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Cooking & Nutrition

In Key Stage 1 children build upon their experiences from  the early years in cooking and nutrition. They are taught the two different ways of cutting food using the bridge hold and the claw grip and are introduced to the idea of taste testing. These are essential skills that will be developed as they progress through the primary years in design technology. In Year 1 they use these skills to cut and prepare fruit. For the Summer Smoothies project they design and make a fruit smoothie for a friend. As alternatives, children use the story of Handa's Surprise when designing and making either a Fruit Salad or a Fruit Kebab.

Building on this knowledge, children in Key Stage 1 have the opportunity to design and make some  salads to promote the 'five-a day' healthy eating message or to create a healthy lunchtime snack consisting of a dip and some vegetable dippers. These units further develop children's food preparation skills whilst teaching them about fruit and vegetables, where and when food is grown and those important healthy eating messages.

 Summer Smoothies        Fruit Salad               Fruit Kebab    

      Snack Dippers        Rainbow Salad       Salad Fit for a King

Key Stage 1

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In Lower Key Stage 2 children extend their cooking and preparation skills when learning to make products such as bread and soup. They learn about the role of yeast in bread-making and how to knead bread. They are introduced to healthy eating guidance provided by the Eatwell Guide and apply this knowledge when designing and making healthy lunchtime wraps. Other aspects of food technology are introduced such as seasonality, where food comes from and the importance of packaging and labelling of food products.

In Lower Key Stage 2 children  can also focus on the importance of a healthy breakfast to start the day. Children can design and make a healthy cereal bar whilst learning about breakfast foods that are grown on a farm or that come from reared animals. As an alternative children learn how yoghurt is made and the different food products originating from dairy farming. They apply this knowledge of yoghurt-making and the importance of eating fruit to design and make a yoghurt-based breakfast product.

        Sharing Bread           Bread and Soup          Focaccia

Lower Key Stage 2

  Healthy Cereal Bar            Yummy Yoghurts           Lunchtime Wraps

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Seasonal Tarts

In the seasonal tarts unit of work children are introduced to baking and the idea that many foods in Britain are seasonal. In making jam tarts they learn different ways that fruit and vegetables can be preserved. Children apply their knowledge of making jam tarts when designing and making savoury tarts that feature fruit and vegetables that are seasonal and/or they have grown themselves.

Street Food and Take Away Food

In learning about street food from around the world children make wraps to sell at the Street Food Fiesta. This unit also teaches children about food packaging, labelling and the importance of correct food storage. Children learn that people across the world have different diets for many different reasons. This project also involves the children becoming food entrepreneurs and learning some of the basics of setting up a food business.

Hola Mexico is an adaptation of the street food unit is available that focuses on Mexican street food.

Eatwell Pizza is an adaptation of the street food unit focusing on Italian pizza.

In Upper Key Stage 2 children are bringing together their knowledge of healthy eating and balanced meals to design and make more complex food products and meals. Our cooking and nutrition units focus on two aspects:

Focus 1: Street Food and Take Away Food

Focus 2: Restaurants and the Three Course Meals

Street Food Fiesta         Hola Mexico Tacos

Upper Key Stage 2

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Restaurants and Three Course Meals

In these projects, children apply their knowledge of cooking and nutrition to design and make a three-course  meals to be served in the class restaurant. Children investigate the different places where people ‘eat out’ and conduct market research to find out about our favourite restaurants. Children learn about restaurants, menus and the different roles of people who work in restaurants. Children are tasked with designing and making a three-course meal that is based on the cuisine of a country. They research recipes and create a plan to make and serve their three-course meal in the class restaurant. They make their dishes and organise a taste test session to evaluate the food that they have made. Using the results from the taste test they take on the role of a restaurant critic and review one of the class restaurant meals.

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Eco Airline Meal challenges the children to create a three-course airline meal

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Ristorante Italiano challenges the children to create a three-course Italian meal for the class restaurant.

Eco Airline Meal                 Eatwell Pizza          

Class Restaurant           Ristorante Italiano

National Curriculum: Cooking and Nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

Key stage 1

  • use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes 

  • understand where food comes from.

Key stage 2

  • understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet

  • prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques

  • understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

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