'Can you pass the salt please?'

When having a meal it is not uncommon for someone to ask for extra salt. This widely used condiment enhances the flavour of food and can be found in almost every household. Salt is an economical way of adding an extra zing to our food but it is also an essential component that the human body needs to function.

Salt, which is made up of sodium and chloride, cannot be produced by the human body. The human body needs these minerals for various physiological processes such as maintaining a good fluid balance and enabling electrical impulses through body. Because salt plays such an important role in our body we need to find ways of consuming these minerals, which is why we add it to our food.

Even though salt is good in the way that it may enhance the flavour of our food and it also helps our body function, we need to be careful about the amount of salt we consume as having too much of it can cause damage to our body.

The thing about salt is that it likes water, so every time we consume salt our body is retaining water. This retention causes additional pressure in our blood vessels. When there is too much pressure then our blood vessels start to get damaged.

This damage causes inflammation in the blood vessels which then affects the blood flow and leads to hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure. What we also have to remember is that we cannot feel if we start to develop hypertension. That is why we have to be careful about how much salt we take in.

The Department of Health recommends that the daily salt intake for an adult be less than 6g. This is equivalent to one teaspoon. However, adults in the UK, on average, consume 8.1g of salt a day. Most importantly, we also need to be weary about the processed products we buy, as they are the ones that typically contain more salt. In fact, 75-80% of the salt we eat daily is already ‘hidden’ in the foods we buy, before we add any at the table!

So how can we reduce the salt content of what we eat? Well, look at the labels on foods before you buy them to check their salt content, especially everyday items such as cereals, soups, sauces, tinned products and stock cubes. Try cooking from scratch, so you can keep an eye on how much salt you are adding. To add flavour to food, use alternative seasonings such as herbs, spices, pepper and chilli flakes. And if you still need that salty flavour, try a reduced sodium salt, such as LoSalt, which has two thirds less sodium chloride than regular table, sea and rock salts.

By Yancy Jensen

A child’s habits reveal all: parenting styles influence a child’s attitude towards food

It is likely that many of the attitudes and perceptions you have will in some way be influenced by those of your parents. Your eating habits are an excellent example of this. Often, the foods and flavours you have enjoyed (and equally, disliked) from both your childhood to the present, will have been shaped by the diet provided to you by your parents. Equally, the attitude you develop in your child towards their own eating habits will affect their perceptions to food both in youth and in later life. 

It is therefore important to encourage your child to have an interest in healthy eating from a young age, which will hopefully provide them with a passion for food that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. In turn, this should provide them with the necessary skills to make healthy food choices which should allow them to live as healthy a life as possible. 


There are a variety of ways you can encourage children to make healthy food choices. For example, you could:


Prepare fresh meals together and delegate tasks. Children love cooking  when it makes them feel important, but hate it if they are made to do it as  a chore. Make it fun! After taking part in sessions run by The Mini Cooking Club, parents have commented on how enthusiastic and eager their children are to help in the kitchen at home.

Research healthy eating together.  Set your child a task to find a  healthy snack in a book, or online and then go buy it together. Not only does this allow children to make independent decisions, but it may also reduce their interest in junk food.


Explore your local food market or inner city farm. There are a number of farms within London, such as Vauxhall City Farm. These may encourage your child to take an interest in the whole food chain, not just the final product in the supermarket.


Finally, the most important message is to relax! Food is fun and interesting and it is important to let children discover this for themselves! 

My First Mini Cooking

As a new volunteer with The Mini Cooking Club, I made my first visit to the ‘Cooking with Kids’ session last Wednesday. The MCC runs a six week programme called “Cooking with Kids” at the Copleston centre around the corner from Denmark Hill station in South London. I went there to take a video for the website and discovered the kids were more than happy to feature, posing with their peeled carrots and cored apples. 

As soon as I arrived I was struck with how inclusive, welcoming and enjoyable the club was. I had already met Cecilia who founded the club (she is the one generally responsible for keeping all the mayhem in order). I was introduced to Desmond who was running the class, who told me he also worked full time as chef. 

All the action happened in a little community kitchen which opened into a seating area where parents can oversee the creative chaos. The kids wore little plastic aprons, diced, chopped and giggled, and generally infuse the atmosphere with liveliness and fun. I watched as Cecilia and Desmond led a band of eleven children to produce a successful spaghetti bolognese and apple crumble, catching the magic on camera. 

As well as practical skills, the session taught children about healthy living.  Cecilia and Desmond explained the difference between whole grained and refined – even I learnt a thing or two about how pasta was made. There was a lot of excitement and one of the mothers told me that it carried on into the kitchen at home. Her daughter, aged 7, was always jumping at the chance to help out.

Most importantly, the club was a safe and warm environment for the children learn to cook, gain a more educated perspective on food, and have a well-earned meal at the end. 
The kids were keen on me sending out their appreciation out on Twitter, which I duly did. 

It was a great visit to the Mini Cooking Club. I wished I was attending the class rather than helping... 

I think the ‘Cooking with Children’ programme is a fantastic charity idea and was a delight to see in action. The Mini Cooking Club is worth keeping on your radar. I took some great pictures and am underway in putting a video together for the website. Watch out for the Mini Stars.

I am looking forward to meeting the people the next programme, which is run for people with mental health concerns. Hoping there will be a ‘Cooking with Lowly Student Bloggers Next...’

By Jessica Heath

Positive Living: Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

It's well known that a diet full of fruit and leafy greens will keep us in good physical condition, but there is also a growing awareness of how diet can affect our mental health. It is possible that improving our relationship with food can help us achieve a better mood, emotional wellbeing and overall happiness.

