Year 4 have been learning all about how to design and create a healthy, nutritionally balanced meal this half term in D.T. The children were tasked with a very specific design brief – to create a healthy, nutritionally balanced meal containing cous cous that is vegetarian and can be cooked on an open fire.

Once the children had conducted market research about other vegetarian products on the market and explored which foods could accompany cous cous while making it vegetarian and including foods to therefore supplement the protein, they got to designing. The children were shown the vast new cookery equipment we have purchased, which helped them gain an understanding as to how they would prepare and chop their chosen ingredients. The children chose their final design and gave excellent reasons for why this design was best suited to the design brief. 

On Tuesday 8th April, the day arrived to get busy and cook! The children carefully selected their ingredients following their designs and chopped, grated and peeled. They used foil trays to house their ingredients, which were capable of being cooked on the hot coals outside in Forest School. After a very productive and messy hour, hot water was added to the tray to allow boiling / steaming and the lids went on trays. We took the trays with us to the fires Mr Sharrock had prepared and when the flames died and embers were red-hot, we placed the trays on the hot coals to cook for 10 minutes. 

The children were amazed by the results, as we sat on the field and feasted on our meals. The children gave rave reviews, scoring 10/10 for taste and flavour with lots of the children, many more exclaiming they were going home to cook cous cous meals tonight! The children later gave a full evaluation of their products and had a thoroughly enjoyable time while cooking!