Resources
Our Public Health Nutrition Team have developed a range of resources, leaflets, posters and toolkits to support and enable staff and organisations to deliver consistent healthy eating messages and food related activities.
These resources can be either downloaded, accessed from Health Improvement Resource Service (HIRS) or copies may be available directly from our department. Some of the resources below have been produced by external organisations.
HIRS have an online resource system where you can view, download, order and book out resources. Register online for resources. Once registered, booking and orders can be placed online via our Health Promotion Access Catalogue – HPAC – NHS Forth Valley.
Community Resource Leaflets
- Nutrition and Cooking Resources for the Community – This leaflet highlights some of the resources and websites which can support nutrition, cooking activities and oral health in the community setting.
- Nutrition and Oral Health Resources for the Early Years – This leaflet highlights some of the resources and websites which can support nutrition, cooking activities and oral health in the early years setting.
Are you planning to run a food activity or cooking group?
Visit the Training page to see what training courses we have available – some of our training courses are available online.
Below are some useful resources that could support anyone planning to run community cooking groups or food activities.
How to Cook with Groups – Facilitators Pack (NHS Forth Valley and NHS Fife) – A guide to planning and running cooking activities to support the development of participants skills and confidence. A step by step resource to planning cooking sessions – packed full of resources, checklists and information about things to consider before, during and after your cooking sessions. Email fv.publichealthnutritionteam@nhs.scot or fidelma.guest@nhs.scot for further information on this facilitators pack.- The Practical Nutrition and Cooking Workbook (NHS Forth Valley) – A 4 week session plan of interactive activities, self monitoring tools, quizzes and easy to follow picture recipes.
Mini Steps to Positive Food Choices– This resource encourages people to take ‘mini steps’ towards a more balanced diet. It can be used with individuals or in a group setting. Staff may also find that using the Mini Steps programme may increase their knowledge and confidence around delivering basic food messages to those they work with.- Make and Taste – Simple snack ideas with quick, easy and low cost non-cook food activities. Below are a range of quick and easy, no cook snack and recipe ideas for parents, carers and teachers to make with their children.Making Food Fun:
Let’s Make A Bite To Eat – This fun food flipbook gives individuals and groups ideas on how to put together quick and easy, healthy meals and snacks.- Shop, Cook, Eat – Recipe Booklet – This resource is a first step to develop skills in shopping, budgeting, to encourage regular eating patterns and simple cooking skills. Download an Example of a basic shopping list.
- What’s for dinner? Reduce food waste and save money on your shopping.
Food Activity Sheets
- Foods and their Functions Activity
– This interactive nutrition activity can help stimulate discussions around foods and what functions they perform within our bodies. - Foods and their Functions – Information Sheet (NHS Forth Valley)
- My Daily Thinking Diary (NHS Forth Valley)
- Shopping List and Meal Planner (NHS Forth Valley)
- Fun Family Fitness File (NHS Forth Valley)
Quizzes
Test your knowledge with these quizzes – they are best used in conjunction with the training modules above.
- Allergen Quiz – Questions | Answers
- Cleaning Quiz – Questions | Answers
- Cooking Temperatures Quiz – Questions | Answers
- COVID-19 Quiz – Questions | Answers
- Cross Contamination Quiz – Questions | Answers
- Food Hygiene and Cooking Quiz – Questions | Answers
- Hand Hygiene Quiz – Questions | Answers
More quizzes can be found on Food A Fact Of Life – Quizzes.
Leaflets and Booklets
Eatwell Guide – Self Monitoring Flyer (NHS Forth Valley)- Eatwell Guide – Information Booklet (Food Standards Scotland)
- Vegetarian Eatwell Guide (The Vegetarian Society)
- Vegan Eatwell Guide (The Vegan Society)
- African and Carribean Eatwell Guide (The Diverse Nutrition Association) – Find out more on the MyNutriWeb Blog.
- The South Asian Eatwell Guide – Developed by Registered Dietitian Fareeha Jay – Find out more on the MyNutriWeb Blog.
- Interactive Online Eatwell Guide (Food Standards Scotland)
- Mini Videos – Eatwell Guide and Food Groups (Food A Fact Of Life)
- Take the Eatwell Challenge (Food A Fact Of Life)
- Fuel For Living Recipe Booklet – Recipes and ideas to help you reach 5 A-Day!
Leaflets and Worksheets
Snack Ideas for the under 5s (NHS Forth Valley)- Eat Well Feel Great (Healthy Eating)
- Eat a variety of fruit as part of your 5 a day
- Eat a variety of vegetables as part of your 5 a day
- Eat breakfast everyday
- Eat fish at least twice a week
- Eat less salt and taste more
- Eat some starchy food at each meal
- Drink more water
- Drink Water Challenge Tracker
- Choose to Lose… and keep weight off for good! (Self Monitoring Workbook)
- Managing my weight during my pregnancy (NHS Forth Valley)
- Focus on your Family Worksheets (NHS Forth Valley)
Food Labelling
Your Guide to Food Labels – Card Available from HIRS Resource Code: NUT 72/L- Food Labelling – Nutrition Information (British Dietetic Association)
- Label It Activity (Food Standards Scotland)
- Food Labelling – Learning Hub (Nutrition Scotland)
- Food Flips – Online, interactive food labelling game aimed at 5 -12 years.
