Primary schools take to the kitchen with new healthy eating initiative

Out of the classroom and into the kitchen: as Healthy Eating Week approaches, the pop-up Kitchen Club is cooking up a storm with primary school students in a bid to promote healthy eating and lifestyles.

Meliny Tim, co-founder and nutritionist of The Kitchen Club has been teaching primary aged children about cooking and nutrition for more than four years. She and her team of chefs set up their pop-up kitchen in primary schools and host whole school cooking days, class lessons, and after school cooking clubs. During each session there is a focus on eating 5 A Day fruits and vegetables and teaching the children the benefits of knowing and understanding the Eat Well Plate. In addition to teaching the children the nutritional aspects of food and its provenance, Meliny and her team teach the children how to prepare and cook the food. One of the primary schools that The Kitchen Club teaches at includes Meadowpark School in Cricklade, as well as primary schools across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Healthy Eating Week is taking place the week of 11 to 15 June and schools are encouraged to provide heart healthy meals and drinks for pupils, a focus on being active, discuss food provenance, and encourage cooking at home. Details for participating in Healthy Eating Week can be found at www.foodafactoflife.org.uk. Meliny and her team are available to support schools by offering heart healthy menu options or creating a pop-up smoothie bike station where children can pedal-power their own healthy drink. The Kitchen Club is passionate about teaching cooking and nutrition to this generation of primary school aged children in England, enabling them to make healthy food choices throughout their lives.