Sugar we’re goin’ down | The Newsround

The 19th September should have been our annual MAN v FAT Festival but sadly, it wasn’t to be. Cheers COVID! Hey ho, onwards and upwards…

This week we’re celebrating the return of another MAN v FAT Football league, plus deep diving into our bad habits and looking at how scientists are trying their best to come up with a sugar substitute that isn’t crap.

FROM THE MAN V FAT FOOTBALL LEAGUES

MAN v FAT Football Boston is back up and running in association with Boston United FC’s community foundation, and it’s definitely good to be back. There are still funded places waiting to be snapped up too, so if you live in Boston, sign up here.

IN OTHER NEWS…

Does hearing the phrase ‘maths homework’ bring you out in a cold sweat? You’re not alone, as a new poll has found that 59% of British parents found maths difficult when they were younger and still struggle with financial literacy later in life. If you’re stressing about helping your kids with maths, the trick is to make it fun.

Enter Rio Ferdinand, who has teamed up with education platform Twinkl to launch The Numbers Game Champions Challenge Cards. It’s UEFA Champion League-themed maths learning resources aimed at 5-14-year-olds, all of which aligns with the school curriculum.

Ferdinand said: “The home-schooling experience during lockdown really opened my eyes to how challenging it can be to get children engaged with their schoolwork, especially maths. The beautiful game of football is made up entirely of numbers and has the transformative power to motivate children as much inside the classroom as it can outdoors”

Weekly videos will be released featuring Ferdinand along with animated caricatures of Europe’s finest footballers, who will set maths-based challenges. And the best part? It’s all free. Check it out here.

WHAT WE’RE READING/LISTENING TO

The latest episode of Mike Matthews’ Muscle For Life podcast centres around 4 evidence-based ways to stop procrastinating. As Mike points out, procrastination doesn’t only affect our work or studies, it also has very real negative effects on our mental wellbeing and performance. So why do we do it, and how can we stop doing it?! Take a listen here.

Quarantine Flipped Our Family’s Priorities, And Now Lunch Is Our Biggest Meal on The Kitchn. It’s odd how the pandemic has reshaped our everyday lives, and here one writer details how her family’s mealtimes have changed, which makes for interesting reading.

Sugar is still enemy number one and the fight to come up with something healthier to sweeten things has been going on for years. Decades, even. Ever had yoghurt with artificial sweetener that leaves a bitter aftertaste, or begrudgingly ordered a Diet Coke when real Coke wasn’t available? Mmhmm. Sugar alternatives aren’t quite there yet, but the race to redesign sugar is still on. If you fancy a long read, this article on The New Yorker is worth a read. The Race To Redesign Sugar

WHAT WE’RE EATING

There’s something very appealing about lunch in a pot (just me…?) and the time when your only option was a Pot Noodle is long gone. Head down the pot snacks aisle at a supermarket and you’ll be hit with a huge assortment to choose from, and here are two more from Naked.

The 100% plant-based veg pots come in three flavours – Korean BBQ ramen with sweetcorn and green beans, Malaysian Rendang with mushroom and green beans and Chinese green vegetable broth with (you guessed it) green beans. They range from 210-240 calories and count as one of your 5 a day, so if you’re looking for a lunch that requires only a kettle then get yourself to Tesco and Bob’s your uncle.

Joe & Seph, who are the absolute kings of popcorn (seriously, try their salted caramel popcorn) have launched new popcorn bars to help make your afternoon snack a little more exciting. They’re all under 138 calories, gluten-free and high in fibre, as well as sounding absolutely delicious.

They come in the following flavours: salted caramel & nuts, chocolate & almond, apple & hazelnut, coconut & peanut and orange, pecan & cinnamon. You can get a bundle of all flavours on their website here, otherwise keep your eyes peeled at WH Smith’s and Spar, where they’ll be launching soon.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Oh yes, we went there again. Our weight loss quotes were really popular the first time around, so we put together another 15 of our favourites to hopefully give you a little pep talk when you need it most. They all come with phone wallpapers too, so you can see your chosen quote every time you unlock your phone. So, like, 12540 times a day? Check them out here.

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