Eat well, move more - livewell campaign · 2018. 10. 3. · 2 3 Introduction Welcome to the Livewell magazine. Livewell is a local campaign led by Braintree District Council that

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Eat well, move moreHelping children to become Healthy Heroes

For parents/carers

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Introduction

Welcome to the Livewell magazine.

Livewell is a local campaign led by Braintree District Council that is all about supporting children and families to eat well, keep active and feel good.

This issue is full of more ideas to help your child, and your family, stay fit and healthy under the following themes:

• Eat together • Get Outdoors • Healthy lunchboxes • Look up from the screen • Eatwell Recipes

For more information visit www.livewellcampaign.co.uk

Join the Livewell Child Facebook Group

@Livewelllocal

Livewellcampaign

Sign up for regular health & wellbeing email news and events at www.braintree.gov.uk/tellmemore

Your Livewell school is working towards the Enhanced Healthy Schools Award so you know that your child will get a healthy, balanced meal if they eat school lunches.

However, some children prefer a packed lunch so here are some ideas to help you pack a lunchbox full of healthy foods whatever the occasion – school lunch or picnic in the park.

What should a ‘healthy schools’ packed lunch include?

3 Some starchy foods such as bread (sliced bread, pitta bread, wraps, bagels), pasta, potatoes, couscous; choose wholegrain where possible

3 1 portion of fruit (fresh, dried or tinned) and 1 portion of vegetables or salad

3 Dairy food such as cheese or a plain lower fat yoghurt (grate or chop fresh fruit into the yoghurt for flavour)

3 Meat, fish, or another source of protein such as eggs, beans and pulses, hummus, falafel

3 Oily fish once every 3 weeks e.g. sardines or salmon

It might take a while for children to get used to their new healthier lunchboxes but over time reduce sweets, crisps and chocolate and aim for no:7 Crisps or crisp type snacks e.g. flavoured rice cakes or cheddars

7 Processed foods such as sausage rolls, high calorie pies etc.

7 Sweets

7 Any items containing chocolate including bars, biscuits, cakes or yoghurts/desserts

We will be giving your child a Livewell Child snack/sandwich box to fit nicely into their lunch bag which can be filled with nuts, fresh or dried fruit, veggie sticks, reduced fat hummus or healthy dips. Other healthy lunch ideas can be found at www.change4life.co.uk

Healthy Lunches

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A grater is the perfect tool to help you make tasty, juicy, sandwiches or pittas.

Try grated cheese and grated apple, chopped spring onions, a squeeze of lemon and a bit of mayonnaise.

Or swap the onion for grated carrot. What about carrot and hummus?

There are lots of other vegetables or fruit that you could grate into a sandwich to help your child get their 5-a-day. Get together and make a game trying out different filling ideas with your child. Children are much more likely to try new foods if they are included in preparing them.

Try these fab ideas:

Rice balls Cooked short grain rice rolled into balls with some chopped, left-over vegetables. Or make them sweet by trying small cheddar cheese cubes with raisins and chopped pineapple.

Grate ideas Pop-overs These mini oven-baked omelettes are easy to make. Use up left-over veggies or use your own choice of ingredients. They freeze well and make a great lunch box alternative to sandwiches.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan or gas mark 4

2. Spray the holes of a muffin tin with spray oil. If not using onions then just heat the oil for a few minutes

3. Peel and finely chop onion or spring onion and divide equally between the holes

4. Put in the oven for 5 minutes

5. Meanwhile, beat 6 eggs and mix in your choice of ingredients from grated cheddar cheese, frozen peas, grated carrot, chopped herbs (get experimenting again)

6. Mix with a fork until the peas have separated from each other and the eggs are well mixed

7. Carefully remove the hot muffin tin with the onions in from the oven

8. Divide the mixture between the 12 holes and with a spoon stir each one to mix in the onion if using. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown on the top

9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then remove the popovers from the tin with a spatula.

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What is a portion? The handy hand

Eatwell Recipe CompetitionWe ran a competition in 2018 inviting children and their families to submit their family favourite healthy recipes. Jessica Green, aged 8 from Howbridge school won with her super healthy ‘Grilled chicken salad’. Everyone who entered received a Livewell apron and a goodie bag. Why not try out Jessica’s healthy recipe today!

