Objective: Diet and nutrition in childhood has been associated with risk of chronic disease later in life. The aim of this review was to identify key characteristics of successful experiential nutrition interventions aimed to change nutrition-related cognitive and behavioural outcomes in primary school children. Design: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was undertaken using search terms (‘food security’, ‘school’, ‘nutrition’ and ‘program’) applied to 5 scientific databases (CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline and Academic Search complete), with outcomes defined as nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and/or dietary behaviours. Participants: Primary school-aged children exposed to interventions conducted, at least partially, on school grounds. Results: A total of 3800 articles were identified from the initial search and manual searching, of which 67 articles were eligible for inclusion. Forty-two articles met the criteria of being successful, defined as achieving significant differences in outcomes of interest, accompanied by a demonstrated reach. Interventions included school gardens (n = 9), food provision (n = 5), taste tasting (n = 8), cooking classes (n = 10) and multi-component programs (n = 10). Nutrition education (when combined with taste testing), cooking-related activities and gardening interventions increased children’s willingness to taste unfamiliar foods including new fruits and vegetables, improved their cooking and food preparation skills, and increased nutritional knowledge. Conclusions: This review provides evidence that nutrition education programs in primary school children that are experiential in nature are most likely to be successful if they include multiple components, have parental involvement and focus specifically on vegetable intake.

Aim One in seven Australian schoolchildren do not consume breakfast. School‐based breakfast programs assist at‐risk children to meet their nutritional requirements and provide cognitive and behavioural benefits, but may result in significant food costs and waste. The present study aimed to explore acceptability and perceived benefits of a novel free primary school‐based breakfast program utilising donated food. Methods Process evaluation included quantification of amount of food donated, number of meals provided and nutritional analysis of some of the meal items. Impact evaluation was based on thematic analysis of focus groups held with students, parents and teachers to explore their perspectives about the program. Breakfast diaries and hunger rating visual analogue scales were used to evaluate students’ breakfast habits at home over five consecutive days. Results The program saved 14.4 t of food from landfill through conversion into 44 000 meals. One‐fifth of children interviewed arrived at school without having breakfast at least once per week while one‐third of students reported being hungry on arrival at school. Benefits of participation in the program included increased willingness to attend school, improved alertness and behaviour, as well as creation of an equitable, supportive environment beneficial for low income or food insecure families. Conclusions This novel breakfast program based on donated food was widely accepted by students, teachers and parents, providing benefits beyond the mere provision of food. It provides a model for school‐based interventions to combine breakfast programs with sustainable food production approaches.