Children publish their own healthy recipe book

Children at Lord Scudamore School in Hereford are encouraging busy families to eat healthily by producing an exciting new recipe book packed full of great meals than can be produced in around 30 minutes.

"Good Food Fast" is packed with hearty recipes that can be produced in around 30 minutes, ranging from smoothies to stews, from kedgeree to pizzas.

In a drive to promote healthy living, and to endorse their Healthy Schools Status, pupils aged three to 11 submitted their favourite recipes to compete for a range of prizes sponsored by local businesses. The best ones were selected by Rebecca Stanners, Community Dietitian, Herefordshire Hospitals as follows:

Best vegetarian recipe - Ella Butlin's foolproof falafel recipe sponsored by Cafe @ All Saints
Best meat recipe - Olivia Gray's wonderful pasta salad sponsored by Heggies
Best smoothie recipe - Eden Baillie and Charlie Scott joint winners, sponsored by Shepherd's ice cream
Best pasta recipe - Kyle's simple pasta recipe sponsored by Play Planet
Best dessert - Megan Cotterell's magic lemon pudding sponsored by Tyrell's crisps.

The book has been put together with help from Herefordshire Council's healthy schools team as part of the Year of Food and Farming, a campaign to promote healthy living by giving young people direct experience of the countryside, farming and food. Every primary school will be given a copy of the book, courtesy of the healthy schools team, and the remainder will be sold by the school with all profits being used to fund the school's eco-garden.

"Good food fast" will be launched on Saturday April 19th at the Food and Farming is coming to town event in Hereford's High Town. Children, teachers and parents will have a stall in All Saints Church where members of the public can purchase a copy of the book and talk to some of those involved in putting it together.

Tess Boyes, healthy schools co-ordinator, said: "Children at Lord Scudamore School have taken their Healthy Schools Status very seriously and we're delighted to have worked with them on this project. Being healthy is about feeling good in both mind and body and eating well is very much part of this.

The children who have written this book show how good healthy food can be achieved quickly and economically and that it's fun to be in the kitchen creating home made tasty dishes.

"The Year of Food and Farming is about celebrating how food is grown and produced, feeding young minds with a respect and passion for good, healthy food and understand where it comes from."