How parents can ensure their kids eat well and stay active in a pandemic

Looking for some new ideas to make meals fun and tasty as we continue to stay at home? Are you receiving a Free School Meal voucher but unsure what kind of lunches to do for the kids?

Well don’t worry we have got lots of helpful tips and fun cooking ideas that will spice up your family’s meal times and even encourage some little chefs to get involved.

Cooking Ideas

The fantastic eat well team from Let’s Dine would normally be in schools delivering children’s cooking sessions. During the pandemic they have been creating cook-along videos with some tasty recipes that you can cook at home and even get your children involved in.

Here are some of our favourite recipes.

Baked falafel, yogurt dip and flatbreads

Chicken & sweetcorn quesadillas

Pizza muffins

Fresh fruit flapjack

Important things to remember to eat well

Even though we are in the middle of a pandemic it is still possible and if not more important that we continue to stay healthy through the foods we eat and the activity we do. So here is a small reminder of the guidelines for our children:

• Eating a rainbow of different colored fruit and veg helps to protect our NHS by keeping our children healthy. Make sure you eat five portions – 3 vegetables and 2 fruits.
• It’s recommended that children have no more than around 30 grams of sugar per day at the age 11 years and upwards. This even includes fresh fruit. Check out Change4life’s Sugar Calculator to see how much sugar your child may be having.

Staying active in the pandemic

It’s still recommended that children take part in 60 minutes of physical activity per day to help them stay healthy. This can be broken down into 10 minute blocks throughout the day but ensuring that children’s heart rates increase where they start to sweat a little and are slightly out of breath.

Change4life have some great 10 minute activities based on children’s favourite Disney characters.

This year also sees a change to the Schools Games programme. Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin run the programme. As we can’t all come together this year, Energize are challenging children and families to get involved at home. Send in your videos and pictures of your children completing activities, to schoolgames@energizestw.org.uk.