It is important to make healthy choices for yourself. Eating well and exercising are an important part of keeping yourself healthy and happy.

Cooking healthy food is fun! Try some of the recipes below to make your own healthy and delicious meals. Remember, you'll need an adult to help with making these recipes. Be especially careful when using knives and the oven.

Most importantly: have fun cooking! 

GOLDEN GRANOLA What you need: 50g (2oz) whole hazelnuts 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 3 tablespoons clear honey 150g (5oz) jumbo porridge oats 25g (1oz) sunflower seeds 1 tablespoons sesame seeds 50g (2oz) dried apricots 25g (1oz) sultanas What to do: Remember that you need an adult to help you with this recipe!  Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the hazelnuts into a clean plastic food bag and close the end. Roll a rolling pin over the bag until the nuts are crushed. Put the sunflower oil and honey into a pan. Using a wooden spoon, stir them together over a low heat until the mixture is warm and runny. Turn off the heat. Add the crushed hazelnuts, oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds to the pan. Stir everything together until the ingredients are well coated in the mixture. Carefully spread the mixture onto a baking tray. Use a spoon to spread it into an even layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until it turns golden. While the granola is baking, cut the apricots into small pieces. When the granola is ready, take it from the oven (remember to use oven gloves!) and leave to cool for 5 minutes. When the granola and oven tray are cool enough, tip into a bowl or container, breaking it into small pieces with your fingers. Stir in the apricots and sultanas. This will make about 6 delicious breakfast servings! You can use different types of fruit and nuts if you prefer. You might like to add a tablespoon of dried cocount, some banana chips, dried pineapple, chopped dates or dried apple. You could add spices such as cinnamon to the sunflower oil/honey mixture as well. When you eat your granola for breakfast, serve with milk or yoghurt. You could also add some fresh fruit! Have fun trying different varieties!   © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

GUACAMOLE, HOUMOUS AND DIPPERS Remember that you need an adult to help you with this! Guacamole What you need: 2 ripe avocados ½ lemon 1 clove of garlic 2 drops of Tabasco or hot sauce 4 ripe tomatoes 3 tablespoons low-fat Greek yoghurt What to do: Cut each avocado in half lengthways and remove the stone. Be careful! Cut the flesh into cubes, then use your thumbs to push them out of the skin into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of the ½ a lemon and add to the bowl, then crush in the garlic and add 2 drops (and only two drops!) of hot sauce. (If you don't like spicy things, leave out the hot sauce. You could also use different seasonings like black pepper or chilli flakes instead.) Use a fork to mash the avocado with the other ingredients until it is smooth. Cut the green core off the top of the tomatoes, then cut them into quarters and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Add the tomatoes and yoghurt to the bowl and stir them in. Either serve the guacamole straight away with dippers (ideas below) or squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the top to stop it going brown. Houmous What you need: 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas ½ lemon 1 large clove of garlic ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons olive oil 150ml (¼ pint) low-fat fromage frais Ground black pepper What to do: Put the chickpeas into a sieve and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Drain and tip into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of the ½ a lemon and add to the bowl, then crush in the garlic. Add the cumin, olive oil, fromage frais and a pinch of black pepper. Blend the mixture with a hand-held blender until it is smooth. Serve with dippers (ideas below). Dippers Sticks of carrot, celery and cucumber Slices of pepper Cherry tomatoes Raw baby sweetcorn, broccoli and cauliflower Toasted pitta bread, cut into strips © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

FISH FINGERS WITH TOMATO SAUCE Remember that you need an adult to help you with this! What you need: Fish Fingers:  1 small lemon 3 slices of wholemeal bread 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs 3 tablespoons plain flour Ground black flour 1 egg A little sunflower oil 450g (1lb) cod fillets, skinned Tomato sauce: 1 small red onion 1 clove of garlic 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons fresh parsley What to do:  To make the sauce: peel the onion and cut it in half, then slice it and chop it into small pieces. Peel and crush the garlic. Put the garlic, onion and tomatoes into a pan. Heat the mixture until it boils, then turn down the heat. Let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Whilst the sauce is simmering, make the fish fingers. Begin by finely grating the rind of the lemon. Put the bread in a large bowl and carefully use a hand-held blender to make it into breadcrumbs. Stir in the rind, seeds and herbs. Spread the mixture onto a large plate. Mix a pinch of black pepper into the flour and put this onto another plate. Break the egg into a shallow bowl and carefully whisk with a fork. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Using a paper towel, wipe a little oil onto a baking tray. Cut the cod horizontally into strips about 2½cm (1 inch) wide. Take one strip of fish and dip it into the flour, coating it on both sides. Then coat it in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the fish finger onto the baking tray. Coat all the strips in this way. Bake them in the oven for ten minutes. Half way through, remove the tray from an oven (make sure there is an adult there, be very careful and use an oven glove, or have an adult do this). Use a fish slice or spatula to carefully turn over each slice, then return the tray to the oven for the rest of the time, until the fish fingers are crispy and golden. Cut the fresh parsley into small pieces and add to the tomato sauce. Use a hand-held blender to finish the sauce. Serve straight away! © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