Ingredients• 1 avocado

• Juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime

• 1 medium jacket potato

• Cherry tomatoes

• 1 chicken fi llet

• Cucumber

• Mixed salad and rocket leaves

• Olive oil and salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C then place jacket potato on middle shelf, cook for one hour

2. Next fl atten one chicken fi llet with a rolling pin. Put a small drizzle of olive oil into a pan and heat

3. Place the chicken fi llet in the pan and cook for about fi ve minutes each side. Ensure it is cooked through

4. Meanwhile prepare the salad by chopping all the salad ingredients, place them in a bowl, drizzle over a dash of lemon and lime juice, then add salt and pepper and toss together

5. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Salad with Lemon and Limeby Jessica Green, aged 8, Howbridge Juniors

Jessica says: ‘This salad is good for you because it has all the food groups in it. It’s tasty and nutritious.’

SERVES

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A palm-size piece of raw meat or chicken

A hand-size piece of raw fi sh

Sometimes it’s not what you eat but how much you eat that causes overeating and weight gain. Did you know anyone can use their hand to measure how much meat or fi sh, and other foods, make a portion?• Meat - palm of hand• Fish - whole hand• Hard cheese - 2 fi ngers

Aim for 400-600-600 Public Health England suggests you should aim for 400 calories for breakfast, 600 calories for lunch and 600 for dinner – leaving room for a couple of healthy snacks and drinks.

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Getting children to help prepare meals is a great way for them to learn more about food. Participating in cooking can help with picky eaters. Encourage your little one to try some of the ingredients, but don’t force it. Being around and becoming more familiar with new ingredients will eventually help them want to try new things.

• Depending on your child’s age there are lots of ways your child can help you prepare meals, from shaking in herbs, to whisking eggs to chopping vegetables

• You should always supervise your child in the kitchen!

Make sure you ask your children to wash their hands before you start. Teach older children about different mixing techniques (folding and beating with a whisk) and show them the best way to incorporate all of the ingredients together.

School aged children can typically help:

• Preheat the oven • Crack eggs • Stir sauce with supervision • Peel apples or potatoes (using safe peelers, not a knife) • Sift flour • Use a rolling pin • Spoon batter into a pan or tray • Help make the shopping list • Cutting and dicing fruits and veggies.

When you feel your child is ready to start cutting and dicing, be sure to talk about how to hold the knife, how to position your hand, and additional safety instructions with knives (i.e. Do not try to catch a dropped knife; do not put a knife in a sink full of dirty dishes and water).

Cooking with kids Sweet sleepSleep is vital for everyone but most importantly for children, due to their rapid growth and development in such a small period of time.

Between the ages of five and 11, your child will need 10-12 hours of sleep a night.

Tips for better sleep Limit your child’s use of the internet, games consoles and TV in the hour before they go to bed – and ideally don’t allow your child to have a computer, console or a TV set in their bedroom.

A bedtime routine is the best way to ensure that your child gets enough sleep. Devise a routine that lasts 30-40 minutes, and includes a bath and the chance to read a story (or stories) together. Try not to change your routine – don’t change it at all during the week, and if you want your child to have a slightly later bedtime at the weekend, then only change it by maybe an hour.

It may be tempting to keep children up later in the summer – but try to keep to scheduled bedtimes, and invest in curtains with a blackout lining so the room is dark.

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Eat better togetherKeep kids hydrated

Staying hydrated is extremely important for children as they have higher water requirements in relation to their body weight than adults.

It’s important that we remind children to drink fluids regularly as young children don’t often recognise when they are thirsty.

Dehydration can cause tiredness, headaches, lack of concentration, reduced mental performance and dry skin.

What should kids drink?• Swap sugary drinks like fizzy drinks, energy drinks and juice for lower fat milks, sugar-free or no added-sugar drinks

• Children should aim to have 6-8 drinks per day which should ideally be water, lower fat milk or fruit juice/ vegetable juices (150ml per day max)

• Children taking part in sports or exposed to warm weather need to replenish the lost fluids by drinking more

• Research suggests adequately hydrated children may perform better in school.

Here are some tips from other parents getting their children to drink water:• To make it more fun you could add ice and a slice of lemon

• Colourful drink cups and colourful, curly straws

• Blitz up fruit and make them into ice cubes.

Families who eat dinner together tend to be of a healthier weight. Research has shown that it is important to share meals as a family. Eating and talking together may prevent overeating. The pleasure you get from being with your family prevents you seeking satisfaction elsewhere, like eating. The lack of distraction from the television or devices could also have an effect.

