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Super Troopers Laya Healthcare
Family

Tips for getting children involved in cooking

Pen Selda Simsek Glasses 3 min read

Winter bonding with your Super Troopers!

It may have taken a while to really kick in, but we think it’s safe to say that winter is officially here! Already the evenings are darker, the days are longer, the layers are piling up and the colds and flus are underway. We know it can be a tough time of year, certainly for busy families with afterschool activities and weekend play dates, especially when the cold, wet weather means finding things to do indoors. However, at Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare, we always like to look for the silver lining, and while winter can sometimes seem never-ending, it can also be a great opportunity to catch up on quality time with the family.

If your family are taking part in Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare, you will know all about the brilliant short and sweet physical activities you can take part in together, which helps count towards your daily exercise requirements. As a Super Troopers family, you will also be aware of the lovely healthy and nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes provided by SuperValu in your child’s Activity Journal and on www.supertroopers.ie. The great news is that all of the content in our Activity Journals and website was developed with little hands in mind, and are perfect for families to prepare and cook together.

So, if you’d like to plan for some indoor family bonding, while teaching your little ones all about nutrition, healthy eating and the importance of a balanced diet, we have some top tips to share with you to get you on your way!

Prepare Ahead                                                           

Whether you’re a kitchen novice or culinary virtuoso, you will know that cooking with kids can be tricky, so it’s always best to prepare as much as you can in advance. Arm yourself with your recipe, lay out the ingredients in their quantities if you can and assign your tots different roles to make sure they’re ready for the fun that lies ahead. Why not have a ‘Mixing Maestro’, ‘Washing Wizard’ or ‘Timing Trooper’ to help guide you on your way.

One Pot Wonder

While we all have great intentions to make big meals with all the trimmings, hectic days can throw a spanner in the works. Luckily, there are plenty of ‘One Pot Wonders’ you can easily prepare with little prep time and lots of opportunity for cuddles and chats while the oven is doing the work for you. If you’re stuck for inspiration, we have lots of lovely ideas for recipes over in our family section, or in our dedicated nutrition section on our Super Troopers website!

Nutritious Natter

Why not use this time to talk to your little ones about each of the ingredients you are using in your dish? See if they can tell you different types of foods that make up a healthy balanced meal. Let them taste different types of vegetables before and after they are cooked, and see what they prefer. If you’re stuck for ideas, why not check out our top tips on different ways to use fruits and vegetables, over in our family section on www.supertroopers.ie

Have Fun

The best part about keeping your dish as simple as possible is that you can spend less time thinking about nailing the perfect meal and more time focusing on having fun. It’s easy to get swept up in Pinterest pressures and feel like you need to keep a clean kitchen and a cool head, but the aim of the game is to have fun and spend quality time together, uninterrupted. So get messy, get creative and enjoy.

 

Super Troopers with laya healthcare

Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare is Irelands first ever health homework programme, created with the support of teachers and a team of experts in the areas of psychology, nutrition, physical activity and mental wellbeing.  Now in its fourth year, this FREE and exciting programme has grown from strength to strength with over 233,000 children, 1,485 schools, 15,000 teachers and 150,000 families currently taking part.  

 

To find out more about Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare, visit our website here. 

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Selda Simsek

Selda is the Sponsorship Brand Manager for Laya Healthcare. With a wealth of knowledge in the Sports and events industry, Selda’s career has spanned across, marketing, sponsorship, events, PR and internal communications over the past 12 years. With her experience both at home and abroad she has worked for leading brands and their partners such as Virgin Mobile Australia, The Cancer Council NSW, Leinster Rugby, Bank of Ireland, Guinness, Life Style Sports and many more. Leaning on her creative flair, Selda has a keen interest in photography and design. She’s also an advocate of CSR and a keen jellybean on the importance of brand culture and engagement.

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