20-06-2025
Tesco scheme teaching Wicklow students how to cook and eat more healthily
The programme is expected to be delivered to almost 3,000 primary school pupils across 42 primary schools this year, giving them hands-on experience with food and nutrition.
St. Brigid's National Catholic School in Greystones is currently taking part in the 'Stronger Starts Cooks' programme, which will see 54 pupils involved. Pupils from St. John's SNS are also involved and enjoyed a recent cookery session with chef Bernard Grandjean.
Delivered mainly to 5th class pupils, with flexibility for 4th and 6th, the six-week experience includes a hands-on cooking workshop and lessons in food science, food safety and healthy eating.
Among the highlights is a visit to a local Tesco store, where students explore the journey of food from farm to shelf, take part in a budgeting challenge, enjoy food sampling sessions, and getting to see behind the scenes of a busy shop environment.
Tesco Ireland commissioned a recent survey of parents, which found that 93pc of Leinster-based parents would welcome more food education in the primary school curriculum to give children a stronger start in life.
While parents are confident in their own skills, almost one in three (30pc) of Leinster parents say they're confident their children would know how to cook a basic meal from scratch. Just under half (41pc) of parents based in Leinster report that they speak to their children occasionally, or not at all, about healthy eating.
