Varie-Healthy One Day Camp
On 27th July 2019, the Nutrition Student Association (NUSA) organised a nutrition one-day camp in conjunction with Nutrition Week. This camp was targeted to children between 9-12 years old from Alam Pintar Childcare Centre. Its objectives were to increase the knowledge in children about the three elements of a healthy diet : adequacy, balance, and nutritious based on MyPlate portions. A total of 22 students from the Centre participated in the event and various activities were carried out to educate the children in a fun way.
Education of MyPlate
MyPlate illustrates the five food groups that are building blocks for a healthy diet using a familiar image – a place setting for a meal. Kids are educated while in primary school about the concept of MyPlate in an effort by the Malaysian government to increase the knowledge about healthy diet at a young age.
In this camp, there was an activity called ‘Fill Up My Plate’ which required the kids to apply what they have learnt in school about MyPlate. They were given an empty plate and a random food item which they had to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy and categorise them into their respective food groups.
After constructing their own MyPlate, the students from the Nutrition programme at UCSI demonstrated the correct portions and items in the MyPlate. Through this education session, the children gained knowledge about the correct portion and differentiated between carbohydrates, protein, dairy, fruits, and vegetables as well as the correct portions to be eaten.
Cooking competition
After learning about MyPlate, the children were required to create their own dish according to what they had learnt in the previous session. They had to plan their own menu and shop for their own ingredients at the supermarket. It was a fun experience for them as they got to choose their own ingredients and get involved in the cooking process.
After buying their ingredients for the cooking competition, the children headed back to the university for lunch. The meal provided was sponsored by Heaven Eat, which specialises in nutritious meals for health-conscious consumers.
After filling their hungry tummies, the children were required to undergo a food hunt challenge in order to obtain extra time for cooking. The food hunt consisted of five stations which educated the children on each food group in MyPlate.
And finally the kids started cooking at UCSI’s food science lab! All of them were equipped with a chef’s hat, apron, and gloves. A set of knives for kids were provided in order to give them a safe cutting experience.
The products
The cooking process was guided by students from UCSI’s Nutrition with Wellness programme. The children were taught to prepared healthy meals and decorate them in a creative manner.
Overview
In this camp, everyone was a winner as they gained something throughout the journey. The committee did a good job in guiding the kids and educating them in general terms so that they could understand better. It was a good experience for both the kids and the committee as we saw from the smiling faces at the end of this camp.
