Welcome to CRuNCH, we're a game-changing charity dedicated to creating healthier, happier futures for young people.
Our mission is to empower our amazing young people with the skills and knowledge they need for better long-term physical and mental wellbeing.
We provide training and education programmes to promote, sustain and increase knowledge of nutrition, food preparation and cookery skills as well as advice about food, nutrition and wellbeing and raising awareness of the
benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
'Cook5 with CRuNCH' is our programme to inspire and enable teenagers to cook 5 healthy meals from scratch before they leave home - more about this HERE.
…because it’s CRuNCH time.
50% of 10-11 year-olds are predicted to be either overweight or obese by 2050.
In 1950 this figure was just 1%.
In 2022 to 2023, 64.0% of adults aged 18 years and over in England were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity.
38% of 10-11 year olds are either overweight or suffering from obesity.(1)
In 2023 34% of 18–24 year olds reported symptoms of ‘common mental disorders’ (eg anxiety and/or depression). Research has shown that a good diet can have a positive impact on our mood, improve our ability to concentrate, and lead to better sleep amongst many other positive outcomes.(2)
* sources: (1) The House of Commons Library. (2) Mind, (3) Diabetes UK, (4) Macmillan Cancer Support, (5) British Heart Foundation
Diagnoses of type 2 diabetes have doubled since 2009, with now 3.7 million people in the UK suffering from the disease. 2016/17 to 22/23 saw a 40% increase in the number of under 40 yr olds with type 2 diabetes. Key risk factors are obesity and high blood pressure. (3)
Obesity increases the risk of 13 different types of cancers. Macmillan Cancer Support estimates that the number of people living with cancer in the UK will rise from the current 3 million to 5.3 million by 2040(4).
Likewise, heart disease is increasing in young people with the increase in ultra-processed foods, and decreasing physical activity, contributing to the rise. (5)
Revolutionising the health of the next generation, Cook 5 with CRuNCH is a ground-breaking (and fun!) initiative born out of many years of experience delivering healthy eating and cookery programmes in schools and local communities across the UK.
Cook 5 with CRuNCH enables and inspires young people to cook 5 simple, nourishing recipes before they leave home as well as gain a basic understanding of how to eat for better physical and mental wellbeing.
Young people not only start out on a cooking journey that will last a lifetime, they learn to connect with food so they can make healthier choices, they grow in self-confidence and they develop leadership skills.
All fantastic skills to set them up for life…
This initiative is primarily designed for 11-14 year olds (KS3), but can be delivered to older and younger age groups.
Find out more about our pilot by clicking below…
Here is N'gu tasting her cooking for the first time :)
Can you help us make Bristol the first #Cook5 City?
We’ve successfully piloted #Cook5 in Merchant’s Academy, a school in Withywood, Bristol, and are ready to roll out to more schools, guides, scouts and community hubs.
Sam Williamson, Principal of Merchant’s Academy, Withywood, Bristol
“The secret weapon is to keep it real and achievable.
And fun!
Five simple recipes, five key cooking skills, five nutrition tips, embedding five physical activities into your week.
There’s real power in the number 5!”
Students choose from our selection of 50 simple, healthy recipes, which cater for different cultures and diets.
Students learn 5 key skills which will stick with them for life. These include knife skills and how to chop and slice an onion, food safety and hygiene, boiling steaming and sautéing.
Students learn 5 key aspects of a balanced diet – carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals and hydration – helps students understand how food works.
Students incorporate 5 activities into their week; from walking or cycling to school, a 15 minute morning run or a full game of football, it all adds up….
– Cook 5 for Sport – learn to cook 5 meals to fuel your sport correctly
– Cook 5 in Spanish – learn to cook 5 tapas in Spanish
– Cook 5 with French – learn to cook 5 French classics
– Cook 5 with German – learn to cook 5 German specialities
– Cook 5 with History – step back in time with 5 meals from the past
If you are interested in supporting us by becoming a Trustee, please do email us - hello@crunchtime.org.uk
John, our Chair of Trustees, has worked globally as Chief Technical Officer for some of the largest operators in the telecoms sector, including Vodafone, where he was responsible for designing and running networks in over 15 countries across Europe. More recently, he has worked as an advisor to Management Consultants Bain & Co.
With an MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health, Rayne is a huge advocate for teaching children how to cook. Her expertise is in making evidence-based nutrition accessible and easy to put into practice and her bespoke nutrition education and cookery-based programmes have been used by sports clubs (including Bath Rugby) and schools across the UK.
A Mental Health Nurse at the University of Bristol Student Mental Health Clinic, Chris is passionate about food and improving children's wellbeing.
A few pics from our pilot intitiatives...
It's not just about the money! There are lots of ways to get involved with CRuNCH, from volunteering, advocacy and helping spread the wotd..
E-mail: hello@crunchtime.org.uk
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