Earlier this month WHO (the World Health Organisation) launched draft guidelines on sugar intake, recommending that added sugars comprise less than 10% of daily energy intake and that further reducing intake to 5% of energy intake (25g/day or 6 teaspoons based on around 2000 cals/day) would have additional benefits in relation to obesity and dental carries. Really? Do they really think that reducing sugar intake will solve the obesity epidemic? Have WHO been sucked in by the “I Quit Sugar” campaign too? I certainly don’t think so, nor do I don’t think this recommendation is expected to be considered in isolation to other dietary and lifestyle recommendations, however my concern is that this is exactly how it will be interpreted by the general population who are so readily led astray from good nutritional common sense by media hype and food industry manipulation. The food industry and media are already all too willing to vilifying sugar as the single dietary constitute responsible for the woes of the world, to its own advantage, and consequently it’s unlikely that the general population will see the recommendation to reduce added sugar as I believe it is intended – by minimising processed foods and choosing whole foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. We have seen similar misinterpretation and misuse of dietary recommendations before and my concern is we are set to see this happen again. Guidelines gone wrong In the 1950’s we saw saturated fat come into the spotlight as a potential player in poor health outcomes such as heart disease and consequently various dietary guidelines came rolling out to reduce saturated fat intake. (1) Unfortunately these guidelines didn’t achieve their expected outcome; obesity rates have continued to rise and consequently so have chronic diseases. Does this mean the evidence against saturated fats wrong? According to the recent opinion paper by Dr James DiNicolantonio in the journal Open Heart this is the case. (2) I however cannot agree and find this type of attention grabbing, sensationalised, opinion irresponsible. His argument is that the observational data used as the basis for these recommendations to reduce saturated fat intake back in the 1950’s was flawed, however good quality experimental data supporting the negative effect of saturated fats, particularly in comparison to polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3), remains. (3) Due to the flawed data of the 1950’s and irrespective of the consistent data over the decades, he advocates the need to stop vilifying saturated fats and start vilifying refined carbohydrates. Vilifying a single dietary constitute, such as fat or sugar, is excessively simplistic and short sighted. What resulted from the recommendations to reduced saturated fat and the continued popularity of ‘low fat’ diets in general, was a food industry that proved it is responsive and innovative. We didn’t see a reduction in portion sizes of high fat products and we didn’t see consumers replace unnecessary high fat foods with additional fruits or vegetables, we simply saw “low fat” versions of equally unhealthy products fill our supermarket shelves – however obesity and chronic disease continue to rise. It wasn’t fat after all, was it? Simple logic tells us that if removing fat didn’t work then fat must not be the problem and something else must be – sugar, because of course the responsive food industry replaced the fat in products with sugar (and salt, but this seems to have been largely ignored by the media, probably because the before and after photos of a low sodium diet are far less exciting). This seems to be the ‘logical’ conclusion that Dr DiNicolantonio and similarly the “I Quit Sugar” movement are trying to convince us of, which of course, can also be supported with quality data which proves that sugar is bad – in fact WHO bases its’ drafted guidelines on such findings from a high quality systematic review. (4) Now I’m not suggesting that this research is incorrect in any way, but rather that in the hands of the media, food industry and anyone else who seizes the opportunity to cash in, this data can be taken out of context, misinterpreted and misrepresented just as it was in relation to recommendations to reduce fat. Wait, I do have a point The point being, that although the newly drafted WHO recommendations to reduce sugar are warranted, without some nutritional common sense from the general public (and of course some political support would also be welcomed), we are likely to see history repeat itself and a single nutritional constitute be unnecessarily vilified, again without significant impact on rates of chronic disease. In this context, we can expect to see the already expanding “no added sugar” market continue to grow and akin an equally unhealthy, artificially sweetened, food supply continue to increase, again to little prevail. Dr DiNicolantonio, if we are wrong about anything it is how the evidence and resulting dietary guidelines are allowed to be misinterpreted and misrepresented by the media and food industry. Instead of recommending a reduction in fat or sugar we need recommendations to displace the processed foods with additional fruits, vegetables and whole foods, but even this is short sighted and fails to recognise the vast array of influences on our health within our obesogenic environment. My recommendation is to use some common sense, ignore the media, keep things in perspective and aim for a healthy balance in all aspects of your life. Oh by the way, 5g of sugar per 100g or 5%, is a long standing recommendation made by Nutritionists and Dieticians.
