Change4Life hits the road to help Bristol families take control of their children’s snacking
Families in Bristol will get tips for healthier snacking when Public Health England’s (PHE) Change4Life roadshow comes to Tesco, Brislington, Bristol, this Thursday 11 January.
The Change4Life roadshow, visiting 30 supermarkets and 14 shopping centres nationwide, will encourage parents to “Look for 100 calorie snacks, 2 a day max”.
Recent data shows 24.3 percent of 4- to 5-year-olds are overweight or obese in Bristol increasing to 33.1 percent in 10- to 11-year-olds.[ii]
At the event, families will see live demonstrations of the new Change4Life ‘Food Scanner’ app. The ‘Food Scanner’ app works by scanning the barcode of products and helps bring food labels to life by highlighting the number of calories, as well as how much sugar, saturated fat and salt is in everyday food and drinks.
Families will also be shown how to swap to healthier snack options using front of pack ‘traffic light’ labels.
On the day, parents can sign up to Change4Life for additional support and money-off vouchers to help them try healthier snack options, including malt loaf, lower sugar fromage frais, and drinks with no added sugar.
With selected supermarkets signposting parents to healthier snacks and special offers, including fruit and vegetables, Change4Life is making it easy and simple for the whole family to “Look for 100 calorie snacks, 2 a day max.”
Cllr Asher Craig, Cabinet Member for Public Health at Bristol City Council, said:
“Bristol has officially been a Sugar Smart city for a year now and we’ve been working hard to get the message out there about how much sugar is in our food and drinks. However, the fact that nearly a quarter of our younger children are classed as obese or overweight is still shocking. This roadshow today will form a part of our work to keep spreading this message and I am happy that we’ve been able to help out today.
“We want everyone to be more aware of what is in their food so that they can be better informed about what they are eating and how they can make changes. Many food companies disguise the amount of sugar in their foods so apps like the Food Scanner can help to provide accurate information. I hope that today’s event will help encourage more people to think about the way they eat so that they can start to lead healthier and happier lives.”
