The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2022 - Magazine - Page 40
LETCHWORTH SCHOOLS GET
TICKLED SALMON PINK WITH
HOME ECONOMIST KATE SNOW
Two primary schools; Garden City
Academy and St Thomas More Primary
in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, have been
at the epicentre of a sustainability
campaign to educate and inspire
consumers to eat more sustainably
sourced seafood. This included
engaging with the youngest members
of the local community, and tickling
their tastebuds with a fun, informative
and tasty lesson.
Home Economist Kate Snow, who works
with the UK Government on the EATWELL Programme and teaches the food
group section of the national curriculum
across the UK, inspired pupils – aged
between nine and 11 years old – by
cooking with Norwegian cod and
salmon; teaching them about the
nutritional and health benefits of fish
and seafood and educating them about
its sustainability.
“This has been an exciting opportunity
to go into schools, educate and get
children cooking – which is key to
getting them to enjoy their food.
My courses involved practical cooking,
a presentation of different fish varieties
and an introduction to the UK government's dietary advice about eating
fish and seafood twice a week,” says Ms
Snow. “The children got to learn about
sustainable fish and seafood and why
the vitamins, minerals, proteins and
omega fats in fish are so important for
our health.”
Inspired by Fiskesprell
Ms Snow recently visited Norway to
attend a Fiskesprell course in
Sjøskogbekken FUS kindergarten at
Ranheim outside Trondheim, led by
chef Rune Sandø. Over the course of
three hours, he introduced curious four
and five-year-old children to the main
fish species and taught them to cut
vegetables and make fish fingers.
Fiskesprell is a national diet programme
that aims to increase seafood
consumption among children and
younger people. This group tends to
eat less fish and seafood than is
recommended by the health authorities,
therefore is at risk of missing out on the
important health benefits.
"It was inspiring to see how the children
contributed, and I was very excited
about the Fiskesprell concept,” says Ms
Snow. “Although I didn't understand
what was being said, it was easy to look
at the faces of the children that they
were very enthusiastic!
"The way they made fish fingers was
brilliant, and I have brought this back to
the UK to use in my taco dishes. I also
introduced a geography section so that
the pupils could get an understanding
of where Norway is, and the connection
the country has to the UK.”
Lack of food knowledge
Ms Snow points to a lack of food
knowledge in British households as
one of the challenges when it comes to
seafood, saying that many people don't
know how to cook fish. “On my
courses I deliberately choose recipes
that are healthy and easy to prepare.
The children get an educational pack
with recipes, fun facts, and information
that they can take home to encourage
them to share what they have learnt
with their parents,” she adds.
Garden City Academy Yr 6 Teacher,
Gary Bryan commented: “The children
were fascinated by the lesson. Cooking
with food really inspires their imaginations and it was a fantastic way to
demonstrate how they could be making
healthier choices – and helping with the
cooking - at home. Kate even brought
in a whole Norwegian salmon as a
multi-sensory experience for the children.
Many have never seen a fish like this
before and was a moment they talked
about for a long time after!”
Blue is the new Green
Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr, UK director
Norwegian Seafood Council concludes:
“Sustainably caught or produced fish
and seafood generally have a very low
carbon footprint, and so many of us
can benefit from making some seafood
swaps, not just for our own health, but
also for the health of the planet.
“We recently held a series of events
across Letchworth, to help tell locals
that it is time to make room for blue in a
green diet! This schools’ activity is a very
important part of this education, which
is all about making fish a bigger part of
a shift to healthier and more sustainable
diets.”
Twinned with Kristiansand in Norway,
Letchworth, was chosen as the pilot
site in the UK for Seafood from Norway
to launch its sustainability campaign,
aimed at demonstrating how
sustainably sourced seafood can play
a part in helping to meet the world’s
growing food demand.
According to The Blue Food Assessment,
sustainably caught or produced seafood
has a lower environmental footprint
than many land-based animal-sourced
foods. The benefits of sustainable
seafood therefore extend beyond
our own health and nutritional
advantages, but also for the good of the
planet. Furthermore, the United Nations
states we need to produce 70% more
food to meet dietary needs in 2050.
Land-based agriculture cannot meet
these requirements alone, and we need
to look to alternatives. If managed
responsibly, the oceans can provide
over six times more food than they do
today.