Harold The Giraffe and The Two Raw Sisters reunite to share nutrition in schools

Life Education Trust and 5+ A Day Partner with the Two Raw Sisters to deliver nutrition workshops in schools Following its successful debut last year, Life Education Trust and 5+ A Day Charitable Trust are again teaming up with the Two Raw Sisters to inspire, motivate and educate tamariki about the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit as part of a balanced diet. A national tour of schools and communities begins in May, and aims to engage tamariki about their nutritional needs, sources of kai, and basic food preparation skills.

According to John O’Connell, Chief Executive of Life Education Trust, research shows young people are more likely to try new food if they are involved in food preparation.

“Preparing healthy food has become an increasingly important life skill for our young people. Unfortunately, 13% of young people aged 2-14 years-old are obese. Research has also indicated that only 5.7% of children aged 2-14 years old are eating the recommended servings of vegetables and fruit per day. *

“It makes sense to educate our young people on nutrition and what typical servings look like. The path to food security is a complex one; teaching healthy eating habits from a young age is proven to be an important part of the solution,” says O’Connell.

With 45 teachers working in 1,400 schools, the Life Education Trust is New Zealand’s largest health education provider, supporting the health and wellbeing of tamariki throughout Aotearoa. The  Healthy Harold programme provides schools with nutrition lessons and support materials, with the Two Raw Sisters workshops delivering practical advice on using seasonal produce and readily available ingredients.

“We want to encourage young people to include fresh fruit and vegetables in all their meals and snacks. Practical workshops are a great way of showing them how to get 5+ A Day through simple and tasty recipes that incorporate seasonal fruit and vegetables.,” says Carmel Ireland, Project Manager at the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust.

The Two Raw Sisters, Margo and Rosa Flanagan, are well-known cooks and bestselling authors who like to make nutritious food fun. Rosa is a registered nutritionist.

Their workshops will have a practical approach to food and nutrition, focusing on easy and delicious recipes that are packed full of fruit, vegetables, and other whole foods. Follow-up video workshops and resources will also be made available to schools.

“Most kids are visual learners. By doing a practical workshop with the kids we  give them skills they can implement into their everyday lives immediately. Skills like how to cut vegetables in a safe way and giving them the confidence that they can do it. Skills like these will be ones they have for life,” says Margo.

“When we get tamariki involved in the cooking process they are more likely to eat the food and enjoy it. We love showing them that cooking is fun and easy, teaching them preparation skills and how to substitute veggies when they’re helping at home,” says Margo.

For more information about Two Raw Sisters and a Giraffe Workshops and the national tour, visit www.tworawsistersandagiraffe.org.nz.

* NZ Health Survey 2021-22, only 5.7% of children aged 2-14 were eating the recommended number of servings of vegetables and fruit per day. The Ministry of Health recommends 2.5-5.5 servings of vegetables and 1-2 servings of fruit, depending on age and gender. https://minhealthnz.shinyapps.io/nz-health-survey-2021-22-annual-data-explorer/_w_ddd29892/#!/explore-topics