MPs 'pick and run' diet gets a makeover at Fairbridge
April 16, 2007 9:00 AM
Young people at Fairbridge shared their new found knowledge of healthy eating with Stephen Williams MP when he paid them a visit at the Fairbridge centre in Stokes Croft on Friday 13th April.
Stephen offered up his weekly diet to some of the young people to scrutinise as they had been learning about healthy eating and cooking on the "Can Cook" courses the charity offers to people aged 13 to 25 as part of a personal development programme.
Sebastian Dixon-Lewis aged 19, had been looking through the list of meals that Stephen had provided, he said: "It could be improved with more fruit, but I can appreciate that it must be difficult if he's rushing around."
Another member of the group 18 year old Daniel Povey, said: He could do with more vegetables and more water. I know what a difference it makes. I have been doing more boxing for the last three weeks and eating more healthily. It's given me a lot more energy."
Accepting that an MP's life involves lots of receptions and meals out, Sebastian, Daniel and Rob Scott aged18, put together a new menu plan for Stephen, which included raw vegetables and hummus, fresh fruit, nuts, salad bowls and more water.
Stephen agreed with the young people's advice, he said: "My eating habits do need revising! I often eat on the go grabbing sandwiches at the station and I eat sometimes late at night due to meetings or functions and of course attending a lot of events means that I tend to snack. I will definitely try to implement a change in my diet, just like some of the young people at Fairbridge have."
Carmen Benavides, Fairbridge development tutor who has been running the cookery course, said: "Stephen needs to make more time for regular eating as it's really important. At the moment, it's a 'pick and run' diet, so the young people have given him advice for meals that are healthy and that give him energy to support his busy lifestyle. He needs to get good food on the go! As our young people have been learning, healthy eating really does make a big difference to your energy levels and you feel more ready to tackle the day."
Sebastian, Daniel and Rob cooked a healthy buffet for 35 guests, including Stephen at the Fairbridge centre to show off their new skills.
The Can Cook healthy eating course at Fairbridge aims to help young people learn about healthy eating, hygiene, food safety, and budgeting in a practical way: they plan the meal, shop for ingredients to a budget, and then cook and eat the meal with invited guests. Each year around 26 young people follow a Can Cook course attending 12 hours as part of their long term personal development programme. The charity believes young people need to find out first hand how they can manage their behaviour and feelings better with a healthy diet - rather than relying on sweets and fizzy drinks which lead to mood swings. By buying fresh food and cooking meals from scratch, Fairbridge is encouraging young people to cut back on salt, sugar and fat, and get five fruit and vegetables a day.
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats