Egging them on to stay healthy this Easter

EASTER can be a tempting time to overindulge in chocolate — but a set of top tips have been released to help Oldham families have a happy and healthy Easter.

MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it!) has launched healthy alternatives and ideas on how to make the most of the holiday by being creative, getting active and enjoying family time.

Emma Hooson, senior health development worker at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “There is temptation everywhere we look in the lead up to Easter and for many families it can be a hard time to eat healthily.

Celebrate
Easter eggs have grown in size over the years and one egg can easily amount to double the amount of fat and sugar children are allowed in a day.

“While children should be allowed to enjoy an Easter egg during the festive weekend, MEND’s top tips are about helping families to celebrate and enjoy Easter without eating too much chocolate or focusing too much on food.”

Provided by Pennine Care, MEND supports children between the ages of five and 13 who are above a healthy weight, to become healthier and more active through a 10-week after-school course.

During the course, families take part in interactive workshops where they learn about healthy eating and address topics such as portion control. Children take part in a wide range of physical activities while their parents talk about ways to create a healthy home environment and swap healthy tips with each other.

The next series of local MEND courses in April are:

7-13yrs — every Saturday 10am-noon at Mahdlo Youth Zone and swim fun every Tuesday 6-8pm at Oldham Sports Centre.

7-13yrs — every Tuesday 5-7pm at Lyndhurst School, Hollinwood, and swim fun every Thursday 6-8pm at Oldham Sports Centre.

5-7yrs — every Thursday at Trinity Methodist Church, 4-5.30pm.

Places on the MEND programme are free. Families interested in participating should contact the Oldham MEND team on 0161-621 7128.