The bridge technique is used to cut ingredients into smaller, more manageable pieces. Form a bridge over the ingredient with your hand, making the sure the arch is nice and high so there’s plenty of room for the knife to fit underneath. Hold the item securely with your fingers on one side and your thumb on the other. Now pick up the knife with the other hand – get the children to check the blade is facing downwards – and guide the knife under the middle of the bridge.

Cut into the middle of the ingredient by pressing down and sliding the knife back towards you out of the bridge. Then take one half at a time and place them flat-side down. Repeat the bridge over each half one at a time and cut into quarters. Keep going until you’ve got the number of pieces you need. Never rush – it’s important to take your time – stop between each slice to check your fingers are out of the way.

The claw technique is used to slice ingredients into strips. Place the item onto the board, flat-side down. Make a claw by partly curling your fingers closely together, making sure you tuck your fingertips and thumb out of the way.

Pick up the knife with your other hand, check the blade is facing down and place your claw on top of the ingredient, with your fingers facing the knife. Keep the tip of the knife on the board and slowly slice through the item, sliding the knife back towards you. To make your next slice, move your fingers back along the item, keeping your fingers together and keeping a grip on the top. Remember, stop between slices to look at where your knife is and make sure your fingers are tucked out of the way – it’s not a race.

When children are learning, don’t encourage them to chop all the way to the end of the item – it’s better to have safe fingers than get that extra bit of carrot or celery.

ALL ABOUT KNIVES: SAFETY TIPS

• Always start by securing the chopping board with a silicone mat or damp cloth to stop it from slipping while you work.

• Never wave a knife in the air.

• Keep the knife handle clean – if you get grease or oil on it, stop immediately, wash it off and dry the handle to ensure a good grip at all times.

• If the ingredient being chopped is round or uneven, slice a small bit off to create a flat, stable surface to lay on the board while cutting.

• Always chop flat-side down.

• Never chop quickly – work slowly and steadily, and get to know the knife – practice makes perfect.

• Once finished with a knife, either clean it and put it away immediately, or put it somewhere where others can see it. The worst place to leave a knife is in a sink of soapy water or hidden among other things – if anyone puts their hand into the sink to wash something up, they stand a good chance of cutting themselves. Children should not wash up knives.

• Keep the knives sharp – a blunt knife can do more damage than a sharp one.

• Always hold a knife using your dominant (writing) hand.

Techniques for children

These safe knife skills can be used with lots of different ingredients and encourage best practice. The teacher should always demonstrate before letting the children have a go, explaining clearly and showing them the techniques every time a recipe is demonstrated. Ask the children to show you their technique before allowing them to continue. The two most common techniques are the bridge and claw.

ALL ABOUT KNIVES: SAFETY TIPS

BreakfastEat a good breakfast

Badbreakfast

Good

breakfast

Breakfasts that slowly release energy help you stay fuller for longer

Start your day with at least one of your 5 a day

A healthy breakfast restores your energy levels and helps you concentrate better

or

or

Eating breakfast means that you don’t get hungry and consume empty calories mid-morning

Make your own breakfast to avoid things that are high in sugar, fat or salt

INGREDIENTS FOR A CLASS OF 30 PUPILS

for the cereal: • 300g dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins, dried apricots• 150g mixed unsalted nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts• 150g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy• 1.2kg porridge oats• optional: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon• optional: milk or natural yoghurt, to serve

optional: for the bircher muesli: • 9 eating apples • 3 litres milk

EQUIPMENT FOR A CLASS OF 30 PUPILS

for the sugar demonstration:• weighing scales • tablespoons• small bowls for portioning out cereal• clear plastic cups for measuring out the sugar• a variety of classic children’s breakfast cereals (look for a range in sugar quantity,

and try to include ones that will surprise children) • 1 bag of sugar

for the recipe: • optional: weighing scales • 15 chopping boards (1 between 2 children)• 15 knives (1 between 2 children)• 5 large mixing bowls• optional: measuring spoons • 5 wooden spoons• 30 airtight containers • 15 box graters (1 between 2 children)

Ingredient & equipment list diy oaty fruity cereal

A NOTE ON NUTSIf your school is a nut-free school, don’t worry, the nuts can be left out of this recipe! Skip the nuts (and the sesame seeds if you’re worried about allergies), and just be sure to have a good variety of seeds and mixed fruit to keep the cereal interesting.

