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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

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Expedition nutrition

Keep your mind and body fuelled up for a four-day expedition, as we look at how to prepare nutritious meals in advance.
Plan a session with this activity

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You’ll need

  • A4 paper
  • Pens or pencils
  • Access to the internet
  • Flipchart or whiteboard

Before you begin

  • Each group will need internet access, so they can check the price of their menu. People could use their own smartphones, if they have them.
  • Alternatively, if you don’t have internet access, you may need to get creative! Could you print out some research before you begin, or could people take their plans home to check the cost? You could even pop into a local supermarket with your plans.

Get planning

  1. Talk to the group about their next expedition. If they haven’t got a real expedition planned, they should make one up. Everyone should talk about what cooking equipment will be available, what storage there’ll be and what the budget is for meals and snacks.

If you have a flipchart or whiteboard and a marker pen handy, you could write up the agreed equipment, storage and budget restrictions.

  1. Everyone should split into small groups. Each group should get a sheet of paper and some pens or pencils.

To create a meal planner, create a table with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks written down the left-hand side. Then write out each day along the top.

  1. Everyone should plan out meals for themselves for a four-day expedition. Each day must include a breakfast, lunch, dinner, some snacks and all of their drinks.

Everyone should make sure their menu has enough food to keep them going all day. They should think about which foods will help – starchy carbohydrates are important for energy, for example. Their menus should also consider allergies and dietary requirements.

  1. The groups should think about what foods they can cook, store and rely upon. They should work out what equipment they’ll need to cook and eat different foods, where the food can be stored when it’s not being used, and how they’ll keep everything clean and fresh.
  2. Once they have a draft menu, everyone should check that it’s reasonably balanced. Does it have fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, protein, dairy or alternatives, and oils and spreads? It’s good to have some fun foods in the mix too! 
  3. Everyone should head online and check how much their menu would cost. Is it in budget? If it’s not in budget, people should think about any swaps they could make to bring the cost down.

For example, have they considered checking out supermarket own versions rather than brands, looking for tinned or frozen options, seeing if pre-prepared options are more expensive, making cheaper swaps (for example, making the most of plant based protein), and sharing things that come in bulk?

  1. Once everyone’s finished, they should gather together. Each group should take it in turns to share their menu with everyone else and explain their choices. 
  2. Everyone should vote for the best option for each meal, to come up with a four-day menu that works for everyone.

Reflection

This activity gave everyone the chance to plan meals for themselves. It was a chance to think about living healthily, but they needed to communicate well too.

Was this the first time that people had planned out what they were going to eat on a trip? How did they work as a team decide as a team what foods to choose? What did people say to the rest of their group to convince them that their choices were the best?

Taking responsibility for meals on a trip is a real challenge. Everyone had to balance a number of factors including equipment, storage, and dietary needs. They also had to make sure the entire menu was reasonably balanced. How did people work around problems to come up with a menu that worked for everybody? What other aspects of an expedition would people feel comfortable taking control of? What would they need to do to be ready for the responsibility?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Online safety

Supervise young people when they’re online and give them advice about staying safe. Take a look at our online safety or bullying guidance. The NSPCC offers more advice and guidance, too. If you want to know more about specific social networks and games, Childnet has information and safety tips for apps. You can also report anything that’s worried you online to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. As always, if you’ve got concerns about a young person’s welfare, including their online experiences, follow the Yellow Card to make a report.

Food

Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.

Cooking

Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.

Fires and stoves

Make sure anyone using fires and stoves is doing so safely. Check that the equipment and area are suitable and have plenty of ventilation. Follow the gas safety guidance. Have a safe way to extinguish the fire in an emergency.

If you have a flipchart or whiteboard, the person leading the activity could write up some meal ideas to inspire the groups as they are thinking up their menus.

Anyone who finishes quickly and meets all the conditions could try their hand at planning a week-long trip. They should remember that some foods will go off in this time and must be eaten before they spoil.

Anyone who doesn't have access to the internet should team up with someone who does.

There are lots of reasons people might find talking about food tricky, including eating disorders, disordered eating, sensory sensitivities, and a lack of access to food or cooking facilities.

Be sensitive in how you approach this activity – some people may appreciate knowing you’ll cover the topic in advance, you might need to take extra care to avoid talking too negatively about food (including food higher in sugar or fat), or you may want to keep it general and avoid asking people about their personal experiences, for example.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Explorers Chef Activity Badge

Simple – set out on your expedition as planned and prepare your menu. Serve and eat everything just as you planned to see if there are any problems with the menu. Work out what you would change ahead of your next trip

Allow the group to choose the foods they like, provided they meet the expedition criteria.