Abstract - The study described in this paper investigates the knowledge andpreferences of 176 Greek children, aged between nine and eleven, with regard tofats and oils. The results show that the majority of children cannot classify oils.butter, and margarine in the correct nutritional category. The great majority wereof the opinion that it is healthier to use olive oil, rather than than seed oils, forsalads and cooked meals. However, they also answered that seed oils are healthierthan olive oil for fried meals. No statistically significant differences between thesexes was found in the answers, except for their preferences regarding the use ofolive oil in cooked meals and salads. The results indicate that Greek children lackthe information they need to make healthy food choices. In addition, there is aneed to develop teaching strategies thatfocus on lipids and their impact on health.

This paper repotts on the first phase of a comparative study in Greece and the United Kingdom which is investigating the knowledge and understand ing of children aged 10 and 11 years about dietary fat and health. It is intended to use the study to develop in-service programmes for teachers based on research. The findings indicate that perceptions about fat and health held by children in the two countries are very similar. The majority of the children were able to describe the relationship between fat and health in general terms, but had limited understanding about the function of fat in the body.