Children go wide-eyed when they discover that they have a gang of little helpers called Belly Bugs living inside them for real, keeping them healthy and happy. They instantly want to feed them the fruit and vegetables they need to do their jobs and go on fun adventures. This relationship is empowering for a child. They see it as their responsibility to look after their new-found ‘chums in their tums’ like they would a pet and are keen to nurture and protect Rumbledom (their gut), where their Belly Bugs live.
Belly Bugs use the fruit and vegetables we eat as raw materials to make the awesome buildings, vehicles, tools and weapons they need to look after Rumbledom. Inspired by the chart, children decide which Belly Bugs they want to help that day by feeding them their favourite foods. Join in with your child and have fun imagining which adventures the Belly Bugs will have with which fruit and vegetables. Fancy a Bellycopter to patrol Rumbledom in? That’ll be pineapple and banana for dessert then. You can attach gold stars to each fruit or vegetable eaten and see how many your child can eat in a week.
If you can, cook the ‘story meals’ with your child. Children are much more likely to eat a meal if they’ve been involved at every step from creation to cooking. We want children to enjoy the food that they feed their Belly Bugs. That’s why we have provided a range of tasty recipes, should you need them.