Exploring global cuisine: helping students connect through food
Published 27th October 2025
The British Nutrition Foundation’s Food – A Fact of Life continues to support teachers with a diverse collection of global cuisine recipes, designed to bring the flavours of the world into the classroom. This growing collection celebrates cultural diversity while keeping lessons practical, engaging and relevant for today’s students.
As part of the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to modern, inclusive food education, students were asked what they most enjoy about the dishes they make at school. Their feedback showed a clear desire for tasty, familiar recipes that celebrate global cultures and everyday family meals.
In response, Food – A Fact of Life developed a range of healthy, accessible recipes that are simple to prepare in school while sparking curiosity about cuisines from around the world. Each one helps students build key cooking skills and encourages meaningful discussions about culture and inclusivity.
Bringing world flavours to the classroom
The global cuisine recipes feature dishes from Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Asia, the Caribbean, South America and Eastern Europe. From vibrant West African Jollof Rice and aromatic Herby Persian Frittata to comforting Polish Potato Cakes and flaky Cheese and Corn Empanadas, each dish offers a delicious way to explore the world through food.
Teachers who have already used the recipes say the impact on their students has been positive and immediate. Sharon, a food and nutrition teacher, shared:
“I became increasingly conscious that my own knowledge of global food cultures was limited. Attending the African cuisine workshop expanded my understanding and gave me a range of new recipes to use in lessons.”
Umut, another teacher, added:
“When I told my Year 9s we’d be making Jollof rice, they were instantly excited. They compared how their families make it and talked about the ingredients they use. It was fantastic to see the buzz before and during the lesson.”
Supporting teachers to explore global learning
With support from the All Saints Educational Trust, this work continues to strengthen the Foundation’s mission to enhance food education across schools, giving teachers the tools to inspire curiosity, creativity and cultural understanding in every classroom.
Teachers can explore the full collection of global cuisine recipes and supporting resources on the Food – A Fact of Life website: Explore global cuisine resources.
To support teachers further, a handy downloadable PDF article is available. This resource can be kept in your classroom as inspiration to revisit and share whenever you want to highlight how sustainability and creativity can come alive in design and technology.
