One of the reasons I decided to become a Nutritional Therapist was to share my new found knowledge. Making even the smallest changes to your diet and lifestyle can really make a difference to your health. And by health I mean both mental and physical health.
Part of what I wanted to do with my new qualification was to reach out to children, getting them enthused and on board about healthy eating.
Encouraging children to eat a nutritious, balanced diet early on in their childhood is crucial. Ensuring they get the right vitamins and minerals in their diet will help them grow and develop optimally. This will in turn have a positive affect on their learning, feeling more energised and motivated and ready to face all the challenges that school life faces them. Educating children on healthy eating during childhood will also help them make healthier choices as they become adults.
So a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of talking about healthy eating with the lovely 6th Friern Barnet Beavers group. We started off played a ball game naming different foods and they threw the ball to each other. Then we went through the different macro nutrients that we need and why we need them. After this the children matched up different foods to the various groups of protein, fats, carbohydrates. The children also learnt what happens to our food when we eat. And yes there were lots of giggles when the subject of poo came up! We then discussed rainbow fruits and vegetables and why it is so important to eat a rainbow everyday. The children were then spilt in colour groups and had a set time to name and draw as many fruits and vegetables in their chosen colour. They did a sterling job and came up with such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. We ended the session by making fruit and vegetable smoothies and tasting them.
The children were sent home with a chart to fill in. They had to list all the different coloured fruits and vegetables they ate during the week. They left happy and enthused to start their journey in trying more rainbow foods. Job done!
If you are a local community group and would like me to come along and talk to your group about all things nutrition and healthy eating please contact me on: filomena@livinghealthymatters.co.uk