education system.
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