Food Safety and Food Hygiene
- A Guide to safety and food hygiene – Poster (Food A Fact of Life)
- Handwashing Poster (Food Standards Agency)
- 5 Keys to Safer Food (World Health Organisation)
- Food Hygiene video – Safe Food, Better Business
Love Food Hate Waste – Activities
It Pays to Plan- Fresher for Longer
- Know your Dates
- Lovely Leftovers
- Perfect Portions
- Savvy Storage
- The Freezer is your Friend
Posters
Print off and display any of the posters below.
- Allergy Poster (Food Standards Scotland)
- Caffeine-o-meter
- Drink More Water Poster – this can also be used as a tray insert
- Important cooking and food storage temperatures
- Food Storage
- Temperature Control
Grow and Cook
Visit the Cook and Grow page to view and download our How to…Cook recipes and How to…Grow guides and videos.
Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
- The Vegetarian Society
- The Vegan Society
- Important Nutrients for Vegetarians and Vegans – Nutrition Scotland Factsheet
Vitamin D
- Are you and your family getting enough vitamin D all year round? (NHS Forth Valley)
- Vitamin D – British Dietetic Association Factsheet
- Vitamin D and You – Leaflet – Public Health Scotland
Get free Vitamin D
Collect Vitamin D tablets & drops at multiple locations.
Displays, Teaching Kits and Games
The displays below can be borrowed from HIRS – you can register and place your order online at HPAC – NHS Forth Valley.
- Eatwell – Floor Mat and Food Models – Guidance Booklet. Available from HIRS Resource Code: NUT 73/K1, NUT 73/K2
- Fat Chance: A Closer Look at Fast Food Display – This display contains food models with corresponding test tubes that provide a graphic representation of the saturated and unsaturated fat content of common foods. Available from HIRS Resource Code: NUT 86/K1
Fat Finders Display – This display features common foods that contain significant amounts of fat. Can be used as a stand alone display/educational activities. Available from HIRS Resource Code: NUT 87/K- The Food in Later Life Game aims to help ensure older people continue to enjoy food by helping people who interact with older people understand the challenges they face.
- The Food, Mood & Health Game has been designed to make talking about health easier for young people. It’s a fun, competitive board game, where players work together in teams to answer questions around healthy eating, obesity, body image, emotional health and much more.
The Foodtalk Game is an educational board game which provides an engaging learning experience helping staff improve their knowledge and confidence of nutrition and health for children aged 1-5.- Foodeeze Card Game encourages children to think and talk about food at an early age. This provides the opportunity to develop healthy attitudes to food which could have a huge positive impact in the future. The game is simple and easy for children to understand.
- Vat of Fat – Explaining how excess calorie intake translates into weight gain is simplified with this graphic and informative display. The plastic jar contains approx. 450g of simulated fat, representing the amount of weight a person would gain in 1 week consuming an extra 500 calories per day. Available from HIRS Resource Code: NUT 90/K1
Visualise your portion display – Many people incorrectly estimate the amount of food in a portion. Merging the common portion size of foods with everyday objects, the colourful. 3-D models in the display are memorable portion awareness teaching tools. Available from HIRS Resource Code: NUT 85/K
Other Resources and Useful Links
- British Dietetic Association – Food Fact Sheets and One Blue Dot Resources – Resources, tips and ideas on how to make meals more sustainable.
- Community Cooking Sessions – Community Food and Health Scotland – Find links to useful resources and other websites to support you planning and running cooking sessions in your community.
- Eat Well Your Way – Food Standards Scotland have developed this online resource to help people in Scotland make healthier food and drink choices when planning and shopping, preparing food and eating out. Eat Well, Your Way may help you make small, manageable changes, in ways that suit you, with practical tips on how to stick with the changes.
- Food A Fact of Life – Free resources for teaching people about where food comes from, cooking and healthy eating.
- Food Standards Scotland – Have a range of free education resources, that can be accessed by teachers or anyone delivering food safety or healthy eating messages. Some of these activities are interactive and online, while others can be printed off and used as a classroom or paper based activity.
- Nutrition Scotland – Have a range of free resources – factsheets and seasonal fruit and veg calendar, they also have some great videos to share.
- Parentclub – Healthy eating resources that can be ordered or downloaded.
- VegPower – Have some great colourful downloadable resources – posters (great for school dinner halls and server areas), a puzzle book, reward charts and much more.
If you have any questions, comments or would prefer a paper copy sent to you then, please email fv.publichealthnutritionteam@nhs.scot or Pamela.murray@nhs.scot.