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

• To understand why breakfast is important• To explore how much sugar can be found in popular

breakfast cereal• To make DIY oaty fruity cereal or Bircher muesli

KEY SKILLS:

• Measuring• Chopping• Mixing• Grating

TO PLAN THE LESSON:

• Read through the lesson plan in full• Order the ingredients

(see the Ingredients & equipment list)• Gather the equipment

(see the Ingredients & equipment list)• Print 1 copy of the DIY oaty fruity cereal recipe per pupil• Bring in popular examples of sugary cereal

BEFORE THE LESSON:

• Set up the classroom. We find it works well to set up a display table. Children will share equipment in pairs, but we find it works well to have three pairs per table.

• Set up each table with the equipment needed. For each table (on the basis that you have 6 children per table), you will need: - 3 chopping boards (1 between 2 children) - 3 knives (1 between 2 children) - 1 large mixing bowl - optional: measuring spoons - 1 wooden spoon - 6 airtight containers - 3 box graters (1 between 2 children)

LESSON PLAN: DIY OATY FRUITY CEREAL

• Portion out the following ingredients per table, then divide equally among each child’s station: - 50g dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins, dried apricots - 35g mixed unsalted nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts - 35g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy - 200g porridge oats - optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 1½ eating apples - 1 litre semi-skimmed milk (if making bircher muesli)

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE LESSON:

Each child must:• Tie hair back• Take jewellery off• Put aprons on• Wash their hands

RUNNING ORDER:

1. Welcome the class and introduce the lesson2. Ask children to raise their hand if they had breakfast this morning. Ask them to raise their hand if they

have breakfast every day3. Ask children why it is important to eat breakfast. A: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

While you’ve been asleep, your body hasn’t taken in any food, so it needs a good, balanced meal to kick-start the day. A balanced breakfast is one that covers as many food groups as possible

4. Ask children how they feel when they eat a good breakfast. A: A good breakfast gives us energy and helps us to concentrate better so that we are ready for the day ahead

5. Ask children what makes a good breakfast. Come up with some ideas. Possible answers could include: egg on wholewheat toast, peanut butter on wholewheat toast, unsweetened cereal with natural yoghurt and a sliced banana

6. Investigate how much sugar is in breakfast cereal: - Invite volunteers to represent each of the breakfast cereals on display - Ask volunteers to line up the cereals based on how much sugar they think is in each one, from the least sugar to the most sugar. Ask the children to validate the volunteer’s choices - Test the hypothesis by asking children to measure out, in a plastic cup, how much sugar is in 100g of each cereal. Get volunteers to line up the cereals in the correct order

7. Explain that: today we are going to make our own do-it-yourself breakfast cereal, flavoured with natural sugars from fruit only. We’re then going to turn that cereal into bircher muesli by adding milk and letting it soak overnight so that you can eat it tomorrow morning for breakfast.

8. Explain that we are going to be using knives and run through any knife safety applicable to your

class. If you are not comfortable using knives, nuts can be bashed in a pestle and mortar, and dried fruit can be cut using a clean pair of food-safe scissors

9. If working with younger children, you may want to demonstrate the recipe in its entirety while the children are gathered. If not, divide children among tables

10. Working in pairs and sharing one knife and one chopping board, roughly chop any larger dried fruit and nuts, then place into a large bowl

11. Add the seeds, oats and cinnamon (if using) and mix it all together. If you’re only making the DIY oaty fruity cereal, portion it into airtight containers for children to take home

12. If making the bircher muesli, place a box grater on the chopping board, then work in pairs to coarsely grate half of an eating apple

13. Add the apple to the oaty cereal14. Slowly pour over enough milk to cover, then take turns to mix well.15. Spoon the bircher muesli into airtight containers in even portions. Be sure to include adequate milk

in each container for soaking16. Pop the containers in the fridge until the end of the day, instructing children to refrigerate over night.

If you are short on fridge space, we recommend covering the large bowl with cling film and portioning up at the end of the school day

TERMS AND TECHNIQUES:

• Chopping: See the All about knives: safety tips handout for more information• Bircher muesli: Bircher muesli is a Swiss-German breakfast dish, typically consisting of raw oats,

fresh or dried fruit, seeds and nuts. It’s soaked overnight in milk, yoghurt or sometimes fruit juice. It was developed around 1900 by a Swiss doctor as a healthy breakfast for patients during their treatment. It became popular in the 1960s as public awareness for healthy food grew

Plenary/follow-up:

• PSHE: Continue to explore healthy breakfasts using the Breakfast poster• D&T: Use Jamie’s DIY oaty fruity cereal as a canvas for creating your own versions. Children can

develop their own recipe, giving it a name and designing a cereal box complete with a tagline to go with it.