BAKED APPLES What you need:  4 baking apples 8 tablespoons of mincemeat, or you can make your own filling by mixing about 100g of dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, cherries or anything you prefer) mixed with a few tablespoons of apple or orange juice, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (or maple syrup) and a couple of pinches of cinnamon. What to do:  Remember that you need an adult to help you with this! Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Use a knife to score horizontally around the apple, piercing the skin. Use a corer to remove the cores of each apple. Place the apples on a baking tray covered in foil and put a couple of spoonfuls of mincemeat or your fruit filling into the core of each apple. Bake the apples for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven. Leave to cool for a few minutes and then serve with some low-fat crème fraîche, yoghurt or ice cream.

CARROT CUPCAKES What you need: For the cakes: 1 large carrot 2 eggs 6 tablespoons sunflower oil 100g (4oz) golden caster sugar 50g (2oz) self-raising plain flour 50g (2oz) self-raising wholemeal flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger For the icing: 150g icing sugar 1-2 tablespoons orange juice You will also need a bun tray with 12 holes and 12 paper cake cases What to do: To make the cakes: Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Get your tray ready by putting a cake case in each hole. Peel the carrot and cut off the ends. Carefully grate it onto a plate. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them with a fork. Put the sunflower oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat them together for a minute using a wooden spoon. Add the eggs to the sugar and oil a little at a time, beating the mixture well each time more egg is added. Then stir in the grated carrot. Sieve both flours, the baking powder, cinnamon and ginger over the mixture. Tip any leftover bits into the bowl. Gently fold all the ingredients together using a spoon. Spoon the mixture into the cake cases and then bake the cakes in the oven for 15 minutes. To make the icing: After you have removed the cakes from the oven, let them cool and make the icing! Beat together the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until it is smooth, and about the same texture as single cream. When the cakes have cooled, take a spoonful of icing and drizzle lots onto each cake! © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

JAMAICAN GINGER BEER WITH PINEAPPLE What you need: 3 slices of ripe fresh pineapple 300ml ginger beer 250ml crushed ice What to do:  Make crushed ice by putting ice into a plastic bag, covering the bag with a towel and smashing until the pieces are crushed! You can use a rolling pin or a tray to do this (or any method you prefer!). Remember to take care and only do this with the help of an adult. Chop the pineapple into smaller pieces and whizz in the blender with the crushed ice and 2-3 tablespoons of ginger beer. Pour into glasses and top up with the remaining ginger beer. © Smoothies and other blended drinks by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern.

PINK MILK! What you need: 250ml semi-skimmed milk Scoop of vanilla icecream 100g strawberries What to do: Mash the strawberries with a fork and then whisk all the ingredients together. Or you can use an electric blender to mix all the ingredients! Serve in glasses with a straw. © 2011 CBeebies website.

PINEAPPLE APRICOT YOGHURT SMOOTHIE What you need: 6 apricots (fresh or dried) 250ml pineapple pieces (fresh or unsweetened from a can) 300ml plain or greek yoghurt Ice What to do: If you're using dried apricots, cover them in cold water and soak them overnight the night before! Whizz the pineapple, apricots and yoghurt together in a blender until smooth. Pour into glasses with ice. (Makes 2-4 servings.) © Smoothies and other blended drinks by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern.

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE What you need: 500g fresh strawberries 3 ripe bananas 750ml-1 litre milk 300ml bio-live yogurt What to do: Hull the strawberries. Chop any large strawberries into smaller pieces and break the bananas into pieces. Add all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. (You can also use a jug and a stick blender.) Whizz until the mixture is smooth. Serve cold. If you prefer, you can use raspberries instead of strawberries! © 2011 Delicious magazine.

