BNF launches Healthy Eating Week @ Home

BNF launches Healthy Eating Week @ Home to keep the nation eating well and staying active this June

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has announced the launch of BNF Healthy Eating Week @ Home, a virtual event, taking place 22-28 June, which aims to encourage people of all ages to take part in a range of key health challenges, increasing their knowledge of healthy eating and wellbeing, the benefits of physical activity and cooking.

The new event is an online alternative to the annual BNF Healthy Eating Week which normally takes place at schools and workplaces in June. Last year, more than 4,770 nurseries and schools and 2,100 workplaces and universities registered to participate in the Week. While the coronavirus pandemic has made large-scale physical events impossible for the time-being, looking after our health and diet is more important than ever, and the BNF team has developed a new format to allow the Week to continue remotely.

This year’s BNF Healthy Eating Week @ Home comprises of seven daily health challenges, which people can take part in at home, or in schools and workplaces where social distancing measures allow. The challenges will be supported by a range of evidence-based, easy to access resources on a dedicated area of the BNF’s website, as well as a series of cook-a-longs each day. This year’s challenges include:

1. Eat well
2. Eat more wholegrains
3. Have 5 A DAY
4. Drink plenty
5. Move more
6. Be mind kind – help a friend or neighbour
7. Make a change – and keep going.

Roy Ballam, Managing Director and Head of Education at the BNF said: “BNF’s vision is to ensure that everyone can access healthy, sustainable diets, and BNF Healthy Eating Week plays a huge part in helping us towards this goal. Over the past few months, we’ve spent a lot of time considering the different options for how we can practically – and safely - run BNF Healthy Eating Week this year. While we are planning on organising a more ‘normal’ version of the Week in autumn, we felt it was important that we offer an alternative for families and individuals in June too.

“As usual, people of all ages are encouraged to take part in a series of health-focussed challenges throughout the week, building on a different area of health, fitness and wellbeing each day. All of the resources and materials are freely available on our website; there’s no need to register, just get involved and let us know what you’re doing using the #HEWathome tag on social media!”

While BNF Healthy Eating Week usually runs Monday-Friday, this year it has been extended to include the weekend too. One of the new challenges ‘Be mind kind - help a friend or neighbour’ encourages participants – if they are safely able to – to use food as a way of supporting their community during the pandemic, making extra portions to share with their neighbours.‘Make a change – and keep going’, which is also new for 2020, will encourage participants to broaden their health horizons by trying new foods, recipes, or taking up a new form of exercise. Through a variety of top tips, recipe suggestions and educational resources, the BNF will support people to put these new healthy habits into practice, long term.

Schools, nurseries, universities and workplaces can sign up for free to BNF Healthy Eating Week this autumn to celebrate and promote healthy lifestyles. For more information and to register go to https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthy-eating-week/ 

ENDS

For further information or interviews please contact pressoffice@nutrition.org.uk, 01223 421 832. 

About the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF)

Translating evidence-based nutrition science in engaging and actionable ways

BNF was established 53 years ago and exists to deliver authoritative, evidence-based information on food and nutrition in the context of health and lifestyle. The Foundation’s work is conducted and communicated through a unique blend of nutrition science, education and media activities. BNF’s strong governance is broad-based but weighted towards the academic community. BNF is a registered charity that attracts funding from a variety of sources, including contracts with the European Commission, national government departments and agencies; food producers and manufacturers, retailers and food service companies; grant providing bodies, trusts and other charities. Further details about our work, governance and funding can be found on our website (www.nutrition.org.uk) and in our Annual Reports.

BNF Healthy Eating Week is developed by the British Nutrition Foundation and supported by the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Quorn Foods, Nestlé Cereals, innocent drinks and Waitrose & Partners.  BNF is grateful for the advice from the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust on the Be mind kind challenge.