For Covid-19 updates and information click here

Families with children

Nutrition is essential to giving children a healthy start in life and good food habits learned at home can stay for a lifetime. We work to highlight good practice in community food projects and support the development of cooking skills sessions for parents and carers.

Our plan for 2019/20

There is no specific work planned around this theme for this year, but we will continue to take opportunities to take this forward within our general work with community food initiatives and with NHS Health Scotland colleagues, and support, if applicable, through any funding opportunities.

News and updates

In food bank Britain, how can Scotland best run holiday clubs?

Posted: June 12, 2019

“…. And it was the first time he’d ever seen the sea…” This is what I remember from the University’s evaluation of holiday clubs I once ...

Why becoming a Good Food Nation will be good for our health

Posted: March 14, 2019

Lesley McCranor, Executive Manager at Healthy Valleys, talks about the Scotttish Government's Good Food Nation consultation ... In 2017, 65% of adults aged 16 and over ...

Cooking skills blog 3: research on involving children in cooking

Posted: February 26, 2016

In this fortnight’s blog, I’ll look at two presentations from the COOK and Health Scientific Symposium held at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian ...

Cooking skills blog 2: research on involving children and their parents in cooking

Posted: February 12, 2016

Last November, my CFHS colleague, Jacqui McDowell, attended the COOK and Health Scientific Symposium held at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian. This shared ...

Maternal and infant nutrition

Posted: December 23, 2014

Our event, Maternal and infant nutrition framework: supporting a Healthy Start, took place in May 2014. The day included learning from previous and ongoing work ...

Development funding for work on maternal and infant nutrition across minority ethnic communities in Scotland

Posted: November 1, 2013

CFHS has a small amount of development funding available to support the development of good practice examples of work on maternal and infant nutrition across ...

Maternal and infant nutrition across ME communities in Scotland

Posted: March 1, 2013

CFHS worked in partnership with BEMIS to look at the specific needs of community and voluntary sector organisations supporting work on maternal and infant nutrition ...

Maternal and infant nutrition

Posted: February 24, 2012

CFHS commissioned Rock Solid Social Research Ltd in partnership with Communicable Health to carry out research into how community food and health and voluntary organisations are ...

Healthy Start pilot integrated approach

Posted: February 24, 2012

CFHS, in partnership with NHS Forth Valley, has completed a pilot using an integrated approach to promote increased awareness of the Healthy Start scheme, Healthy Start vitamins and ...

Community-based organisations working with minority ethnic children, pregnant women and families – training in food, nutrition and health

Posted: February 24, 2012

Access to a balanced, healthy diet is important in the early years of life. Improving maternal and infant nutrition is a key priority in Scotland ...

- Our Work

CFHS Blog

NEW – we are expanding our blog to include posts on a wider range of subjects. Have a look here .. »
Publications
- The contribution of community-based food and health activities to Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition
  CFHS’s new publication summarises the early years activities of 18 groups and agencies it funded in 2013 through the CFHS development fund. Improving Maternal and Infant ...
- Maternal and infant nutrition framework: supporting a Healthy Start
  This report provides an overview of an event called ‘Maternal and infant nutrition framework: supporting a Healthy Start’. This event took place in May 2014 ...
- Building blocks and baby steps
  This report reflects a short programme of work to investigate the impact and influence of community food intiatives in relation to maternal and infant nutrition.
- The impact of cooking courses on families
  This short report provides a summary of research commissioned by CFHS that studied the impact of cooking skills on families.
- Mapping of the Community and Voluntary Sector Contributions to Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition in Scotland
  This report sets out the findings from mapping the contributions of the community and voluntary sector to improving maternal and infant nutrition in Scotland. The ...
- The impact of community cookery skills activities on families – a comparison between three different approaches
  In October 2012 Consilium Research and Consultancy Limited was commissioned by CFHS to explore the impact of different approaches to delivering community cookery skills activities on families. The ...
- Strengthening food work across ethnic minority communities: a focus on maternal and infant nutrition
  This mapping exercise was carried out to provide a snapshot of voluntary and community organisations' activity in relation to maternal and infant nutrition across ethnic ...
- From the ground up
  This report represents a snapshot of community and voluntary sector activity that supported maternal and infant nutrition at a particular point in time - spring ...
- Putting Healthy Start on the map
  Report from a pilot to promote maternal and infant nutrition and 'Healthy Start' in Falkirk
- An evaluation of Happy Jack
  This report by Blake Stevenson, commissioned by Community Food and Health (Scotland) in partnership with Edinburgh Community Food and the City of Edinburgh Council, is ...