It is important to make healthy choices for yourself. Eating well and exercising are an important part of keeping yourself healthy and happy.

Cooking healthy food is fun! Try some of the recipes below to make your own healthy and delicious meals. Remember, you'll need an adult to help with making these recipes. Be especially careful when using knives and the oven.

Most importantly: have fun cooking! 

GOLDEN GRANOLA What you need: 50g (2oz) whole hazelnuts 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 3 tablespoons clear honey 150g (5oz) jumbo porridge oats 25g (1oz) sunflower seeds 1 tablespoons sesame seeds 50g (2oz) dried apricots 25g (1oz) sultanas What to do: Remember that you need an adult to help you with this recipe!  Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the hazelnuts into a clean plastic food bag and close the end. Roll a rolling pin over the bag until the nuts are crushed. Put the sunflower oil and honey into a pan. Using a wooden spoon, stir them together over a low heat until the mixture is warm and runny. Turn off the heat. Add the crushed hazelnuts, oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds to the pan. Stir everything together until the ingredients are well coated in the mixture. Carefully spread the mixture onto a baking tray. Use a spoon to spread it into an even layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until it turns golden. While the granola is baking, cut the apricots into small pieces. When the granola is ready, take it from the oven (remember to use oven gloves!) and leave to cool for 5 minutes. When the granola and oven tray are cool enough, tip into a bowl or container, breaking it into small pieces with your fingers. Stir in the apricots and sultanas. This will make about 6 delicious breakfast servings! You can use different types of fruit and nuts if you prefer. You might like to add a tablespoon of dried cocount, some banana chips, dried pineapple, chopped dates or dried apple. You could add spices such as cinnamon to the sunflower oil/honey mixture as well. When you eat your granola for breakfast, serve with milk or yoghurt. You could also add some fresh fruit! Have fun trying different varieties!   © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

GUACAMOLE, HOUMOUS AND DIPPERS Remember that you need an adult to help you with this! Guacamole What you need: 2 ripe avocados ½ lemon 1 clove of garlic 2 drops of Tabasco or hot sauce 4 ripe tomatoes 3 tablespoons low-fat Greek yoghurt What to do: Cut each avocado in half lengthways and remove the stone. Be careful! Cut the flesh into cubes, then use your thumbs to push them out of the skin into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of the ½ a lemon and add to the bowl, then crush in the garlic and add 2 drops (and only two drops!) of hot sauce. (If you don't like spicy things, leave out the hot sauce. You could also use different seasonings like black pepper or chilli flakes instead.) Use a fork to mash the avocado with the other ingredients until it is smooth. Cut the green core off the top of the tomatoes, then cut them into quarters and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Add the tomatoes and yoghurt to the bowl and stir them in. Either serve the guacamole straight away with dippers (ideas below) or squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the top to stop it going brown. Houmous What you need: 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas ½ lemon 1 large clove of garlic ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons olive oil 150ml (¼ pint) low-fat fromage frais Ground black pepper What to do: Put the chickpeas into a sieve and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Drain and tip into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of the ½ a lemon and add to the bowl, then crush in the garlic. Add the cumin, olive oil, fromage frais and a pinch of black pepper. Blend the mixture with a hand-held blender until it is smooth. Serve with dippers (ideas below). Dippers Sticks of carrot, celery and cucumber Slices of pepper Cherry tomatoes Raw baby sweetcorn, broccoli and cauliflower Toasted pitta bread, cut into strips © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

FISH FINGERS WITH TOMATO SAUCE Remember that you need an adult to help you with this! What you need: Fish Fingers:  1 small lemon 3 slices of wholemeal bread 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs 3 tablespoons plain flour Ground black flour 1 egg A little sunflower oil 450g (1lb) cod fillets, skinned Tomato sauce: 1 small red onion 1 clove of garlic 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons fresh parsley What to do:  To make the sauce: peel the onion and cut it in half, then slice it and chop it into small pieces. Peel and crush the garlic. Put the garlic, onion and tomatoes into a pan. Heat the mixture until it boils, then turn down the heat. Let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Whilst the sauce is simmering, make the fish fingers. Begin by finely grating the rind of the lemon. Put the bread in a large bowl and carefully use a hand-held blender to make it into breadcrumbs. Stir in the rind, seeds and herbs. Spread the mixture onto a large plate. Mix a pinch of black pepper into the flour and put this onto another plate. Break the egg into a shallow bowl and carefully whisk with a fork. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Using a paper towel, wipe a little oil onto a baking tray. Cut the cod horizontally into strips about 2½cm (1 inch) wide. Take one strip of fish and dip it into the flour, coating it on both sides. Then coat it in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the fish finger onto the baking tray. Coat all the strips in this way. Bake them in the oven for ten minutes. Half way through, remove the tray from an oven (make sure there is an adult there, be very careful and use an oven glove, or have an adult do this). Use a fish slice or spatula to carefully turn over each slice, then return the tray to the oven for the rest of the time, until the fish fingers are crispy and golden. Cut the fresh parsley into small pieces and add to the tomato sauce. Use a hand-held blender to finish the sauce. Serve straight away! © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

