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Canteen to Classroom
Educating and Empowering Students
About Canteen to Classroom
Exploring the joy and wonder of food with students is essential in nurturing future generations that are both health and environmentally conscious. It’s all about transforming knowledge into action. With this in mind, we have developed an educational programme – Canteen to Classroom.
With high-quality, evidence-based lesson plans, we save teachers precious time and effort. Even better? All of our resources are fully-funded and free to download.
Busy timetable? Try out Quick Bites – our concise, high-impact sessions that engage students in topical discussion and debate.
Want an interactive cookery workshop where a professional chef-trainer guides students through prepping and cooking a main dish, giving them the confidence to innovate with their own flavours.? Reach out about booking a Cooking with Plants workshop with us.
Take a look at our resources below to see the topics covered, including the types of food we grow and eat, climate change, nutrition, tasting, and food waste.
The key benefits of the Canteen to Classroom programme include:
- Experiencing, celebrating, and having fun tasting fruit, vegetables, and other plant-rich foods.
- Understanding the health benefits and importance of eating more plants.
- Gaining a greater awareness of food waste and the ways that we can feed our increasing population nutritiously and sustainably.
- Increasing knowledge of where our food comes from and how it ends up on our plates.
- Assessing the impact of making sustainable food choices.
- Empowering children to make informed choices about food and the positive steps they can take in their own lives, as well as that of the community and the planet.
- Engaging the next generation in debates around big topics such as the future of our planet and climate change education.
The programme also encourages the development of cross-curricular skills, including: data handling and analysis; debating; geography skills such as exploring land use; using search technologies effectively in computing; science through nutrition, plants, and animal classification; using art creatively; cooking and nutrition within design and technology; and even taking part in team games and being active during PE.
Resources
Cooking with Plants – student cookery workshops
Cooking with Plants is ProVeg UK’s brand-new in-person student cookery workshop, developed…
Climate Action Week Assembly
London Climate Action Week is one of the world’s largest independent climate events. Now…
KS1 – What types of food do we eat?
Encourage ourselves and others to eat food of different colours to keep us healthy
Canteen to Classroom Partners and Supporters
Canteen to Classroom is made possible by generous support from the Ennismore Foundation.
Contact the Canteen to Classroom Team
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ProVeg UK’s Canteen to Classroom programme?
Canteen to Classroom is a free ProVeg UK educational programme that teaches students about the food they eat — where it comes from, how it is made, and its impact on our health and the planet. It brings the sustainable-food message from the school canteen into the classroom.
Are Canteen to Classroom resources free?
Yes. All Canteen to Classroom resources are free for schools and teachers to download and use.
What resources and activities does Canteen to Classroom provide?
Canteen to Classroom provides high-quality, evidence-based lesson plans, along with Quick Bites sessions, assemblies, discussions, posters, tasting activities and workshops. The resources are designed to be concise and high-impact and can be used across different age groups.
Which ages and key stages are Canteen to Classroom resources for?
Canteen to Classroom resources span all ages, from Early Years (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 through to upper Key Stage 2 and secondary school. Quick Bites sessions in particular are designed as concise, high-impact activities suitable for all ages, including secondary pupils.
What topics does Canteen to Classroom cover?
Lessons cover where food comes from, the types of food we grow and eat, healthy food choices, food waste, climate change, and the environmental impact of our food choices. The programme helps pupils connect what they eat with its effect on their health and the planet.
How does Canteen to Classroom relate to School Plates?
Canteen to Classroom is the education companion to ProVeg UK’s School Plates programme. While School Plates helps schools and caterers make menus more plant-rich, Canteen to Classroom teaches pupils in the classroom about food, health and sustainability — connecting what is served in the canteen with what is learned in lessons.
How do teachers access Canteen to Classroom resources?
Teachers can access the free lesson plans and resources, and get in touch with the education team, through the Canteen to Classroom programme page. Individual resources can be downloaded after signing up.