Note: please take care when using sharp utensils and hot appliances. All cooking should be done under adult supervision.

Breakfast

This is the most important meal of the day as it gives you energy for the day ahead and helps you concentrate better at school or work. Try:

• eggs
• toast
• cold cereal and milk or yoghurt
• hot cereal such as porridge (add some dried fruit or nuts on top)
• fruit smoothie

There’s no excuse to skip breakfast, no matter how late you are. Grab one of these on the way out of the door, or prepare it the night before:

• yoghurt (fresh or frozen)
• fresh fruit
• muffin
• mix of nuts, dried fruits, dry cereal

Lunch

We have put together some ideas for healthy lunches. You can even make some the night before:

• Salad box
  Chop some lettuce, spring onions, red onions, tomato, cucumber, grated carrot and sliced egg (boiled) and throw it altogether in a container.  Add your choice of filling i.e. cottage cheese, grated cheese, chicken or ham and some salad cream or other dressing. Add some pasta, which will fill you up until tea time.
  
  
• Pitta bread with filling
  Fill some wholemeal pitta bread with a filling such as diced pepper, onion, tomato, lettuce, spring onion, chicken, ham or cheese. Add some salad cream or other dressing.
  
  
• Flask of soup
  Fill a flask full of your favourite soup and take some wholemeal bread for dipping.

Tea

• Chicken and vegetable kebabs with rice and salad
  Dice some chicken breast, peppers, onions and tomato and any other veggie stuff you like. Poke them onto a wooden or metal skewer (with care) and place under a medium grill until golden brown. Make sure the chicken is cooked throughout and not red inside. Add some brown rice and a side salad.
  
  
• Vegetable omelette with rice and salad
  Whisk 2 eggs and heat a little oil in a frying pan. Cook the omelette on a low to medium heat so the omelette doesn’t burn (cook both sides). Add your choice of vegetables. Place the omelette on a plate, add some brown rice and fold the omelette. Serve with a side salad.

Family option – vegetable chilli

If you want to cook something for everyone, try this vegetable chilli. You can even cook loads of it and freeze it. You will need:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 8oz. carrots, thinly sliced
• 6oz. leeks, sliced
• 4 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced and deseeded
• 1 red pepper, sliced and deseeded
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can red kidney beans
• 400g can chick peas
• ½ pt. vegetable stock
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp flour

How to cook:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan, add garlic, onion and leeks and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the stock and all the remaining ingredients except the kidney beans and chick peas. Stir well. Bring to the boil, stirring and cover and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• Add kidney beans and chick peas and mix well. Return to the boil and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking.
• Serve with rice, pasta or crusty bread.

Dessert and snacks

Snacking on fresh fruit, nuts and seeds throughout the day keeps you away from snacking on crisps, chocolate and sweets. It also keeps you full for longer. And remember that dessert doesn’t have to be full of sugar and fat. Why not try these simple desserts that you could have every day.

• fruit salad – chop your favourite fruits and mix in a bowl.
• fresh or frozen yoghurt
• smoothies
• strawberries and single cream