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Child holding an Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign sign.

The multi-award winning Eat Them to Defeat Them programme returns to schools for its ninth year in February 2027 . This programme moves away from traditional five-a-day messaging to a concept designed for children – one they find fun and engaging.

Over 2 million different children have participated in this programme making it the largest and best evidenced food education programme in the UK. 

Jump down to campaign impact & insight or find out how you can get involved.

Insight & Impact

Every year we ask thousands of parents and children about this campaign:

Every year hundreds of schools share their feedback, here is what they reported in 2026:

What people say…

The buzz around school seems to get more and more each year, I think it’s because the children remember the fun from the previous year and they LOVE the stickers!

EYFS / PE Lead, Cherwell

Great resources which engaged the children. Very well organised and planned so didn’t require much from school staff/caters which was brilliant.

Teacher and PE Lead, Wakefield

This has really engaged the children both here and at home. We have had fantastic feedback from parents saying their children are eating and asking for more veg. Parents are also eating more veg and staff as well!

Catering Manager, Birmingham

Most effective way we’ve tried so far at getting younger children to try and keep eating a range of vegetables

Headteacher, London

We’ve never had an experience like this in our school before, all our children and teachers loved it.

Senior Leadership Team, Lambeth

It was amazing how children that would usually say they didn’t like a certain type of veg would try different things and discover that they actually liked them.

Senior Lunchtime Supervisor, Hampshire

Looking at doing more of this next year as children thoroughly enjoyed this,thank you . Please keep this initiative alive as it’s been a fun campaign!

Assistant Headteacher, South London

It has given the kitchen staff a chance to be creative, added some excitement to their daily routine. In particular to see the faces of the children light up with great passion when they see their work on display and look of delight at the displays made and most of all tried things they wouldn’t normally.

Cook in Charge, Shropshire

Image Gallery

School catering staff dressed as tomatoes serving vegetables during the Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign to encourage children to eat more veg.
Primary school children holding Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign signs during a classroom vegetable-themed activity.
Primary school children taking part in an Eat Them To Defeat Them classroom activity using campaign reward charts and colouring materials.
Primary school children eating lunch during the Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign, with one child wearing a Sweetcorn vegetable crown.
School catering staff promoting vegetables during Eat Them To Defeat Them with themed costumes, vegetable displays and campaign decorations.
Primary school child eating broccoli and a tomato during the Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign to encourage children to enjoy more vegetables.
Primary school child holding an Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign sign during a school vegetable activity.
Primary school children taking part in an Eat Them To Defeat Them classroom activity with campaign resources and fresh vegetables.
Primary school child wearing a pepper mask during an Eat Them To Defeat Them classroom activity.