Healthy Eating
Balanced meals and moderation is the key to healthy students
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Comment by Dr Verner Wheelock, Chairman, Verner Wheelock Associates
any people, including health or body- conscious teenagers, adopt a healthy eating regime at the beginning of a new year in an attempt to shed the pounds piled on over the Christmas period. However the initial enthusiasm soon falls flat because, when it’s cold outside, we often don’t feel like eating a cold salad. Serving nutritious hot meals over the winter period such as stews, roast dinners, lasagne, fish pies and hot fruit-based desserts will help to keep students away from stodgy comfort foods. How the food is cooked and prepared can also have a huge influence on the amount of nutrition it provides. If you boil cabbage to within an inch of its life, then it destroys the majority of vitamins and minerals contained within it. Similarly, the more food is processed the less nutrition we derive from it. There has been much controversy over the past few years about childhood obesity, with the National Child Measurement Programme causing a good deal of upset amongst parents and children who have been classified ‘overweight’ or ‘obese.’ Interestingly studies undertaken over a number of years in other
countries show that those who fall into the ‘overweight’ category, but are fit, are actually more likely to live longer than people who are ‘normal’ or ‘underweight.’
At the end of the day it is fitness rather than fatness that should be our concern. This so- called ‘obesity epidemic’ can be controlled by eating sensible portions of balanced meals, based around the ‘Five a Day’ fruit and veg campaign and the Eatwell Plate. The odd chocolate bar, piece of cake or portion of chips is not going to do anybody any harm, but as with everything else, moderation is the key.
Dr Verner Wheelock is Chairman of Verner Wheelock Associates, specialists in nutrition and food safety training.
u01756 700802
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VWA’s online courses are ideal for tight budgets N
ow you can give your catering staff the training they need to provide safe, nutritious meals without blowing the school budget. Online food safety courses from award- winning training company, VWA, start at just £25 + VAT, including City & Guilds certificate. Plus, each course consists of a series of easy-to- follow modules so staff can learn in their own time and at their own pace.
Online Level 2 Food Safety Duration – 2 to 3 hours Cost £25 + VAT
This is a legal requirement for all catering staff and anyone else handling food for public consumption. The course provides basic training in personal hygiene, cleaning, the impact of food borne illness, contamination control, food hazards and food law.
Online Level 2 Nutrition Duration – 2 to 3 hours £45 + VAT
This introductory course covers guidelines for healthy eating, diet and health, nutrition basics, special diets and food preservation, processing and labelling.
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Online Level 3 Food Safety Duration – approx 9 hours £125 + VAT
Ideal for kitchen supervisors and those training other staff, Level 3 gives trainees the knowledge and understanding to take responsibility for food safety monitoring procedures, identify food safety hazards, take appropriate action in light of these hazards and contribute to improvements in food safety practice. Use code VWAL3 when booking for 10% discount
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www.education-today.co.uk January 2012
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