Edinburgh food charity launches healthy eating workshops for children

Edinburgh charity’s latest community events aim to help children eat healthily

An Edinburgh charity will hold two community workshop events this month aimed at helping parents provide healthier food for their little ones. Edinburgh Community Food’s Healthy Little Foodies project visits venues across the city talking to families about weaning, fussy eating and all aspects of baby and toddler nutrition.

The project will provide advice to parents at the Greenhouse Pantry on Niddrie Mains Road, on November 17 at 3pm, and at Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre on Harvesters Way, on November 29 at 10am. Nutritionist Jessica Pearson is a food and health development officers for Edinburgh Community Food’s Healthy Little Foodies project.

She said: “We provide these workshops across the city in different areas. A lot of parents of children under five or of primary school age do struggle with healthy eating and nutrition for their children. They say they don’t really know how to get healthy food into their children’s mouths.

Edinburgh Community Food’s Healthy Little Foodies project visits venues across the city, providing advice and recipes for parents.

"So I give them practical tips on how to provide more healthy food for their children and provide healthy and nutritious recipes for them to prepare at home. I also provide lots of other general baby and toddler nutrition advice. How to manage sugar intake for example, which seems to be an issue for parents. I have been doing this particular workshop since things opened up again after the pandemic, at least every week or two for the first few months, in different places across the city. Trying to reach as many people as possible.”

Funded by a host of bodies – including the Scottish Government, NHS Lothian and Edinburgh Council – Edinburgh Food Project is all about helping people enjoy delicious, fresh, healthy food and making sure everyone in our city has access to an affordable, healthy diet. The charity has been running the Healthy Little Foodies project for three years now.

"It started just before Covid then we took it online and had quite a good response,” said Jessica. “And now things have opened up again we visit mostly toddler groups to provide the relevant information parents need to give their children a more healthy and nutritious diet. It can be handy for parents to speak to a nutritionist. We often make some healthy snacks together as well as giving advice and providing healthy recipes.

"The workshops are quite popular. In some areas we get 10-15 families coming along to a session, but sometimes it’s just one or two, depending on where we are. Any group that wants to get involved can get in touch and we will set up a workshop.”

Email [email protected] to book a place for the event on November 17, and contact [email protected] for the November 29 event. If you run a children’s group in the Capital and would like a visit by Edinburgh Community Food’s Healthy Little Foodies project, then email [email protected].

Edinburgh Community Food sources and sells the best quality fruit and vegetables, with stalls in Edinburgh’s hospitals selling produce to staff, patients and visitors. The charity also delivers fresh fruit and vegetables to homes and businesses across the city.