Treloweth Primary School pupils get 'sugar savvy'

From nutritious chocolate hummus to tasty granola bars, the children from the Redruth School got creative and ‘hands on’ when learning about the difference between natural and added sugars as well as balanced, nutritious treats.

The two sessions, delivered by chef, Jarrod Reynolds, from Chartwells, saw students from between year two to year five explore the science behind sugar, learn where sugar comes from, understand the importance of a healthy balanced diet, and explore how to make sugar swaps to fuel their bodies with nutritious food.

The session then put the pupils’ food technology skills to the test, where they got to try their hand at making two healthy culinary creations, which was well received by all.

First up, they made chocolate hummus, which they served and tasted with apple slices, strawberries and crackers, followed by a session where they made their own energy bars from natural ingredients.

The workshop has been carefully designed to align with the Key Stages of the curriculum for PSHE, science, and food technology. It has been modelled to support the National Food Strategy by enriching learning outside the classroom with information around food, and inspiring pupils to teach their families about the importance of choosing healthier alternative ingredients.

Following the session, a year four pupil said: "The chocolate hummus was delicious. I’ve never tried it before but now I know how to make it I’m going to ask mum if she can get the

ingredients."

Another year five pupil added: "I am really going to think about the choices I make with snacks

and drinks. I didn’t know there was so much sugar in all those foods."

Mrs Nunes, a teacher at Treloweth Primary School said: “The sessions were brilliant, the pupils were really engaged and enjoyed the healthy, yet delicious sweet alternatives – and so did I.

"This fits in perfectly with what we are doing about healthy eating in our curriculum so it was very helpful to reinforce what the pupils are learning. We want to inspire our pupils to learn about the importance of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and be mindful around consumption of processed sugars. We are going to include this food activity in our future lessons as the pupils really got stuck in and have come away with a new set of tools and knowledge which they can put into practice.”

Jarrod Reynolds, Chef, Chartwells added: “The pupils were engaged throughout, and they created a variety of delicious treats which they even said that when they go home, they are going to make again. It is important that children learn from an early age about the impact of processed sugars on their physical and mental wellbeing and it is for this reason we deliver this workshop. We hope to give the students a chance to explore different, healthy, and flavourful options and inspire them to continue learning outside the classroom and becoming more ‘sugar savvy’."