Why participate in EU School Fruit?

Children eat too few vegetables, fruit and wholegrain products. In 2021, 50% of adults and more than 30% of children aged 4 to 16 in the Netherlands were overweight.

The EU School Fruit and Vegetable Programme helps children eat more vegetables and fruit. Healthy food gives children enough energy and important nutrients to grow and develop properly. School is the perfect place to learn about food and healthy and sustainable eating.

Schools very positive about EU School Fruit

In the 2022–2023 school year, 2,416 school locations participated in the EU School Fruit and Vegetable Programme. After the 20 weeks of free fruit and vegetables, the programme was evaluated by Right Marktonderzoek. A total of 1,500 schools participated in the survey. Almost all schools are (very) positive about EU School Fruit (99%). Nearly half of the schools (49%) give it a grade of 9 or higher. On average, the programme receives a score of 8.5.

Chef! teaching portal

During the 20 weeks of EU School Fruit, schools can also use the online Chef! teaching portal. Here, teachers can find an introductory lesson and other short learning activities about fruit and vegetables for each year group. Teachers who want to do more with education about healthy nutrition can also find the additional Taste Lessons and Taste Lesson activities here.

Three games in Chef!

This year, three games are available in Chef! The games were created by Glos Educatief.

Vegetable and fruit dominoes

This game is intended for Years 1, 2 and 3. The game teaches children about the growth of certain vegetables and fruit. With this game, you can explore further how fruit and vegetables grow. For Years 1–2, you can use the Taste Lesson ‘From Seed to Food’, or for Years 1, 2 and 3, the lesson ‘All Plants Grow Differently’ from the Vegetable Garden Taste Mission.

Vegetable and fruit board game

This game (see opening image) is intended for Years 4 and 5. The game teaches children about the origin, growth and storage methods of vegetables and fruit. With this game, you can explore further how fruit and vegetables grow, their origin, food waste and sustainability. For Year 4, you can use the Taste Lesson ‘Vegetables and Fruit from Far Away’, or the lesson ‘All Plants Grow Differently’ from the Vegetable Garden Taste Mission. For Year 5, you can use the Taste Lessons ‘Storing Food’ and ‘What a Waste!’.

Vegetable and fruit quartet

This game is intended for Years 6, 7 and 8. The game teaches children about vegetables and fruit from the Netherlands, food waste, sustainability and quality marks. With this game, you can explore further various aspects of sustainability, such as energy consumption, crop protection, climate impact and biodiversity. Ask questions about the difference in climate impact between apples from the Netherlands and pineapples from South America. Or ask about the differences between vegetables grown in a heated greenhouse and those grown outdoors. What does a parasitic wasp have to do with biological crop protection, or why are there often flower borders around a field? For Year 6, you can use the Taste Lesson ‘Where Does Our Food Come From?’. For Year 7, use the Taste Lesson ‘The Apple Debate’, and for Year 8, you can use the Taste Lesson ‘Fair Trade’. For Years 7–8, you can also use the lessons from the Food Waste Taste Mission.