Eat Culture, Nottingham Catering have some very exciting displays and tasters for schools as part of the Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign to get our children eating more veg.
Tomatoes transformed into spiders, evil peppers turned into pumpkin masks and veg in all sorts of other guises have been appearing in participating schools.
Featuring the vegetable of the week looking and tasting not quite like they’ve ever known it before, the children at Welbeck Primary School have been enjoying six weeks of displays and tasters.
Deputy Head, Ronan Cobbe said: “Eat Them to Defeat Them has been a roaring success at Welbeck! It’s given the children the chance to try veg in lots of different taster dishes and the majority of the children have been trying the foods and collecting rewards. The displays have been really creative and fun and shown how veg look as they grow.
Veg character, Podster the pea came along to peas week where children enjoyed savoury pea pancakes, chilli and black pastry tarts with mint pea topping, sugar snap peas with a seasoned pea dip and stir fry with spring onion, chilli, peas and sugar snap pea from Nottingham City Council’s catering service.
Ronan added: “Children have been tracking how much veg they eat at home too and we’re planning to give the children who have been the most adventurous in trying new foods a special reward.
“Also, the school council is going to vote on the children’s favourite tasters and we’ll see if they can go on the menu all year round.
“It has been great for improving children’s diet and attitude to food as it’s shown that veg are healthy and delicious too. We’re looking forward to the next Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign.”
According to Veg Power 80% of our children are not getting enough veg with a third eating less than one portion a day. Perhaps the most alarming statistic they found is that 50% of parents had given up even trying. Veg Power’s mission is to inspire children to veggie loving habits they will share with their parents today and their own children tomorrow and they are running the campaign in partnership with ITV.
Vegetables are trying to take over the world, and the only way to stop them is to eat them, according to the Eat Them to Defeat Them storyline. The campaign launched on 7th June along with a TV advert that started on 31st May on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.
Children at Welbeck Primary School said:
“I love Eat Them to Defeat Them!”
“I don’t usually like veg but when the school makes them I like them.”
“The spiders were great and the peppers looked scary with the eyes.”
“My mum says, ‘Eat your veg and you’ll become big and strong!”
“I have to eat my veg to get my stickers!”