Sportscape Education: Walsall FC apprentices try out food tasting as part of their education into nutrition

Walsall FC second-year scholars have been tasting food to see what they like…and what they don’t like!

They have been looking at nutrition as part of their Level 3 BTEC in Sports Excellence and Performance with Sportscape Education.

In the recent Unit 4 (Nutrition) practical lesson, tasting food was on the agenda.

The Walsall FC scholars are working on Unit 4 (Nutrition), learning the key role it plays in sports performance and well-being.

A key part of this unit is conducting nutritional assessments and understanding food habits, likes, and dislikes.

In one recent lesson, nutrition was bought to life with a fun and interactive food-tasting session.

The scholars sampled a variety of snacks, including dried mango, celery, radish, pineapple, and watermelon, all healthy options that contribute to the “5-a-day” fruit and vegetable intake.

Working in pairs, the students completed a taste test table, where they recorded their partner's reaction to each food and noted its caloric value.

This exercise was designed to help them evaluate whether or not their partner would incorporate these snacks into their food diary, based on their taste preferences.

By linking these practical activities to course criteria, we ensure that learners stay engaged and grasp how theory translates into real-world application.

It’s one thing to understand nutritional guidelines, but it’s another to personalise them to fit an individual’s preferences, which is exactly what this session aimed to achieve.

Our scholars are not just learning the theory- they’re learning how to use it in ways that make a difference.