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Peppercorn Food Company Competition (Sponsored) In a last minute attempt to hang on to what’s left of Summer I’m diggen’ out the tongs and firing up the barbie one more time. And of course, a fair dinkum Aussie BBQ just isn’t the same without snags and rissoles. Although the thought of a charred, greasy sausage thrown on a slice of refined white bread slathered with tomato sauce, makes my inner Nutritionist cringe, it is possible to BBQ the Aussie way whilst also creating a healthy family meal. Ideally a healthy meal will include half (non-starchy) veggies or salad, one quarter lean protein, one quarter low GI/ high fibre grains, cereals or starchy veg, plus a calcium rich side and a side of fruit. Choose quality meat: Be it a back yard BBQ or any other family meal, choosing good quality lean protein is an all important component. Many commercial sausages and burgers are high in total and saturated fat, salt and other additives, preservatives and fillers. The Peppercorn Food Company produces a range of sausage and burgers that are a healthier option than your regular varieties. Their products are gluten free, with no artificial colours, flavours, or additives, they have only 3g saturated fat (per 100g – which is darn good for sausages and burgers) and moderate amounts of sodium (450mg/100g – less than some bread!). Watch your potion size: Although protein is extremely important for growth, repair and maintenance, as Aussies we have a tendance to go a little overboard with our meat portions. Depending on your age and gender the recommended number of servings of lean meat or alternative across the day ranges from 1 serve for children and up to 3 ½ serves for pregnant women, with a serving of lean meat being equal to 65g cook lean red meat or 80g cooked lean poultry - which is actually less than 1 sausage! Keep this in mind the next time you are plating up meals for your family. (Other servings of meat or alternative include: 100g cooked fish, 2 eggs, 1 cup lentils, beans or pulses, or 30g of nuts and seeds) Turn Down the Heat! Although we love to hear that sizzle on the BBQ, cooking your meat at a high temperature leads to charring. Charred and burnt meats can be carcinogenic (due to the production of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during the cooking/burning process), so turn down the heat, close the lid on the BBQ and allow your meat to cook slowly without burning. Alternatively try different cooking methods such as braising, boiling or baking. Try these Devilled Sausages or this Italian Sausage Bake. Get creative A sausage in bread might be a BBQ classic but it is really an injustice to the potential of a good quality sausage. Ditch the soggy sausage sandwich and try this Summer Sausage Salad instead - its fresh, crispy, obviously healthier and boasts the lovely sausage flavour. Peppercorn Food Company The Peppercorn Range, includes extra lean beef, pork and chicken sausages (my favourite are the Italian Style), chipolatas, extra lean beef and angus burgers, and extra lean beef and pork meatloaf. All their products are gluten free, with no artificial colours, flavours, or additives; they have only 3g saturated fat (per 100g) and a modest 450mg of sodium (per 100g). By the way, their sausages and burgers come in biodegradable and compostable packaging!! Nice work Peppercorn =) To WIN yourself some awesome Peppercorn Snags (and a whole bunch of other Peppercorn stuff to the value of $100) 1. Like Peppercorn Food Company on Facebook (and share the love by sharing this link!) 2. Leave a comment below and tell us: what’s your favourite dinner using sausages? Competition opens Monday February 17, 2014 and closes 11.59pm Friday February 27, 2014. Open to Australian residents only. Prize pack will be issued only to Australian capital city residence, a winner residing outside of these areas will be issued an alternative prize to equal value. Only one entry per person. The winner will be announced here at The Kids Menu (via Comment on this post), as well as on The Kids Menu Facebook Page no later than 5.00pm Monday March 3, 2014, and contacted using the email address provided with their entry. For full terms and conditions see our Disclosure page. Congratulations Alyssa!! You are the Winner of the Peppercorn Food Company Competition - I love curried sausages too =)
The Healthy Lunchbox Guide is the ultimate healthy lunchbox resource and has been put together to ensure parents understand exactly what kids should be eating every day, how to portion a healthy lunchbox, how to pack a lunchbox to ensure food safety, detailed information on understanding nutrition labels, ingredients list and health claims, as well as provide dozens of examples of suitable lunchbox foods, a 5 day lunchbox planner with shopping list (nut free and no sandwiches), a lunchbox planner template and 10 quick, healthy recipes. With the Healthy Lunchbox Guide you will learn: - What foods to choose and how to portion a healthy lunchbox - How to pack a lunchbox to ensure food safety - How to navigate the supermarket - Tips on saving money - How to read nutrition labels and claims - And, get heaps of healthy lunchbox ideas You can purchase a copy of The Healthy Lunchbox Guide HERE. Don't forget to check out the Lunchbox Gallery HERE I was recently asked again about margarine, butter and cooking oils, and given this topic seems to cause a lot of confusion for many people I thought I would cover it again. The confusion around this topic is completely understandable given that so many people have different opinions - and to further this confusion, many of these opinions are probably pretty well rationalized depending on the perspective taken. For