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Win The Kitchen Kart to help Aussie kids eat more veggies

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 With less than one in 10^ children and adolescents meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines* recommended serves for vegetables per day, the Nestlé Healthy Active Kids program is giving primary schools across the country the chance to win The Kitchen Kart.

Valued at $25,000, the fully-equipped, mobile teaching kitchen, will help teachers to deliver nutrition and cooking education, with the ability to hold classes in a hall, classroom, or even in the garden.

Teachers, parents and community members have just three weeks to nominate a school to win The Kitchen Kart, with the winning entrant also receiving $1,000 to go towards keeping their own family healthy and active.

The Nestlé Healthy Active Kids program, developed in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Sport, provides teachers with free, curriculum-based resources, online recipes and also provides tools and activities for parents to help children live a healthier life. The Kitchen Kart competition will give one lucky school the opportunity to win a fantastic asset to help turn this learning into valuable real-life experiences.

Nestlé Market Nutritionist, Megan Darragh, said that when kids are eating vegetables, they are most likely having them at dinner; but there are lots of opportunities for kids to be eating vegetables at lunch and as snacks throughout the day.

“While 83 per cent^ of children are consuming some vegetables, they are not eating enough day-to-day. There are some delicious, child-friendly recipes on the Nestlé Healthy Active Kids website to provide some inspiration for meals and snacks to help boost veggie intake,” Ms Darragh said.

Other research Nestlé Healthy Active Kids have conducted has also found that 80 per cent+ of Australian parents agree that getting their kids involved in cooking makes their children more likely to try different foods. Educating children at home and at school about healthy food choices is an important part of setting children up to have a good relationship with food.

“Every child is different and finding out what vegetables kids do and don’t like is an ongoing process. Talking to kids about vegetables, trialling them in different ways, such as grating veggies into spaghetti Bolognese or savoury muffins and getting kids involved in the kitchen can be a great way to familiarise children with new vegetables, or ones they don’t usually like to eat,” Ms Darragh said.

Winner of the 2016 Nestlé Healthy Active Kids The Kitchen Kart competition St Mary Mackillop Primary has put The Kitchen Kart to good use in the classroom and in the playground.

St Mary Mackillop Primary, year one teacher, Nicole Jones said: “Previously the school just had a sink and microwave. Now that we have The Kitchen Kart, we have the means to bring nutrition education to life.

“Teachers love The Kitchen Kart as it complements nutrition programs, while students are enjoying the practical hands-on cooking; they are more engaged when they can roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

“It’s really rewarding to see kids replicating the healthy snacks we’ve made in class at home and bringing them in for lunch and recess,” Ms Jones said.

Nestlé Oceania Head of Wellness, Katrina Koutoulas, said: “The Kitchen Kart competition, provides a very unique opportunity for students to put what they learn in class into practice.

“The Nestlé Healthy Active Kids program also has free, curriculum-based lesson plans ready for teachers to use in the classroom, with, or without access to a teaching kitchen at school,” Ms Koutoulas said.

For more information on Nestlé Healthy Active Kids, visit www.healthyactivekids.com.au

How can schools enter?
Parents, teachers, family and friends can nominate a primary school to win The Kitchen Kart (and win $1,000 for their own family) by visiting the Nestlé Healthy Active Kids website - www.healthyactivekids.com.au.

Each entry must answer: In 50 words or less, tell us how your nominated school can encourage a healthier generation of kids?

The competition is now open and runs until 11.59pm Friday 1 September 2017 AEST.