Parents and children enjoyed a Family Learning workshop in Dungarvan recently.
Over the course of the 6 weeks parents and children enjoyed cookery lessons and also learned about the food pyramid and food nutrition. The food pyramid is designed to make healthy eating easier.
As we all know healthy eating is about getting the correct amount of nutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals you need to maintain good health.
Foods that contain the same type of nutrients are grouped together on each of the shelves of the Food Pyramid. This gives you a choice of different foods from which to choose a healthy diet. Following the Food Pyramid as a guide will help you get the right balance of nutritious foods within your calorie range. Studies show that we take in too many calories from foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt, on the top shelf of the Food Pyramid. They provide very little of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. Limiting these is essential for healthy eating.
So in a nutshell, healthy eating involves:
- Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and cereals – going for the wholegrain varieties whenever you can
- Plenty of fruit and vegetables
- Some milk, cheese and yoghurt
- Some meat, poultry, eggs, beans and nuts
- A very small amount of fats and oils
- And a very small amount or no food and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt
If you eat a varied and balanced diet, then there is normally no need to take any food supplements – you’ll get everything you need from your food.
Great downloads are:
- Guide to healthy eating using the Food Pyramid – booklet (PDF, 0.5MB)
- The Food Pyramid poster – A3 (PDF, 400KB)
- The Food Pyramid poster – A4 (PDF, 2MB)
Links supplied by: www.safefood.eu
Families who attended had a great time cooking together on the afternoons and hope to do it again before Christmas.
Stacey and her friend Clodagh were captured on camera mashing bananas for banana bread, their expressions were priceless as they entertained their parents while taking part in the cookery programme.
Little Maise was stretched on tip toes to see into the cookery bowl, she was our youngest participant, and loved getting her hands full of flour.
Posted: October 2016 – by Resident Support Worker Caroline Haran