The Great Grub Club

A website aimed at getting the healthy lifestyle message across to primary school children is celebrating its first birthday.

The Great Grub Club website, run by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), was launched a year ago to encourage healthier eating and a more active lifestyle in four to seven-year-olds.

Using fun characters such as Professor Foodsmart and Snack the Dog, as well as competitions, puzzles and stories, the site is full of fun ideas to help children lead a healthier life.

In just a year the website has already helped thousands of families work towards a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Geoff Simmons, a graphic designer from London, said it has proved a big hit with his children Annabel, aged seven, and four-year-old Jay.

He said: "The site has some great ideas. We have been growing our own cucumbers, carrots and berries in the garden.

"We have also been making juices and smoothies and making more effort to go out cycling together, too. It has been a really great for helping Annabel and Jay understand that being healthy can be fun., it has really turned out lifestyle around.”

Daughter Annabel added: "I enjoy it. We have been making our own fruit lollies,"

The Great Grub Club was the first website to aim the healthy lifestyle message at such a young age group in response to warnings from health professionals about the worsening situation from childhood obesity.

Statistics show that children only eat two of their recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, while 92 per cent of children eat too much saturated fat.

The website teaches children how to cook and even grow different varieties of fruits and vegetables in a bid to raise their daily portions. 

Lisa Cooney, Head of Education for WCRF, said getting the healthy message across early was vital in the fight against disease and obesity.

She said: "The feedback we have been getting from parents is that their children find the website a lot of fun and also a good source of ideas for healthy activities.

“It is important to get children into healthy habits as early as possible and our website can play a role in this."

WCRF launched the Department of Health funded website because a third of cancers can be prevented by diet and physical activity. But because of the target age group, the site does not mention cancer.

Children can visit the Great Grub Club website at www.greatgrubclub.com