Harold The Giraffe was a hit at Waikanae School. Photo / David Haxton
Harold The Giraffe was a hit at Waikanae School. Photo / David Haxton
Following its successful debut last year, Life Education Trust and 5+ A Day Charitable Trust are again teaming up with the Two Raw Sisters to inspire, motivate and educate children about the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit as part of a balanced diet.
A national tour of schools and communities has been running from May and will continue until September, and aims to engage children about their nutritional needs, sources of food, and basic food preparation skills.
Harold the Giraffe and the Two Raw Sisters were in Wellington and Kāpiti on July 27 and 28, and their workshops educated around 730 children in the region.
According to John O’Connell, chief executive of Life Education Trust, research shows young people are more likely to try new food if they are involved in food preparation.
“Preparing healthy food has become an increasingly important life skill for our young people.”
He said 13 per cent of young people aged 2-14 years old are obese, and research has also indicated that only 5.7 per cent of children aged 2-14 years old are eating the recommended servings of vegetables and fruit per day.
“It makes sense to educate our young people on nutrition and what typical servings look like.
“The path to food security is a complex one; teaching healthy eating habits from a young age is proven to be an important part of the solution.”
Margo Flanagan, left, pupils Sofia Savage and Jack Lott, and Rosa Flanagan, during a healthy eating workshop at Waikanae School. Photo / David Haxton
With 45 teachers working in 1400 schools, the Life Education Trust is New Zealand’s largest health education provider, supporting the health and wellbeing of children throughout New Zealand.
The Healthy Harold programme provides schools with nutrition lessons and support materials, with the Two Raw Sisters workshops delivering practical advice on using seasonal produce and readily available ingredients.
“We want to encourage young people to include fresh fruit and vegetables in all their meals and snacks,” said Carmel Ireland, project manager at the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust.
“Practical workshops are a great way of showing them how to get 5+ A Day through simple and tasty recipes that incorporate seasonal fruit and vegetables.”
The Two Raw Sisters, Margo and Rosa Flanagan, are well-known cooks and bestselling authors who like to make nutritious food fun.
“Their workshops will have a practical approach to food and nutrition, focusing on easy and delicious recipes that are packed full of fruit, vegetables, and other whole foods,” Ireland said.
Follow-up video workshops and resources will also be made available to schools.
“Most kids are visual learners,” Margo said.
“By doing a practical workshop with the kids we give them skills they can implement into their everyday lives immediately.
“Skills like how to cut vegetables in a safe way and giving them the confidence that they can do it.”
