Guyhirn pupils encouraged to eat the vegetable rainbow

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Guyhirn pupils encouraged to eat the vegetable rainbow

March 30, 2023

Schoolchildren have been inspired to eat more vegetables as part of a nationwide healthy eating campaign.

Pupils at Guyhirn learned how to safely cut carrots

Guyhirn Church of England Primary School in Wisbech took part in a Veg Power Eat Them To Defeat Them day with a cookery demonstration and lesson on how to safely prepare carrots.

Pupils at the school, part of the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust, made rainbow wraps with a variety of produce and tasted a specially-prepared rice dish packed with vegetables.

The day was run in partnership with Veg Power, PECT, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Schools, Cambridgeshire County Council and Tilda.

Heidi Latronico-Ferris, Education Lead at PECT, said: “It’s always great to be part of Eat Them To Defeat Them and it’s a great experience for children to engage with a lot of vegetables in a different way.

“We taught knife skills, so how to chop, dice and slice vegetables so that the children can go home and recreate meals that they have had at school.”

Guyhirn CofE Primary School was awarded a Healthy Eating Award last year for its work in focusing on food and nutrition in school.

Headteacher Karen Milnthorpe said: “The whole school really enjoyed taking part in the Eat Them To Defeat Them day and tasting new vegetables.

“As a healthy school, we promote and teach a healthy lifestyle through PSHE and our curriculum. The Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign enhances this work.”

The school is one of 35 across Cambridgeshire to have been funded by Cambridgeshire County Council’s Public Health team to take part in the Eat Them To Defeat Them initiative.

James Read, from Tilda, cooked a West African jollof dish for children in Year 5 and 6 to taste with many pupils enjoying a second serving.

Joanne Howling, from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Schools, added: “One of the pupils said he was going to go home and see if he could cook the dish for dinner because he eats lots of rice-based meals. The best part was he wanted to put more vegetables in.

“It’s important for children to incorporate more greens into their meals.”