Val Hutson on a healthy diet:
As a Healthy Lifestyles Nutritionist in Blackpool I have the pleasure of talking to young people about a healthy diet and what an interesting, funny and resilient bunch I’ve come across.
When primary school pupils were given the opportunity to build a healthier lunch box and try new foods such as guacamole, frittata, houmous and wholemeal wraps they were enthusiastic, positive and brave. When they were asked to design a healthy breakfast they showed their talents and had a laugh.
The young people I’ve worked with are keen to take responsibility for themselves, but are not afraid to lean on others when needed. They tell me about the healthier choices they make on a daily basis, such as avoiding energy drinks and drinking more water, limiting fast food and choosing healthier snacks.
The HeadStart cooking sessions with high school students were a delight. Students willingly accepted responsibilities, organised themselves, mixed well together and solved problems. We talked about the importance of eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables to get the most health benefits and reading food labels to help identify those high in sugar and salt. Students said they had developed important life skills preparing and cooking meals from scratch and we enjoyed highlighting their achievements as they were presented with Certificate at the end of the course.
I love the new Resilient Pathway in town and it makes me smile when I see the ‘healthy diet’ one as it’s my favourite Resilient Move. It’s also great that in my job I get to see lots of other resilient moves being put into practice too.
For more information on what to include in a healthy diet there are lots of great resources on the Change4Life website. https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts
