Chartwells shines spotlight on importance of children’s gut health
Starring former CBeebies presenter Katy Ashworth, the free educational videos and resources are designed to promote food education and empower children aged seven to 11 to make positive choices on food and nutrition.
The three-part video series teaches children engaging lessons on food preparation, digestion and how to improve gut health by eating high fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.
Chartwells says that it comes at a time when it has ‘never been more important’ for schools to educate pupils about food, nutrition and cooking, against a backdrop of rising food insecurity, increasing childhood obesity levels and a growing number of children managing allergens.
Commenting on the Spotlight Session, Ashworth said: “Early education on health and nutrition is essential for setting children up with positive outlooks on food. This new Spotlight Session, developed in partnership with Chartwells, delivers fun, accessible lessons on how to take care of your gut.
“Pupils will go on an engaging journey through the digestive system throughout a series of three videos, with supporting lesson plans, experiments and quizzes – providing hours of fun learning for children, packaged up in a way that’s easy to deliver. The sessions will inspire a real love of healthy food and ignite pupils’ passions for protecting their physical and mental health.”
Ashworth joins forces with Chartwells’ senior nutritionist Marnie George to make gut health education fun and accessible for children. Each video is supported by lesson plans, practical activities, worksheets and quizzes. The resources are available to download for free.
George added: “We’re on a mission to ensure young people are educated and feel empowered to make the right decisions when it comes to food choices, nutrition, and sustainability. We know that when it comes to the topic of health there is a lot of misinformation out there and it can be difficult for children to understand what is good for them and what isn’t.
“Through this video series, not only do we want to provide a comprehensive, cost-effective digital resource for schools, but we also want to make a complex topic fun, engaging, and easy to understand for children, helping to encourage a lifelong positive relationship with food.”
The first series released in February 2024 and presented by Allegra McEvedy in partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust explored the role bumblebees play in our food system.