Award-winning healthy-eating initiative has a number of new elements for 2026
The Eat Them To Defeat Them dietary health campaign is returning to schools next month.
The campaign, which has now run for eight consecutive years, is returning with a new creative theme called ‘Veg Hunters’ that encourages children to hunt out, find and eat vegetables.
Other key developments for 2026 include two brand new components that have been sponsored by Tilda – the ‘Eat Them to Defeat Them Schools Challenge’ and ‘Veg Hunter Champions’, for year 5 and 6 pupils.
The Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign, which costs only 50p per child, was launched in 2019 to tackle one of the major public health issues in the UK – poor vegetable consumption. The campaign features a creative concept designed for children that inspires kids to eat more veg in school and to continue the behaviour at home.
In 2026, Eat Them to Defeat Them is set to reach 300,000 pupils from 1,000 schools across the UK, bringing the total of children benefiting from the campaign to over 1.8 million. This year’s campaign has been sponsored by Sainsbury’s with additional funding from local authorities, school caterers and local vegetable producers.
A new challenge
New for 2026, the Eat Them to Defeat Them Schools’ Challenge replaces The Caterers’ Challenge and encourages, recognises and rewards a whole school approach, representing a celebration of schools and caterers working together to improve children’s dietary health.
Gold, silver and bronze cash prizes are up for grabs, with the gold winners set to receive £1,500. In addition, caterers will be invited to submit their best rice and veg recipe to win a special Tilda Challenge prize.
The second new addition – Veg Hunter Champions – has been created in response to feedback highlighting that increased levels of engagement were needed for the oldest pupils who are likely to have experienced the campaign several times through repeat participation.
The Veg Hunter Champions will become advocates for veg within their schools and learn why eating more veg, particularly a rainbow of veg, is so important. They’ll also learn how dietary health campaigns, such as Eat Them to Defeat Them, can lead to changing behaviour.
Activities for these children started in mid January and include the coordination of the ‘Great Veg Vote’ to find out their school’s favourite vegetables and the ones their fellow pupils need to eat more of.
Dan Parker, chief executive of Veg Power, said: “Eat Them to Defeat Them has encouraged children from across the UK to eat more veg, not only at school but importantly when they are back home with their families.
”Our data shows it is creating lasting healthy-eating habits that are improving not only children’s diets but their family’s too. We’ve listened to feedback and are returning with a revamped campaign for 2026 including the Eat Them to Defeat Them Schools Challenge. We know that the campaign is most effective in schools when the whole school gets behind it – teaching staff, catering teams, the pupils and parent/carer community.
”Everyone plays their part in improving pupils’ dietary health. We can’t wait to see this year’s entries and, importantly, for all the children to benefit from the whole school coming together in support of the campaign.”
