Nursery World - Children get slice of healthy advice

Public health workers in Aberdeen have come up with a new vehicle for introducing children to a healthy diet - the sandwich. During a week-long project, public health dietitian Jenny Coutts visited five of the city's social work playschemes and encouraged the children to talk about and taste the ingredients she had brought along - including raisins, apples, cold meat and salad - and then to choose whichever ones they wanted for their sandwich. She urged them to try new combinations of food and was pleased to find that they were happy to try new things.

During a week-long project, public health dietitian Jenny Coutts visited five of the city's social work playschemes and encouraged the children to talk about and taste the ingredients she had brought along - including raisins, apples, cold meat and salad - and then to choose whichever ones they wanted for their sandwich. She urged them to try new combinations of food and was pleased to find that they were happy to try new things.

'A sandwich is cheap, easy to make, filling and nutritious,' explained Jenny. 'It can fulfil all the five food groups.'

Jenny works for the Aberdeen Inner City Local Health Care Co-operative (AICC), which aims to raise awareness of public health. Teaching young children about a healthy diet is one of the co-operative's priorities.

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