Change4Life - ways to cut down on sugar
Topmarks has been exploring a new set of teaching resources, Sugar Smart World, from Change4Life, set to inspire teachers, parents and children to eat less sugar. Healthy living is easy with simple swaps!
New year, new beginnings… this launch is ideally timed when we're all increasingly conscious of healthier lifestyles and how to make the right choices for our diets. Public Health England (PHE) exists to help support the nation's health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. Survey research by PHE shows that children are consuming 2,800 excess sugar cubes each year, that's around eight extra cubes per day. Enough to wrap around the world more than three and a half times! With the fun new classroom resources from the Change4Life team, developing healthier habits will be simple.
These dedicated English, Maths and Science resources are perfect for encouraging kids to learn about sugar content of different foods and drinks, then to make the right choices for healthier lifestyles.
The average 10 year old has already consumed at least 138 kilos of sugar; if children were to keep their consumption within the maximum recommended sugar intake after the age of 2, it would take them until they are at least 18 years old to reach this figure.
Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: "Educating children on the importance of a healthy balanced diet in their early years can help them avoid serious illness in future. “By making simple swaps each day, children can have healthier versions of everyday foods and drinks, while significantly reducing their sugar intake.”
Cllr Sabia Hussain and teacher Rebecca Glanville show pupils from Penn Wood Primary School in Slough how to make healthier choices using Change4Life’s new Be Food Smart app from PHE
The resources are flexible to use and tailored for Reception, Key Stage 1 and upper and lower Key Stage 2 pupils. They're developed with teachers, complementing the national campaign encouraging parents to “make a swap when you next shop”.
- The new English lesson plans introduce pupils to the characters of ‘Sugar Smart World’ through fun, interactive PowerPoints, pupil-led activities, recipe ideas and a new video.
- Change4Life Maths lesson plans will reinforce healthier swaps, while including important problem solving skills using addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
Visit now to see what's available, use the social media hashtag #makeaswap and look out for the Sugar Smart World take-home packs (great for beyond-the-classroom working!) arriving in schools from mid-late January. Sign up to the Change4Life School Zone newsletter too, to keep up-to-date with more resources that are constantly being added.
