December 2008
Hello and welcome to our second new-look Education News email update. This email is now divided into different sections, to make it easy for you to find the information you want.
All
schools
Video
podcast
A new video podcast is available to download or view
online. Focusing on Milk and dairy foods, as well as the importance of
staying well hydrated, this podcast is the third in the series reviewing
the eatwell plate. Teachers’ notes, worksheets and PowerPoint
presentations are also available to support the video. Go to: www.nutrition.org.uk/podcast
Active Kids Get Cooking Challenge
2009
The challenge this year is: Taking inspiration from
breakfasts around the world, create a ‘spectacular breakfast’
for a special occasion which demonstrates your food skills and
techniques.
The judges will be looking for
entries which:
- are creative;
- demonstrate a range of food
skills and techniques;
- follow healthy eating guidelines and include
a drink;
- use foods from at least 3 of the main food groups from the
eatwell plate.
The closing date is 15 May
2009.
To get started and find all the resources and details, go to:
www.activekidsgetcooking.org.uk
Pre-school
Pre-school
resources
The Food – a fact of life website is now
home to an exciting set of resources aimed at children aged 3-5
years. The resources have been developed to help young children learn
about healthy eating and cooking. The resources comprise 10 sessions
based around different food occasions. During each session, the
children are involved in a practical cooking activity, developed to help
them learn more about the meals they eat and how to create simple, healthy
dishes. The sessions include colourful cards activities, easy to
follow, healthy recipes and letters home plus a guide with curriculum links
and useful information.
All the resources are free to download. To get your hands on these great resources now, go to: http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/site.aspx?siteId=17&t=0
Primary
Energy
balance
Our 10th interactive activity, Energy balance, is
about to be launched. This activity has been designed to help
children understand that in order to maintain a healthy weight we have to
balance our ‘energy in’ with our ‘energy
out’. The activity requires the user to choose foods and
activities for different time periods during a day. Feedback is then
provided on whether they have managed to achieve energy balance. This
activity is designed for children aged 8-11 years. Watch this
space!
If you are new to our interactive activities, why not try your hand at creating a ‘healthier lunchbox’ or taking our ‘farm to fork challenge’? Go to www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
Get growing
Fancy
growing potatoes with your children? Then register free for your Grow Your
Own Potatoes pack. Register now to get your growing kit ready to start
growing on the 3 March 2009. Simply go to www.potatoesforschools.org.uk
click ‘register now’ and fill in your details. If you took part
last year use your user ID and password to activate your
account.
Secondary
Licence to Cook
Training
Time is running out to register and attend your free
training! At these training events, free to all secondary schools in
England, you will receive an update of national developments, hands-on
training and the important opportunity to network with other food
colleagues. In addition, you will receive access to the Licence to Cook
resources - which comprise lesson planners, observation forms, recipes,
worksheets and PowerPoint presentations. To view forthcoming dates and book
a training day go to: http://www.licencetocook.org.uk
Secondary
Resources
The first secondary unit ‘Energy and
Nutrients’ is to be released at the end of January 2009. This unit
will contain resources that will be familiar, such as PowerPoint,
worksheets, and factsheets. The on-line interactive tutorials, however, are
something new for everyone. These are differentiated at three levels of
ability. A short quiz will initially test each individual student on their
prior knowledge before beginning the tutorial on the designated individual
learning pathway. The student will be tested again at the end of the
tutorial and a report will be given on his or her progress. It is hoped
this new tool will continue to support teachers in effective teaching and
learning.
Nutrition
update
Having a Healthy
Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner, many of you
must be busy preparing for the festive celebration. While enjoying good
food, remember to keep the following tips in mind for a healthy
Christmas:
* Learn to recognise your true hunger
and appetite. Do not automatically accept extra helpings if you know you
have already eaten plenty. Also try to chew slowly to help digestion and
let your brain register when you are full.
* Have some fruit, yogurt,
sandwich or cereal before going out to avoid overeating.
* Reduce your
saturated fat intake by cutting down on fried and/or foods high in fat.
Remove visible fat and skin, and choose lower fat foods where you can.
* Make sure you eat something before you drink and try to drink no more
than the recommended limit for alcohol (3 to 4 daily units for men and 2 to
3 daily units for women. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself
hydrated.
* Try to stay active each day, even a 15 to 20 minute walk
before or after your main meal is good for your health.
For further information on having a healthy
Christmas, go to: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43§ionId=969&parentSection=299&which=1
Conference
To celebrate the release of our latest Task Force Report, ‘Healthy
Ageing: The Role of Nutrition and Lifestyle’, the Foundation is
hosting a one-day conference on 13 January 2009 in central London. To book,
or find out more, go to: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43§ionId=1549&parentSection=302&which=5
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas,
BNF Education Team