Food and Nutrition Strategy

About the strategy

Jersey's Food and Nutrition Strategy aims to support healthy nutrition and reduce diet-related preventable disease.

Our Island has rising levels of life-threatening preventable diseases caused by diets low in nutrients and high in unhealthy processed food. These diseases include:

diabetes
heart disease
several different types of cancers

The Food and Nutrition Strategy was approved by the Council of Ministers in May 2017 and sets out a number of priority actions. The strategy is based on research around what works to tackle increasing levels of diet-related diseases and is funded through the Government Plan.

One of the strategy's key guiding principles is to focus on prevention through early intervention. Our work is therefore prioritising initiatives in early years settings and primary schools.

We also aim to address broader barriers to achieving a healthy diet including the affordability of healthy food.

A Food and Nutrition Strategy for Jersey 2017 to 2022

Food and and nutrition discussion groups: refreshing the strategy

In 2023 work commenced on a revised Food and Nutrition Strategy for Jersey where:

stakeholders and members of the public have been consulted
a mapping of the local food system was carried out
an evidence review and appraisal of available interventions was completed

Focus groups were also carried out with a variety of diverse groups in the community to better understand the challenges Islanders face when aspiring to eat healthily.

Food and nutrition discussion groups report

Programmes and services

The Food and Nutrition Strategy provides a number of programmes to support you and your family with healthy nutrition.

Family Food and Fitness

Family Food and Fitness is a free programme that can help you and your family around diet and exercise. It aims to support long-term behaviour changes with a combination of:

cooking classes
sports
other fun activities

It's an 8 week programme led by registered dietitians and qualified physical activity specialists. It can be accessed by your whole family.

Family Food and Fitness

Food Dudes

Food Dudes is a behaviour change programme to help your child develop taste and liking for a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The programme is carried out in schools and your child learns about healthy nutrition using:

role modelling
fun and educational rewards
repetition

The programme has been adopted by hundreds of primary schools in Ireland, the UK and elsewhere where it achieved positive health-related outcomes for children taking part.

Primary school meals partnership (Flourish)

Public Health and CYPES work with local charity Caring Cooks to provide a daily lunch service in some primary schools as an alternative to lunch boxes. Meals provided are balanced, nutritious and dietitian-approved. They aim to support children with their:

learning
healthy growth
positive health outcomes later in life

Talk to your child's school if these lunches are not currently offered. You can also contact us for more details about the programme.

Whole-school food policies

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that a whole school approach is adopted in each school for the early prevention of obesity and diet-related disease. This means having an approach that involves all parts of the school and stakeholders including:

teachers
parents
children
Public Health

Together we can commit and work to develop prevention initiatives. These can include guidance for parents or implementing a school's healthy snack policies.

Healthy Start

Low-income families can struggle to eat the recommended level of fruits and vegetables because of financial barriers.

Healthy Start is a local programme providing vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables to low-income parents of young children. It aims to increase access to good nutrition for parents and their child during the crucial early stages of growth and development.

If you're interested in taking part in this programme, contact Customer and Local Services at customerservice@gov.je.

UNICEF Baby friendly breastfeeding initiative

The UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative is based on a global accreditation programme developed by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The programme supports breastfeeding and parent-infant relationships by working with public services to improve standards of care and best practice. It has been implemented in Jersey to train local professional working with young families to build on the good work of these services.

Contact Family Nursing and Home Care for more details about the programme.

Family Nursing and Home Care website

Eating disorders and healthy relationship with food

Jersey Eating Disorders Support (JEDS) is a local registered charity providing support for those affected by eating disorders and their families and friends.

JEDS website

You can also find support with promoting a healthy relationship with food for children on the Institute for the Psychology of Eating website.

Additional services and resources

There are a number of free or low-cost local services and resources to support you and your family in living a healthier lifestyle. They're designed to support families making simple choices to improve their health around: