Healthy Kids - World Food Day 2021
What Is World Food Day & Why Is It Important?
Photo by K15 Photos on Unsplash
Today is World Food Day! World Food Day is an international day of celebration, celebrated annually to commemorate the birth of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. World Food Day is celebrated by 150 countries around the world to raise awareness of poverty and hunger.
Did you know that around 3 billion people - 40% of the world's population - can 't afford a healthy diet? It's further estimated that food-related healthcare costs could exceed $1.3 trillion per year by 2030. The future of food really is in our hands.
Sustainable Food
Teaching kids about nutrition and diet from an early age can help combat poor diets, obesity, sedentary lifestyles and climate change. Humans rely on an agri-food system and each time we eat, we take part in it. From the food we choose to how we produce, prepare, cook and store, it makes us a large cog in the agri-food machine. Better production, better nutrition and a better environment lead to a better life.
How To Teach Kids About A Healthy Diet
Play Food
Wooden play food is a great place to start conversations around healthy food. Our Salad Set comes packed with a salad bowl, olive oil, vinegar, cucumber, lettuce leaves, eggs, tomatoes and much more. When children play with each bit of food, they will develop their vocabulary and learn the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. Why not encourage them to make their own play food healthy creations and serve them at the dinner table?
Our Healthy Eating Dairy Crate is full of healthy wooden delights that are fresh out of the farm! Includes yoghurt, fruit juice, bread, apple, banana, cheese & more. The realistic-looking dairy produce teaches children where their food comes from and how we prepare our meals. Ideal for imaginative roleplay sessions.
Play Kitchen
You can 't have play food without a Play Kitchen! Little chefs can whip up their own imaginative meals and treats - just like the grown-ups do! Available in either pink or blue, each play kitchen comes with clicking dials, a Belfast sink, shelves, a clock with moveable hands, kitchen utensils and much more. A fantastic way to teach kids about healthy eating and kitchen safety.
Books
Say hello to food groups and magnets with the 100% addictive ZooBooKoo Magnetic Book - Food Groups. This food-filled book contains sorting games, fun food facts and two sheets of magnets to help make the learning process memorable. As little fingers move the food magnets around, they will begin to understand how healthy meals are planned and prepared and have an awareness of the different food groups.
Budding young bakers and chefs will enjoy My First Recipe Book, an adorable wooden recipe book with seven recipes. They will soon become experts in making a Club Sandwich, a Groovy Smoothie, a Rainbow Fruit Salad and much more. What's more, the book can be easily wiped clean if there are any spillages in the kitchen!
Easy Kids Recipes
Letting kids prepare and cook their own meals is a fun, hands-on way to teach them all about food and nutrition. Why not get them to don their chef outfit and have a go at some of our favourite recipes?
Crumpet Pizzas
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 crumpets
4 tbsp passata
4 tbsp ketchup
½ tsp dried oregano
Your choice of toppings
75g grated cheddar cheese
Step 1
Grown-ups: Heat the grill to a high heat and lightly toast the crumpets either in a toaster or under the grill. In the meantime, mix the ketchup, passata and oregano together and season. Chop your choice of toppings into small pieces
Kids: Can tear the basil or chop soft veg with safety scissors to help with this step.
Step 2
Grown-ups: Next, line a baking sheet with foil and spread the sauce over the crumpets.
Kids: Let little ones top the crumpets with the veg and cheese.
Grown-ups: Then place on the baking tray and grill for 3-4 mins until the cheese is golden brown. Make sure it cools down before serving.
Fun Fajitas
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Serves 3-5
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts (cut into chunks)
Olive oil (for frying)
For the marinade
4 limes (juice only)
2 tsp fajita seasoning
4 spring onions (finely sliced)
1 fat garlic clove (crushed)
For the salsa
1 red pepper
½ jar roasted pepper
1 small apple (peeled)
4 ripe tomatoes
½ lime (juice only)
Small bunch coriander
For the guacamole
2 very ripe avocados (halved and stone removed)
½ lime (juice only)
Grated cheese (to serve)
To serve
6 - 8 tortillas (mini tortillas also available)
Sour cream (optional)
Step 1
Grown-ups: Place the chicken chunks and marinade ingredients in a bowl and cover. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of two hours.
Step 2
Kids: If your kids are aged five or older, get them to roughly chop the pepper, roasted pepper, apple and tomatoes for the salsa with a plastic knife or cutlery knife. Younger kids can pick the coriander leaves and chuck them into the salsa.
Step 3
Grown-ups: Pour the salsa ingredients into a food processor along with the lime juice and seasoning. Pulse until finely chopped. Take out two big spoons of the mixture for younger kids and add chilli sauce (if using) and pulse again to mix together.
Step 4
Kids: Squeeze or spoon the avocado into a bowl. Mash it using a potato masher. Stir in the lime juice and a dash of black pepper with a spoon. Be careful the lime juice doesn't sting!
Step 5
Grown-ups: Heat some olive oil in a pan and pour the chicken bowl into it. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Step 6
Children: Place the grated cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream in separate bowls.
Step 7
Grown-ups: Heat the tortillas and put the cooked chicken in a bowl. Show little ones how to fill and roll their tortillas.
Step 8
Kids: Lay your tortillas out, choose your favourite topping, roll and eat!
Easy-Peasy Iced Biscuits
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Makes 40-45
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter (softened)
200g golden caster sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract or 1 lemon, zested
400g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
For decoration
8-12 x 19g coloured icing pens or fondant icing sugar mixed with a little water and food colouring
Step 1
Grown-ups: Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pop the butter into a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until creamy. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla, lemon and flour. C
Step 2
Grown-ups: Next, cut the dough into six pieces and roll them out (5mm thick) on a floured surface.
Kids: Use cookie cutters to cut out the letter and number shapes, being sure to peel away the leftover dough around the edges. Get a grown-up to re-roll any off-cuts and repeat.
Step 3
Grown-ups: Place the biscuits onto two baking sheets and bake for 7-10 mins until they start to brown. Leave to cool down and repeat.
Step 4
Kids: Use the icing pens to make different patterns and designs or to even colour in the whole biscuit! These yummy biscuits will keep for around five days in an airtight container.