One parent we spoke to said that her children will often try new and healthier options if they are served up on the dining room table, rather than on their child’s plate. Children may also try new foods if they see family members eating them.

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Keeping your children’s teeth clean and healthy

Children & screen time

Digital devices deliver media, entertainment and learning for the whole family. Help children get off to a good start using digital devices.

Use digital devices together with your child

• Have fun and learn together

• Help your child consider that not everything online is true

• Be clear that they should tell you if something online makes them feel uncomfortable, scared or upset

Have screen free times

• No screens one hour before bed

• At mealtimes

• In your child’s bedroom

• Family times

Teach children good internet habits early on – you are theirmost important role model

• Always ask permission before sharing or tagging a photo of someone else online. Your child will learn from you that they should ask fi rst before sharing

• Stick to the screen free times of the day

For more tips and advice please visit www.livewellcampaign.co.uk/screen-time-guide

Sometimes it’s not what you eat but how much you eat that causes over eating and weight gain.

Did you know anyone can use their hand to measure how much meat or fi sh, and other foods, make a portion.• Meat – palm of hand• Fish – whole hand• Hard cheese - 2 fi ngers

• Baby teeth are a very important part of early child development. They prepare a healthy place for permanent teeth to grow. Baby teeth remain in the mouth for eight to ten years, and it’s very important to maintain proper care and to see a dentist regularly

• 25% of fi ve year olds had tooth decay in 2015

• Tooth decay was the most common reason for hospital admission for children aged fi ve to nine years in 2012 to 2013. Having decayed, missing or fi lled teeth can cause pain, sleepless nights, and days off school.

How to help children brush their teeth properly• Guide your child’s hand so they can feel the correct movement

• Use a mirror to help your child see exactly where the brush is cleaning their teeth

• Make tooth brushing as fun as possible. Play a favourite song – or sing fi ve nursery rhymes.

Taking your child to the dentist• Take your child to the dentist when their fi rst milk teeth appear. This is so they become familiar with the environment and get to know the dentist

• When you visit the dentist, be positive about it and make the trip fun

• Take your child for regular dental check-ups as advised by the dentist.

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Keep active

Children need to be active for at least 60 minutes per day to stay healthy.* Most children are active for at least 30 minutes whilst they are school. Other activities include walking or cycling to school, playing in the park or organised activities.

Visit www.livewellcampaign.co.uk for a list of all activities in the district. Here are just a few ideas:

SwimmingFusion Lifestyle Leisure centres:Braintree Swimming and Fitness centre Charter Way, Braintree, Essex, CM77 8YJHalstead Leisure Centre Colne Rd, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2HRWitham Leisure Centre Spinks Lane, Witham, Essex, CM8 1EPBraintree Sport and Health Club Panfield Lane, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1FF

CyclingGentle Saturday cycling. Meet at Braintree Sport and Health Club Learn-to-ride and cycling refresher - 10:00am Gentle short family ride - 11:00am

RunningJunior Parkrun, Every Sunday at 9am, Great Notley Country Park, FREE

AdventureSky Ropes, Great Notley County Park

Join our livewell child Facebook Group

Win prizes, share tips and advice, and find out about exciting eventsOur Facebook Group has been set up for parents and carers of children from our livewell child schools. It is a chance for parents to share ideas and advice about how to keep fit and healthy. It is also an opportunity for you to tell us what is working for you and ideas that we can try in the future. Your feedback and ideas are so important to us and we want to work with you to help children eat well and move more.

Join the conversation

(*NHS guideline)

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In summary, the role of the champions is to:• Join the livewell child Facebook Group

• Help promote physical activity sessions for children and families via social media and face to face

• Share posts, photos and videos of healthy eating and recipe ideas and tips of how to encourage children to eat healthily

• Signpost other livewell child families to the livewell child Facebook page, and livewell website for further inspiration and information on local opportunities to get more active and to eat well

• Be an inspiration to other families in the Braintree district to be more active and to eat well

• Feature on the livewell website as a livewell child champion

• To take part in promotional photos and videos, wherever possible, which will be used by Braintree District Council to promote livewell child

• livewell child champions will be asked to sign a photo consent form for any photos and videos taken by Braintree District Council

champions

Could you be a livewell child champion?livewell child champions will help us celebrate healthy children and their families

If you think you would make a great livewell child champion and would like to get involved in the campaign, we’d love your help. For more information please email [email protected]