instance, I previously have posted about Butter Vs Margarine and upset quite a few people by saying that Margarine was a better option than butter, but of course this conclusion was from the perspective of promoting heart health and did not take into consideration other perspectives or rationales. (Although my overall recommendation for heart health was to choose neither, but this point was missed by many who condemned my post). From the perspective of having a “natural” or “whole food” diet, butter might of course seem a better choice. In this instance, heart health is probably not a direct concern or consideration and this is fair enough given that presumably, you are eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and not eating Big Macs or other processed foods which tend to contribute to poor heart health outcomes. In this instance, you probably have ‘room’ in your diet for the saturated fat that comes from butter. This perspective and rational of course shouldn’t be interpreted as a ‘free-for-all’ with butter because of course, your diet still needs to be balanced in terms of nutrients and overall energy intake. Similarly, from the perspective of a vegan, butter would obviously not be a suitable choice and although I have previously ranted that coconut oil is not “healthy” (and simply adding coconut oil to something doesn’t make it “healthy” - but of course, nor does it make it "un-healthy"), for a vegan with little other saturated fats in the diet (being that these largely come from animal products), coconut oil could most definitely be enjoyed within a “healthy,” balanced diet. The thing to remember however, that even for a vegan with very little other sources of saturated fat, the daily recommended intake of saturated fat for many people could quiet easily be achieved with only 1- 2 tablespoons of this oil. Now argue with me as you like, but even IF the saturated fat in coconut oil was “healthy” (because its medium chain blah blah blah), consuming tablespoons of this oil daily (as people do for dozens of crazy reasons) is still going to put your diet out of balance. That is, and I don’t think anyone is arguing, we do need to consume a mixture of fats, proteins and carbohydrates each day for energy. These macronutrients preferably come in the form of food, which is fantastic as food, particularly whole, unprocessed foods, also offer a host of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals etc) which are needed for bodily function and good health. Now the exact balance of macronutrients may be more debatable, but let’s just say for argument sake that the ideal intake of fat is 30% of daily energy requirements, with 10% of this fat made up of polyunsaturated fats, 10% made up of monounsaturated fat and 10% made up of saturated fat (as is pretty much the standard recommendation and obviously well balanced). Consuming saturated fat above the 10% recommended intake could have a few potential outcomes: 1) other sources of fat, which have different metabolic roles, are displaced and given that these fat are ideally coming from whole foods, also means that other micronutrients could also be displaced; 2) More that 30% of daily energy intake will come from fat, which similarly suggests that other macronutrients that also contribute other micronutrients will be displaced; Or 3) Daily energy requirements are simply exceeded, which results in weight gain (see here how I didn’t say eating too much fat or carbohydrate makes you fat, but simply eating more than you need) So as you can see, it really all is a matter of balance.
So back to the original issue of butter, margarine or other cooking oil, the answer really is whatever best suits your dietary perspective provided that it is in moderation and in balance. Sounds a bit of a crock I know, but food, nutrition and eating really is far more than simply looking at the nutrient composition of food. We all have our own set of beliefs, values and ideologies which guide and dictate the dietary choices we make and these should be respected and embraced. Overall, “added fat,” that isn’t found naturally within foods (possible with the exception of omega 3) should be kept to a minimum because, as I have said, the fabulous thing about whole, unprocessed foods, is that they come with a bunch of other micronutrients needed for bodily function and health. But keep in mind this is just another opinion and we all know what they say about those… It is my little mans last few weeks as a Kindy kid (*small sob*), so before he heads off to prep and is too big to have his daggy mum hang out in the classroom I thought I'd get in one last cooking session with him and the rest of his Kindy class. In the spirit of a traditional Christmas dinner, elegant and refined with all the trimmings, we decided we would share with his friends our recipe for Reindeer Poo! The kids had such a great time mashing and mixing the gooey Reindeer poo and using their sense to explore the different ingredients. They all seemed to take great delight in declaring "I'm eating Reindeer poo!" as they licked their fingers clean. We followed a recipe, talked about where the ingredients came from and the kids had the opportunity to see, smell and touch the ingredients (hygienically) before they tasting them. The kids had so much fun and enjoyed sharing the experience with their friends - *Scene set, kids engaged, opportunity to introduce different healthy foods seized, fussy eating diminished!* Reindeer Poo (or chocolate banana balls, if you prefer) are a quick, simple and healthy snack that big and little kids love. You can download and print the Reindeer Poo Recipe below - take it to school, share it with friends and get kids involved in some Christmas kitchen fun!
