In Childcare Club (CCC) we love cooking! We love cooking anything from stir fries to cakes, and fruit in jelly with icecream. It is an opportunity to teach the children about the ingredients we use and why they are nutritious. We can then discuss why some are better for us than others - there are no bad foods as that encourages 'bad' eating habits and the development of restrictive, unhealthy diets.

Talking about food is a good way of developing the children's knowledge and understanding of the issues around food and eating, and also about how to feed themselves and their families healthily and inexpensively - particularly important as many of the children in our catchment area come from homes where money is tight at the best of times.

We currently have a project on the go called 'How many things can you cook in a microwave?'. Our cooking facilities are limited - but so are those of some of our children. We have a microwave, a toaster, a fridge and a freezer. However, it is amazing what we have cooked in the microwave! Crisps are brilliantly crispy when cooked in small batches in the microwave, and healthier than those that are deep fried, as very little oil is required. We made chicken chow mein and a vegetable stir fry for Chinese New Year. We have made bread, biscuits and cakes, plus a healthy fry-up and pancakes. The children not only get to eat the food we cook, but they take home the knowledge gained about how to cook it and why it is good for them.