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OzHarvest created FEAST because we believe education is the key to lasting change. It helps the next generation eat well, waste less and become change-makers in their communities. FEAST was developed to:
Tackle food waste where habits start. OzHarvest's mission is to "Nourish our country", and it believes that "while food rescue fills hungry bellies… education can transform lives and is the key to influencing change." Australia wastes 7.6 million tonnes of food a year, and 70% of it is edible. FEAST supports the national target to halve food waste by 2030.
Because children weren't eating enough fruit and veg. Only 6% of Australian children eat the recommended serves of fruit and vegetables. Fruit and veg are also the two most wasted food groups, so FEAST tackles both problems at once.
Because schools are where lifelong food habits form. Children spend most of their formative years at school, and many nutrition behaviours are shaped there. That makes teachers key to promoting health and nutrition.
To fill a gap by combining nutrition, sustainability and hands-on cooking. Programs where students learn by doing, like cooking and gardening, had the strongest results. But no established program brought all three together with a focus on food waste. OzHarvest designed FEAST with teachers, nutritionists and sustainability educators to fill that gap.
FEAST is a free, 10-week, curriculum-aligned program that brings food, sustainability and cooking into the classroom. Once your school enrols, you complete a flexible 3-hour online professional development course and get ongoing access to everything you need to teach.
Primary school (Years 5–6)
Around 1.5 hours a week combines classroom theory with hands-on cooking. Lessons link to STEM, English and Health and PE, plus the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability. Students cook hot and cold recipes packed with fruit and veg, the two most wasted food groups, then take learning home with a food audit and class cookbook.
High school (Years 7–8)
Aligned to Design and Technologies (Food Specialisations), students complete theory and practical lessons, research food waste, design their own Use It Up recipe and create a Fight Food Waste promotion, cooking from 18 FEAST recipes.
Ready to go
Lesson plans, a unit of work, student activities, recipes, videos and a practical cooking guide are all included. Eligible schools can also receive a Kitchen Kit, electric frypans and aprons.
Teach it your way
Pick, adapt and add to activities to suit your class, timetable and community, and re-enrol every year. Cooking sessions can be supported by parents, carers, school staff or OzHarvest volunteers, and 91.1% of teachers say the activities are engaging for their students.
Supporting wellbeing and reaching every community
FEAST supports positive relationships, belonging and inclusion, and self-regulation and engagement.
FEAST is in 57.1% of schools where more than 5% of students are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
- Half of FEAST schools are regional.
- 52.9% are low-SES schools.
- FEAST is in all Australian States and Territories
- We are supporting over 2000 schools, 200,000 students and 4,000 teachers.
"FEAST keeps evolving with teachers. Since 2018 we've added online training, launched a high school program, updated for the new curriculum and refined every lesson based on what teachers and researchers tell us."
2018: Launched in primary schools
Designed with input from teachers, FEAST began as a 10-week unit for Years 5–6, supported by a face-to-face teacher training day.
2019–2021: Training goes online
A 3-hour NESA-accredited online course opened FEAST up to regional and remote schools, and helped teachers keep delivering the program through COVID-19 lockdowns.
2022–2023: High school program launched
Following a pilot in 15 NSW and Queensland high schools, the Years 7–8 program launched nationally. Recipes were adapted into smaller portions, and pilot school feedback shaped the final program.
2023–2024: Updated for the new curriculum
Both programs were aligned to Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum, with high school links to NSW, Victorian and WA syllabuses. Activities became more flexible so teachers can adapt lessons to their class.
2024: Measuring what matters
BehaviourWorks Australia helped refine our surveys to track changes in students' eating, cooking and food waste habits at school and at home.
2025: Independent curriculum review
The University of Sydney reviewed both programs, adding new reflection activities and identifying ways to strengthen links to culture, numeracy, digital literacy and home.
And we're not stopping. FEAST will keep evolving to me
Getting started is free and easy.
1. Register your interest
Fill in the short online form at education.ozharvest.org/register-for-your-school.
2. Receive your enrolment offer
We'll send you an enrolment offer with details about funding support available to your school, such as a Kitchen Kit and electric frypans for eligible schools.
3. Complete your training
Do the flexible 3-hour online professional development course at your own pace. It gives you the confidence to deliver FEAST in your classroom.
4. Get teaching
Log in to the teacher portal for everything you need: lesson plans, a unit of work, student activities, recipes, videos and a practical cooking guide.
5. Keep it going
Your resources stay with you, so you can re-enrol and run FEAST again each year.
Questions? We're here to help.
Email FEAST@ozharvest.org or call (02) 8880 9791.
Teach FEAST. It's free, it's ready to go and it changes habits for life.
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