1. A financially fit lunch Aim of activity To explain the cost and calorie savings of taking your own lunch to work Live Long & Prosper theme Healthy living Skills for Life covered Numeracy Learning outcomes By 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 it Think about healthier alternatives for packed lunches Resources required Shop Lunch handout Homemade Lunchbox handout Nutrition fact sheet Lunch 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.

2. 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 information For general information on healthy eating: www.food.gov.uk www.eatwell.gov.uk For lunch box and healthy eating ideas: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A846678 www.tesco.com/lunchbox www.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_numeracy www.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.uk www.move-on.org.uk

3. 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.

4. A financially fit lunch Nutrition Fact sheet continued 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 100g Low is less than 3g fat per 100g For saturated fat:High fat content is more than 5g saturates per 100g Low 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 100g Low 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.

5. Melon, avocado and chicken salad £1.15 per portion Calories per portion*: 300Kcals Fat content per portion*: 21g Cost per portion*: £1.15 Homemade vegetable crisps Calories per portion*: 70Kcals Fat content per portion*: 5g Cost per portion*: 30p Water from the tap Free (water rates!) 0 Kcal per pack 0 grams sugar per 100 ml 0 grams saturated fat per 100 ml 0 grams salt per 100 ml Banana Calories per portion*: 90Kcals Fat content per portion*: 0.3g Cost per portion*: 20p (if bought in a bunch) Plain yoghurt with strawberries Calories per portion*: 123Kcals Fat content per portion*: 1.2g Cost per portion*: 50p *Cost, calorie and fat information is given as a guide only. A financially fit lunch Homemade Lunchbox

6. starchy foods pitta bread bagel rice cous chappati noodles wraps meat, fish & alternatives tuna chicken lentils sardines quinoa tofu milk & dairy cheese fromage frais paneer yoghurt fruit & vegetables guacamole banana carrot sticks lettuce raisins blueberry smoothie cauliflower curry Lunch Ideas A financially fit lunch

7. *Cost, calorie and fat information is given as as a guide only. A financially fit lunch Shop Lunch Shop bought chicken and bacon sandwich Calories per portion*: 547Kcals Fat content per portion*: 26g Cost per portion*: £3.10 Cheese and onion crisps Calories per portion*: 131Kcals Fat content per portion*: 8g Cost per portion*: 35p Banana Calories per portion*: 90Kcals Fat content per portion*: 0.3g Cost per portion*: 50p each banana Can of fizzy drink Calories per portion*: 139Kcals Fat content per portion*: 0g Cost per portion*: 50p Strawberry yoghurt Calories per portion*: 125Kcals Fat content per portion*: 0.2g Cost per portion*: 70p *Cost, calorie and fat information is given as a guide only.