A financially fit lunch

Aim of activityTo explain the cost and calorie savings of taking your own lunch to work

Live Long & Prosper themeHealthy living

Skills for Life coveredNumeracy

Learning outcomesBy the end of the session, participants will be able to:Calculate the difference in terms of money and health of bringing a packed lunch instead of buying itThink about healthier alternatives for packed lunches

Resources requiredShop Lunch handoutHomemade Lunchbox handoutNutrition fact sheetLunch ideas handout

Introduction: Health warning…and health benefits (10 minutes)Go though the learning outcomes of the session with the group.

Let people know that if they plan to make big changes to their diet they must consult a doctor first.

Give information on the benefits of eating healthily. Use the Nutrition Fact sheet as a starting point. Ask if anyone else has any information they can add.

Main Content: Healthy Eating (10 minutes)Using the ‘Shop Lunch’ and ‘Homemade Lunchbox’ handouts work out the cost of each lunch. Then work out the potential savings of bringing lunch from home over the course of a month (remember this would only be for the working week – usually 5 days).

Discuss the differences in ingredients, fat and calorie contents of each lunch. If you would like to extend the workshop you could use the ‘Lunch Ideas’ handout as a starting point for a discussion on what people could pack for their lunch.

A financially fit lunch

Conclusion/Review (5 minutes)Close the session by encouraging colleagues to bring lunch from home for a week. You may wish to ask people to think about what they could do with the savings. You could offer an prize for the most financially fit lunch.

Where to go for further informationFor general information on healthy eating:www.food.gov.ukwww.eatwell.gov.uk

For lunch box and healthy eating ideas:www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A846678www.tesco.com/lunchboxwww.somerfield.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/recipesearch/index.asp

The Adult Core Curriculum has information on numeracy and literacy:http://excellence.qia.org.uk/sflcurriculum www.dcsf.gov.uk/curriculum_numeracycurriculum_numeracywww.dcsf.gov.uk/curriculum_literacy

The BBC Skillswise website can help with calculations:www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers

For advice on addressing literacy and numeracy issues in the workplace:www.traintogain.gov.uk - find out about Government support for training, or to arrange a visit from a skills broker

For more information on Skill for Life for individuals:http://geton.direct.gov.ukwww.move-on.org.uk

A financially fit lunch Nutrition Fact sheet

Healthy eating is about getting a balance of all the main food groups:

Starchy foods – Starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet. As well as starch, they contain fibre, which helps the digestive system work, helping prevent problems like constipation. They also contain nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins. Try to choose wholegrain varieties when you can.

Fruit and vegetables – Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Evidence suggests that people who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are less likely to develop chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and some cancers. It is recommended that we eat (a variety of) five portions every day. This may help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other health problems.

Meat, fish and alternative sources of protein - The body needs protein to grow and for body tissues to repair themselves. Proteins also provide B vitamins, which help release the energy from food so it is available for the body to use. Everyone should be trying to eat at least two portions of fish a week, (one of which should be oily). Eating oily fish may help protect against heart disease.

Milk and dairy – These products provide protein, and are a source of vitamins A, B12, and D, as well as an important source of calcium . Calcium is needed for healthy bones and teeth.

A financially fit lunchNutrition Fact sheetcontinued

Healthy eating also means that you should watch how much fat, sugar and salt you eat.

Fats – We need to eat some fat for good health as it help us absorb some vitamins, gives us energy and is a source of essential fatty acids. There are three main types of fat – saturated fats, trans fats and unsaturated fats. As well as trying to eat less fat overall, it is advised that we cut down on saturated fats and trans fats, which can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood. These should be replaced with unsaturated fats, which can be healthier as some reduce cholesterol in the body. They can also provide us with essential fatty acids including Omega 3, which are found in oily fish. As a guide when you are looking at labels:

For total fat: High is more than 20g fat per 100gLow is less than 3g fat per 100g

For saturated fat: High fat content is more than 5g saturates per 100gLow fat content is 1.5g saturates or less per 100g.

Sugar – Sugar occurs naturally in foods such as fruits and milk and these types of sugars are fine to eat. It is added sugars that we should cut down on. Sugar is added to many types of food including drinks and sweets. Sugars may sometimes be labelled as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and invert sugar, corn syrup and honey. As a guide when you are looking at labels, find the ‘Carbohydrates (of which sugars) label:

High sugar content is more than 15g sugars per 100gLow sugar content is 5g sugars or less per 100g.

If the label only gives a total figure for ‘Carbohydrates’ and not for ‘Carbohydrates (of which sugars)’ you may need to look at the ingredient list to see if there are added sugars.

Salt – Salt helps to maintain fluid in your blood cells and transmit electrical impulses between your brain, nerves and muscles, but as a population we are eating too much of it. Too much salt can raise blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. As a guide when you are looking at labels:

High salt content is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium per 100g)

Low salt content is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium per 100g).

N.B. The amount you eat of a particular food affects how much fat you will get from it.

Melon, avocado and chicken salad£1.15 per portionCalories per portion*: 300KcalsFat content per portion*: 21gCost per portion*: £1.15

Homemade vegetable crispsCalories per portion*: 70KcalsFat content per portion*: 5gCost per portion*: 30p

Water from the tapFree (water rates!)0 Kcal per pack0 grams sugar per 100 ml0 grams saturated fat per 100 ml0 grams salt per 100 ml

BananaCalories per portion*: 90KcalsFat content per portion*: 0.3gCost per portion*: 20p (if bought in a bunch)

Plain yoghurt with strawberriesCalories per portion*: 123KcalsFat content per portion*: 1.2gCost per portion*: 50p

*Cost, calorie and fat information is given as a guide only.

A financially fit lunch HomemadeLunchbox

starchy foods

pitta breadbagelrice

cous couschappatinoodleswraps

meat, fish & alternatives

tunachickenlentils

sardinesquinoa

tofu

milk & dairy

cheesefromage frais

paneeryoghurt

fruit & vegetablesguacamole

bananacarrot sticks

lettuceraisins

blueberry smoothie

cauliflower curry

LunchIdeasA financially fit lunch

*Cost, calorie and fat information is given as as a guide only.

A financially fit lunch ShopLunch

Shop bought chicken and bacon sandwichCalories per portion*: 547KcalsFat content per portion*: 26gCost per portion*: £3.10

Cheese and onion crispsCalories per portion*: 131KcalsFat content per portion*: 8gCost per portion*: 35p

BananaCalories per portion*: 90KcalsFat content per portion*: 0.3gCost per portion*: 50p each banana

Can of fizzy drinkCalories per portion*: 139KcalsFat content per portion*: 0gCost per portion*: 50p

Strawberry yoghurtCalories per portion*: 125KcalsFat content per portion*: 0.2gCost per portion*: 70p

*Cost, calorie and fat information is given as a guide only.