Agency goes for goal on healthy eating

Monday 24 November 2008

The Agency has this month kicked off exciting projects with two major Premiership football clubs, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Something to Chew On and What's Cooking? are part of our drive to get young people to choose, cook and eat safe healthy food.

Funded by the Agency in partnership with the Premier League/PFA Community Fund, 'Something to Chew On' is a new 10-week interactive educational programme run by the Manchester United Foundation.

Man United goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar (centre), was on hand at one of the healthy food sessions at Friars School in Salford, and judged a competition to design a menu especially for him.

It has been designed to teach 7 to 8 year olds about food, nutrition and getting active as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The programme will also involve parents in workshops so that learning is backed up in the home.

Starting with a pilot this month, ‘What’s Cooking? Kick & Cook’ is a programme funded by the Agency in partnership with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. It aims to get young people aged 11 to 14 from five Haringey secondary schools cooking and learning about food. Students kick off the course with a session about a balanced diet and how to make healthier choices. To get them inspired, a DVD has been produced to give them an insight into how professional footballers stay fit and healthy by eating the right foods. Players Ledley King, Alan Hutton, Darren Bent and club catering staff all contributed. The youngsters get the chance to put their knowledge into practice by cooking healthy recipes suggested by the footballers in the DVD.

Spurs' Ledley King with FSA's Kevin Naylor, Ruth Wilson and eatwell plate

'We want to help to inspire young people to think about nutrition and food safety, and believe this will have a positive and lasting impact through to their adult lives,' said Rosemary Hignett, the Agency's Head of Nutrition.

'The schemes use football as a hook to talk about nutrition and healthy eating, food safety and getting active in a fun and appealing way.'

Both projects are based around the Agency’s food competency framework, which encourages children to develop a greater knowledge of diet and health, food safety, consumer awareness and food preparation.