Free recipe book helps Sunderland families eat healthy

Sunderland families will be making tasty healthy meals, as the first copies of a free recipe book reach parents and children this week.

'Healthy and Affordable Recipes' is being distributed with school meals parcels and has been developed by the council’s Change 4 Life Team.

The book contains 20 recipes and ideas for simple meals and snacks, an eat well guide to help parents prepare healthy and well-balanced meals and even a shopping list with average prices to help with budgeting the weekly shop.

Joan Lumsdon, Head Teacher at Castletown Community Primary School, said: "We have been so impressed with the food that's been provided to our free school meal children by the Council's school meals team. The choice and quality have been fantastic, and completely different from the examples recently highlighted in the media.

"We have had really positive feedback from our parents who have welcomed the support in providing their children with healthy and nutritious lunches during a particularly challenging time. I also think the free recipe book is a brilliant idea, and again something that will be greatly appreciated by our parents."

Each parcel contains a loaf of bread, five pieces of fresh fruit, two baking potatoes, three fresh tomatoes, one whole cucumber, three yoghurt pots, three cheese portions, litre milk and a tin of: tuna, sweetcorn, pork, baked beans, soup.

Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Skills, Councillor Louise Farthing said: "We know how vitally important it is for children to have fresh, tasty and nutritious food not just at school but at home too. The council distribute food parcels to families across the city to help with the meal their child would have otherwise had at school.

"These free recipe books will support families to make healthy and affordable snacks and meals throughout the day ensuring, now more than ever, we're all in the best possible health we can be."

Try out a recipe from the book below:

Tuna and Bean Jackets

Serves a family of 4

Ingredients

4 baking potatoes, scrubbed

1 can of beans (cannellini, if possible)

200g tuna in water, drained and flaked

2 tsp tomato puree

2 tsp red or white wine vinegar (optional)

1 pinch ground black pepper (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the potatoes the night before when cooking another meal. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/gas mark 6. Prick the potatoes, then bake towards the top of the oven for 1 hour, or until tender. Cover in tin foil until preparing the meal.

2. Mix together the beans, tuna, pepper, tomatoes, spring onions, vinegar and tomato purée. Season with black pepper.

3. Reheat the potatoes in the oven for a few minutes and then split the baked potatoes open and fill them with the salsa mixture. Serve at once.

Change 4 Life Sunderland supports families to eat well, move more and live longer. For more information on the programme visit https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/12536/Change4Life-Sunderland or find them on Facebook.