FOOTBALL is being used as a tool to teach more than 2,000 children the importance of creating healthy eating habits and being physically active.
The Irish Football Association (IFA) has teamed up with safefood in a new partnership which will deliver a series of programmes and events across Northern Ireland.
This week more than 1,200 children across 12 primary schools have already taken part in one day festivals with interactive and practical challenges and games to introduce children to the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity.
A six-week after-schools programme across 48 primary schools will be rolled out from September educating 720 children aged 8-11 on healthier food choices and creating active habits.
It aims to encourage children to learn how and why it is important to make healthier choices, such as eating more fruit, vegetables and healthy snacks and drinking water or milk instead of fizzy drinks.
The programme will also help children understand the importance of getting enough sleep for growth and development and the need to reduce the amount of time they spend on their screens and being more active.
IFA Foundation coaches, trained by safefood, will also deliver nutritional based workshops to a minimum of 180 coaches from local grassroots football clubs each season.
Dr Catherine Conlon from safefood said the organisations have worked closely "to develop educational resources and games that will help children learn about the importance of eating healthily and being more active in a fun and interactive way".
