New Zealand’s tamariki are embarking on a gamified learning experience to Foodtopia, thanks to a newly launched digital education programme from Food for Thought. 

Designed for Year 5 and 6 students, the new online platform helps tamariki make informed, healthy food choices by bringing the popular Food for Thought programme to every primary school in Aotearoa. 

The new programme uses interactive storytelling and real-world activities to teach tamariki about healthy eating. Students explore nutrition concepts as they journey across animated food group islands, complete supermarket shopping challenges, identify a rainbow of fruit and vegetables, and learn how to calculate sugar content in drinks. 

 

Sandy Botterill, Head of Environmental Social Governance, Foodstuffs NZ 

Sandy Botterill, Head of Environmental Social Governance, Foodstuffs NZ said: “Learning about nutrition at an early age is important because it helps instil healthy behaviours tamariki can carry through life, helping set them up for healthier futures.  We want to be able to reach as many schools as possible with our programme and by having a digital offering, it truly opens it up to all primary schools.  We sought input from students and teachers while developing the programme to ensure it was something they could easily use in the classroom, with minimal prep and maximum impact.”  

The result is a free, curriculum-aligned programme with everything in one place: animated content, lesson plans, teacher guidance, and student activities. 

Since 2007, more than 265,000 tamariki have been helped to make healthier food choices thanks to the free nutrition education programme Food for Thought. Funded from inception by the Foodstuffs co-operatives and delivered in partnership with the Heart Foundation, the Food for Thought programme involves a qualified nutritionist visiting Year 5 and 6 classrooms and taking pupils to their local PAK’nSAVE, New World or Four Square to put healthy eating principles into practice. 

With the introduction of Nutrition Quest, the Food for Thought Programme can be brought to all primary schools in Aotearoa. 

Justine Munro, Head of Prevention at the Heart Foundation

Justine Munro, Head of Prevention at the Heart Foundation said: “Food has such a big impact on our health, so we’re really invested in helping support students to develop lifelong skills around food and food literacy so they’re able to make great choices throughout their lives - and it’ll have a wonderful effect on their heart health long term.  This is about reaching more schools and more students and increasing the food literacy across the motu.” 

Deputy Principal Vanessa Jansz, Arahoe School, New Lynn 

Arahoe School in New Lynn, Auckland was one of the first to use the digital programme, and Deputy Principal Vanessa Jansz says it’s been a hit in the classroom: “Using Nutrition Quest is useful for the children because they’re learning through gamification and most of our kids are really engaged when they learn through games. The children easily picked up what they were supposed to do because of the colour and the content, it was so engaging for them. The instructions are easy to understand and they’re learning on the go and sharing it with their peers, but also with their families.”  

The Food for Thought team is now inviting primary schools nationwide to access the resource and bring nutrition learning to life in their classrooms.  

To find out more or to register your school for Nutrition Quest visit www.foodforthought.co.nz