Food, mood & learning outcomes

We know that eating in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines helps support children’s growth and development.

Children do best when they eat a variety of foods from the five food groups, including:

• fruit
• vegetables and legumes/beans
• grains (cereal foods)
• lean meat and poultry, fish, and/or alternatives
• milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives

Foods high in added sugar, salt or saturated fat are known as discretionary foods. Examples include lollies, chips and fried foods. Eating too many foods from this group has been linked to emotional and behavioural issues in children and adolescents. [1]

Research shows that eating a balanced and nutritious diet can improve mood, concentration, and memory [2,3,4] and enhance learning. [5]

Schools can play a key role in influencing healthy eating habits. We know that:

• students can eat over a third of their daily energy intake during school hours! [6]
• most primary school students buy food and drinks from the canteen at least once a week. [3]

It is important to improve the nutrition intake of school age children as in Victoria:

• most children do not meet the recommended daily serves of vegetables
• half of their diet is made up of discretionary foods [8].

By encouraging vegetable intake at school and including more nutritious options at the canteen, we can help children eat a nutritious diet, and improve their overall wellbeing.

It’s never too late to encourage healthier eating habits in a positive way. Childhood and adolescence is a key time to build lifelong habits and learn how to enjoy food.

You can start to improve students’ learning outcomes and mental wellbeing by promoting healthy eating throughout your school environment.

Ideas to get you started:

• Provide a healthy canteen menu in line with the Canteens, Healthy Eating and Other Food Services Policy.
• Plant a vegetable garden and use the produce in cooking activities and the canteen menu. View the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation program for more ideas.
• Use non-food rewards in the classroom to help students develop healthy relationships between food and behaviour.
• Encourage parents to provide nutritious lunches (access our Healthy lunchbox fact sheet here).
• Explore Vic Kids Eat Well, an exciting statewide initiative focused on transforming food and drink environments where kids spend their day.
• Discover The Achievement Program, a supportive initiative helping services to become healthier places.
• Make sure water is freely available and allow students to have a water bottle in class.
• Engage all school staff to become positive role models by eating healthy foods and drinking water at school.
• Schedule ‘brain food’ breaks during the day to encourage students to eat fruit and vegetables in class.
• Source fresh produce from your local community, such as local markets and food growers.

1. Jacka FN, Kremer PJ, Berk M, de Silva-Sanigorski AM, Moodie M, Leslie ER, Pasco JA, Swinburn BA. A prospective study of diet quality and mental health in adolescents. PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24805
2. Jacka FN, Kremer PJ, Leslie ER, Berk M, Patton GC, Toumbourou JW, Williams JW. Associations between diet quality and depressed mood in adolescents: results from the Australian Healthy Neighbourhoods Study. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010 May;44(5):435-42.
3. Gómez-Pinilla F. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 Jul;9(7):568-78
4. Bellisle F. Effects of diet on behaviour and cognition in children. Br J Nutr. 2004 Oct;92 Suppl 2:S227-32.
5. Burrows T, Goldman S, Pursey K, Lim R. Is there an association between dietary intake and academic achievement: a systematic review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2017 Apr;30(2):117-140
6. Bell AC, Swinburn BA. What are the key food groups to target for preventing obesity and improving nutrition in schools? Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004 Feb;58(2):258-63.
7. Hardy LL, King L, Espinel P, Cosgrove C, Bauman A. NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) 2010: Full Report (pg 97). Sydney: NSW Ministry of Health, 2011
8. Department of Education and Training 2025, Child Health and Wellbeing Survey – Summary Findings 2023, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
9. Department of Health and Human Services 2024, Victoria’s Health; the Chief Health Officer’s report 2020 and 2021, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.