In autumn 2023, 650 pupils from 7 primary schools took part in an 8-week trial funded by Sunderland City Council. We introduced children to their Belly Bugs (based on Prof Tim Spector’s latest research into the crucial role our gut microbes play in our health and happiness). In a nutshell, the aim of the pilot was to teach children to feed their Belly Bugs by eating lots of colourful fruit and vegetables.
Results of Sunderland Belly Bug Pilot 2023
“Now they’re asking for veg. Before they wouldn’t.”
Primary School Cook
Sunderland City Council Belly Bug Pilot 2023
Our Methods
We provided cross-curricular lesson plans for EYFS, KS1 & KS2 and adopted a whole-school approach whereby what the children learned in the CLASSROOM was reflected in the CANTEEN and CORRIDOR. For example, each day after register the teacher would read out storytelling menu posters for that day’s lunchtime meals. These described how the children would be helping their Belly Bugs by eating the healthy vegetables that were being served in the canteen.
At the end of the pilot, each school reported that children loved discovering that they had their own gang of Belly Bugs inside them and wanted to look after them like a pet.
Post-pilot evaluation showed that 87% of the children are now interested in making healthy food choices.