BAKED APPLES What you need:  4 baking apples 8 tablespoons of mincemeat, or you can make your own filling by mixing about 100g of dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, cherries or anything you prefer) mixed with a few tablespoons of apple or orange juice, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (or maple syrup) and a couple of pinches of cinnamon. What to do:  Remember that you need an adult to help you with this! Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Use a knife to score horizontally around the apple, piercing the skin. Use a corer to remove the cores of each apple. Place the apples on a baking tray covered in foil and put a couple of spoonfuls of mincemeat or your fruit filling into the core of each apple. Bake the apples for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven. Leave to cool for a few minutes and then serve with some low-fat crème fraîche, yoghurt or ice cream.

CARROT CUPCAKES What you need: For the cakes: 1 large carrot 2 eggs 6 tablespoons sunflower oil 100g (4oz) golden caster sugar 50g (2oz) self-raising plain flour 50g (2oz) self-raising wholemeal flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger For the icing: 150g icing sugar 1-2 tablespoons orange juice You will also need a bun tray with 12 holes and 12 paper cake cases What to do: To make the cakes: Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Get your tray ready by putting a cake case in each hole. Peel the carrot and cut off the ends. Carefully grate it onto a plate. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them with a fork. Put the sunflower oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat them together for a minute using a wooden spoon. Add the eggs to the sugar and oil a little at a time, beating the mixture well each time more egg is added. Then stir in the grated carrot. Sieve both flours, the baking powder, cinnamon and ginger over the mixture. Tip any leftover bits into the bowl. Gently fold all the ingredients together using a spoon. Spoon the mixture into the cake cases and then bake the cakes in the oven for 15 minutes. To make the icing: After you have removed the cakes from the oven, let them cool and make the icing! Beat together the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until it is smooth, and about the same texture as single cream. When the cakes have cooled, take a spoonful of icing and drizzle lots onto each cake! © Usborne's Healthy Cookbook by Fiona Patchett.

JAMAICAN GINGER BEER WITH PINEAPPLE What you need: 3 slices of ripe fresh pineapple 300ml ginger beer 250ml crushed ice What to do:  Make crushed ice by putting ice into a plastic bag, covering the bag with a towel and smashing until the pieces are crushed! You can use a rolling pin or a tray to do this (or any method you prefer!). Remember to take care and only do this with the help of an adult. Chop the pineapple into smaller pieces and whizz in the blender with the crushed ice and 2-3 tablespoons of ginger beer. Pour into glasses and top up with the remaining ginger beer. © Smoothies and other blended drinks by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern.

PINK MILK! What you need: 250ml semi-skimmed milk Scoop of vanilla icecream 100g strawberries What to do: Mash the strawberries with a fork and then whisk all the ingredients together. Or you can use an electric blender to mix all the ingredients! Serve in glasses with a straw. © 2011 CBeebies website.

PINEAPPLE APRICOT YOGHURT SMOOTHIE What you need: 6 apricots (fresh or dried) 250ml pineapple pieces (fresh or unsweetened from a can) 300ml plain or greek yoghurt Ice What to do: If you're using dried apricots, cover them in cold water and soak them overnight the night before! Whizz the pineapple, apricots and yoghurt together in a blender until smooth. Pour into glasses with ice. (Makes 2-4 servings.) © Smoothies and other blended drinks by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern.

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE What you need: 500g fresh strawberries 3 ripe bananas 750ml-1 litre milk 300ml bio-live yogurt What to do: Hull the strawberries. Chop any large strawberries into smaller pieces and break the bananas into pieces. Add all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. (You can also use a jug and a stick blender.) Whizz until the mixture is smooth. Serve cold. If you prefer, you can use raspberries instead of strawberries! © 2011 Delicious magazine.