Webinar: Nutrition, mental wellbeing and education

This session explored the connection between nutrition, mental wellbeing, and education for young people from care backgrounds.

Vanessa and Dr Nicholas Peat, experts in the fields of performance nutrition and medicine, discussed how a well-balanced diet supports cognitive function, emotional stability, and overall mental health, particularly for young people with experience of foster care, residential homes, or other care settings, and how colleges and universities can incorporate food into their support for care experienced and estranged students.

Vanessa, a care leaver, and Dr Nicholas Peat shared their personal and professional experiences, highlighting the challenges and opportunities care experienced individuals face in education.

Key topics included:

• practical dietary strategies to support mental resilience and emotional wellbeing
• addressing common nutritional deficiencies in care settings
• the role of schools, colleges, universities, carers, and policymakers in promoting healthy eating habits.