The Scottish Government has launched the Eat Better Feel Better campaign showing the simple changes people can make to eat more healthily.
The campaign begins after research highlighted that more families are turning to convenience foods and takeaways rather than home cooking due to the pressures of family life. It states that less than half of Scotland’s mums (47 per cent) consider themselves as very capable cooks, and are happy to cook a meal using fresh or frozen ingredients, without the use of a recipe. However, more than a third of families (35 per cent) are eating takeaway food at least once a week and around one third of families (32 per cent) are eating ready meals at least three times a week.
The campaign has launched with a website which contains recipes, tips from parents and healthier offers available from Scotland’s food retailers. The site will host a series of cook-along videos to provide practical, easy to follow guides to cooking healthier family favourites such as spaghetti Bolognese, home-made burgers and chicken curry. A key strand of the campaign will be directing families across Scotland towards local events and support in their community, such as that provided by Pilton Community Health Project. The website also contains a list of events that are happening across the Lothians.
Speaking at the launch Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said:
“For many families across Scotland, buying, cooking and eating healthy food can be a real challenge. However, there are many quick and cheap changes that we can make which can lead to significant improvements in our daily diets. From dealing with fussy eaters and shopping on a budget to planning your meals and finding time to cook, Eat Better Feel Better aims to address the various challenges faced by families by providing lots of practical hints, tips and recipes to help families eat more healthily.
“We know that helping children to eat healthier from a young age can help them avoid major illnesses later in life. That’s why we’re working together with retailers and community groups from across the country in getting behind Scotland’s families – to provide the support, encouragement and advice which will help them eat better and ultimately feel better.”
You can find a video of the launch of Eat Better Feel Better at Pilton below: