Meals on wheels
You’ll need
- Wooden skewers
- Knives
- Chopping boards
- Bowls
- Tables
- Tooth picks
- A selection of foods that are different colours, shapes and sizes
What makes up a healthy lifestyle?
Learn about living healthily by heading over to our healthy lifestyles page.
Healthy top tipsBefore you begin
- Check whether anyone has any allergies or dietary requirements – are there any foods you need to avoid?
- Choose a selection of fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates, proteins, and dairy foods (or dairy-free alternatives) that don’t need to be cooked before they’re eaten. It’s great if you can choose some things that most people in the group may not have had a chance to try before.
- Choose a few ‘fun foods’ (foods that are higher in salt, sugar, or fat, for example, chocolate or jelly sweets).
- Wash all of the fruits and vegetables, and make sure that the toothpicks, skewers, knives, and chopping boards are clean.
- If there are any vegetables that the group can’t easily chop up themselves, prepare them in advance. Try chopping things like carrots into a variety of shapes.
- Make sure there are enough adults present to supervise anyone using a knife.
Engines ready
- The person leading the activity should bring the bowls of fruits and vegetables to the table.
- Everyone should wash their hands and come back to the table.
- The person leading the activity should show everyone how to safely use knives. Once they’ve shown everyone how to cut the fruits and vegetables, everyone should take it in turns to give it a go.
- The person leading the activity should explain that everyone will use all of the fruits to make their own vehicles. Each vehicle’s main body should be made out of a carbohydrate food (like bread), and each should have five different fruits or vegetables (to represent five portions). They should also have some dairy foods and some proteins, and a bit of fun food too.
- Everyone should split into small groups.
- Each group should look at all of the food and decide how they’ll use it to build a vehicle. They should come up with a rough plan so it’s easier to get stuck in (and so they can avoid waste).
Time to build
- Each small group should choose the foods they need. The person leading the activity should give them a chopping board, skewers, and toothpicks. An adult should give each group a safety knife.
- Each group should start making their vehicle. They should chop things up (or ask an adult, if something needs a bigger knife) and start to build. They should try to make their vehicle stand up on its own – that’s where the skewers and toothpicks come in!
- Once their vehicles are finished, everyone should compare them. Did anyone use food in a really inventive way?
- Everyone should tuck in to their vehicles and the food left in the bowls.
Reflection
This activity gave everyone the chance to get stuck in and experience foods of different shapes, sizes and colours. Why do people think that it’s healthy to eat a variety of different foods? People could think about the different jobs they do like giving energy and helping build muscles. Did anyone try anything new that they’d like to eat more of in the future? What was everyone’s favourite texture?
Each vehicle should have had a nice balance of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Was it hungry work building vehicles together? How did each group work together to decide what foods to use and how to include all of the different food groups?
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.
- 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.
- Sharp objects
Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
- 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.
Share the example blueprint in the activity with anyone who is struggling to build their vehicle. Budding mechanics and food fanatics might have finished ahead of time – see if they can adjust their vehicles so that they can move!
Make this activity more interesting by restricting the food available to what is in season at the time. This is a more environmentally responsible way of choosing what to eat.
Make sure there are plenty of options for everyone, including people with allergies or other dietary requirements. Depending on your group, you may need to make sure everything on offer is totally free from an allergen, or just have alternatives (such as dairy free chocolate buttons or gluten free carbohydrates) available.
It may be helpful to remind everyone that they don’t have to eat everything they use to make their vehicles. If someone really doesn’t like celery, for example, it’s still OK to use it to build – no one will make them eat any. This may reassure anyone who isn’t sure about tasting new foods – getting to know textures and smells is a great way to experience foods if anyone isn’t ready to try them.
If anyone struggles to chop the fruits and vegetables carefully, their group (or an adult) could help them with the fiddly bits. They should still be able to have a go, if they want to, so they can practise.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
The groups could try building other things from balanced food groups. Try and make buildings or shapes with foodstuffs that are dried or ready to eat, so nothing goes to waste afterwards.
Vehicle shape and choice of foodstuffs should be left to the groups.