We all eat, but food can play a very different role in one person's life to the next. Some of us are "comfort eaters"; food can become a way to make us feel better about something in our lives. Others might be too busy to prioritise, grabbing a sandwich on the way to the office or a late night takeaway when the fridge is empty. At the darker end of the spectrum, anorexia nervosa is condition where one deprives one's body of food entirely. Food plays a huge part in our culture and a bad relationship with it can be a sign that something is wrong.

So, does food play a healthy role in your life?

It’s not all about counting calories and looking slim. Here are some other reasons why we must take the time to give our body what it needs:

The Body

Mood and Energy: fluctuations in blood sugar levels are associated with changes in mood and energy, and are affected by what we eat.

Brain: brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine) influence the way we think, feel and behave. What we consume has a huge impact on the production (or lack of) such chemicals.

Mental Illness: a recent British & French study examining the connection between what we eat and our overall mental health found that people who eat more processed foods are more likely to develop depression than those eating healthier. Perhaps for some this may be common sense, but in addition the study found that those of us who are more health conscious will have, on average, higher energy levels over sustained periods.

Work by Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a UCLA professor of neurosurgery and physiological science who has spent years studying the effects of food, exercise and sleep on the brain, found that dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

FYI: Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, walnuts and kiwi fruit.

Although a good diet is not the only thing that will keep you mentally healthy, it certainly plays a large part. It isn’t just about nutrients and vitamins; there might be a link between good diet and mental health because of the reasons you choose to eat what you do, and how you do it. Your attitude towards food is just as important as the food itself.

Psychological Relationship

Eating disorders are evidence that if life is right, it will show up in one's eating habits. Eating too much or too little are problems people of all ages and backgrounds face. If life is not going well, one might reach for the ice cream or lose their appetite entirely. Even on an everyday basis a lot of us don't take the time to make sure our body gets what it needs. If you are tired, prone to illness, feel low, have problems sleeping, it is likely that this is related to your attitude towards life. A positive attitude can make all the difference. After all, we all need to eat - our approach to feeding ourselves will reflect our personality.

This means that someone who exercises every day, has five portions of fruit and vegetables minimum and never gives in to eating chocolate might not be leading a balanced lifestyle. What they are eating is healthy, but the way they choose to do it is may not be! One’s approach to healthy eating must be healthy too.

Note: remember, if you are making the effort to be good to your body, then you are releasing all sorts of positive chemicals. Your body is a part of you, and it knows when it is being loved!

Being good to yourself means you feel good about yourself, and this positive attitude may mean that you attract good luck in other areas of your life. Treat yourself some days and be good others - do not go to the extreme!

So it’s not just about what we are eating, but why we choose to eat what we do. Think again about what you put in your body, and the reasons why you choose to eat what, when, and how much you do. The key here is is not following rigid rules of health: it is mainting personal equilibrium.

Your mum might make your meals, you might have a busy work schedule, be recovering from a break up, low on cash or simply hate cooking... your wellbeing and eating habits are closely tied, and everyone wants to be happy and healthy. Make the effort and cook yourself a fresh meal, or invite a friend over for dinner and turn it into an event. Cut back on the pizza and chips and snack on some carrot sticks and hummus. There are many healthy ideas on the internet, available for free. Take a good look at your diet, cut out the rubbish and reach for those greens. It might just pay off!

Sources: mind, essence.com, psychcentral.com
Author: Jessica Heath

How Eat Your Way to Feeling Energized!

Summer is almost here and we could all do with a pick-me-up, especially after those cold winter months!  Why not try some of these healthy-eating tips?  These should help to give you the energy you need to keep active and make the most of the sunny days ahead.  Enjoy!

Get more iron in your diet

A lack of iron in the blood is a common reason for people feeling tired.  Great sources of iron include green vegetables (such as spinach and broccoli), fortified cereals and red meat.  These can all be enjoyed as part of a healthy, varied diet. 

Tip: Try and limit your caffeine intake when eating foods; caffeine reduces the body’s ability to absorb iron in food.  On the other hand, vitamin C increases uptake, so why not have a glass of orange juice with your meal? Read more...

How involving your children in cooking can save you time

Try getting your children involved. It is a great way to cut down on preparation time – often the most time-consuming part of cooking a meal. On top of that you keep the children busy too!

Are you finding it hard to cook a meal from scratch and are you often rushed? Could you do with a pair of extra hands? Do your children keep asking when dinner is ready when you are busy mashing those potatoes?

Start on the weekend, when you feel more relaxed. Start by asking them to arrange your table, then move on to greasing the roasting pans, washing vegetables and peeling potatoes with safety peelers. Don’t underestimate these small tasks; your children are your little sous chefs in the kitchen! You can assign jobs suitable to your children’s age. Also get your children involved in the meal planning and shopping. Last, do remember to praise your children for their helpfulness! Please read more...

Family Fun Day!

The Mini Cooking Club was at the Ellen Brown Children's Centre for Family Fun Day on Saturday, 24th March 2012. The sun was shining, and we did what we know best! We set up a cooking workshop for parents and children. The children were making fruit salad and mixed salad with couscous, under our volunteers' supervision and guidance. The parents were learning from Cecilia how to make homemade hummus a sardine dip, served with the pitta and brown bread. Yum.

While the parents and children were having fun and enjoying the food, we also talked to parents and children about healthy eating and how practical cooking skills can help their children in the future.

A massive thank you to the Ellen Brown Children's Centre, our volunteers and participants. It was a great day and we hope to work with the Centre again soon!