So after a long overdue tidy up, I am ready to jump aboard the Natural New Age Mum's blog hop, so that you all can have a bit of a squiz inside the fridge of a Nutritionist fridge as well as the fridge's of other blog hoppers (links at the bottom). The Fridge:What is all that stuff? Ok, from top to bottom: Top Shelf 1. Fruit Bowl containing apples, kiwis, pears and oranges 2. Mixed Nuts 3. Coconut oil 4. Chia Seeds 5. Desiccated Coconut (in the back) 6. Flax Seed (in the back) 7. Almond Meal (in the back) 8. Quinoa Flour (in the back) 9. Peanut Butter Second Shelf 10. Local eggs 11. Honey, vegemite, jam 12. Nuttelex 13. Yoghurts (Plain, vanilla and apple or something) - yes, we have a bit of a yoghurt habit (there is more lurking in the fridge door). My husband cycles and yoghurt is his favourite post-ride snack. I don't always buy this brand, we go through so much I get what is on special. Third Shelf 14. Cheese 15. Cherry Tomatoes 16. 3 over ripe bananas (ready for lunchbox baking) 17. Celery Crispers 18. Tomatoes 19. cucumber 20. Asparagus 21. Baby Spinach leaves 22. Carrots 23. Broccoli 24. Mushrooms 25. Capsicum 26. Zucchinis 27. Egg plant 28. Lettuce Over in the fridge door there is an array of stuff too, milks, yoghurts, sauces, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and a whole bunch of stuff which I don't use and really should go clean out. Well I hope you have enjoyed the tour through my fridge and don't forget to check out the other blog hoppers =) We recently heard Woolworths announce that they will be phasing out caged eggs both on their shelves and as an ingredient in their own brand products by December 2018. This sounds like exciting news for chickens, but let’s egg-xamine what this really means for chickens and consumers. Firstly, Woolworths has only committed to phasing out their own brand of caged eggs, which means consumers will still have a large choice of other brand caged eggs as well as an extensive selection of Free-range, Barn laid, cage free, organic, eco, vegetarian, and other confusing and misleading labelled eggs, to choose from. So as far as consumer choice goes I don’t see one less inhumane option as an issue. But what is the difference between Barn laid, Free-Ranged and caged anyway?Surprize, Surprize, like most front of package labels in Australia they are poorly regulated, misleading and not to be believed. Caged eggs come from chickens that live in nothing short of horrendous condition. The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Domestic Poultry, specifying that multiple layer hens can be housed their entire, unnaturally short, life (at 18months they are sent to slaughter), in cages as small as 550cm2. Within these cages they literally eat, shit, sleep and lay where they stand (if they can stand; due to limited room to move and exercise these chickens often have weak, brittle bones that can’t support their weight) and are allowed to be mutilated in various ways including beak and toe trimming, wing clipping and de-snooding. Cage Free, Barn Laid, Free-RangeFrom here there are a variety of other defining criteria, standards and regulatory bodies that guide the labels that land on your carton of eggs. Caged free, Barn laid and even Free-Range eggs are not necessarily distinctively different and depending on which, if any, regulatory standards are practiced will determine exactly what goes on before the eggs make it to supermarket shelves. Generally all three of these terms means that chickens live, equivalently unnaturally short live, in large crowded sheds, but not cages. They are likely to have access to nesting areas or perches (unlike caged), however various forms of mutilation, like beak trimming, are still allowed. Some Free-Range will also have access to outdoor areas but this is not a guarantee. Free-Range is an extremely vague terms and due to poor regulation is pretty useless for consumers. Chicken density ranges from 1500 birds per ha to 10,000 per ha, whist there has been reports of Free-Range densities up to 40,000 chickens per ha. A consumer’s guide to Free-Ranged eggs can be downloaded here. What are you really getting from Woolworths Free-Range or Barn laid eggs and how does this compare with the supermarket rival Coles?Both Woolworths and Coles offer their own brand Free-Range and Barn laid eggs, but as we know these terms don’t mean much. The table below shows the standards applied under each label. I was extremely surprised to see the standard of Coles Free-Range eggs was actually lower than their Barn laid, while at Woolworths the Free-Range eggs were of a higher standard (slightly) than their Bran laid. Although between Woolworths Barn laid and the Coles Free-Range the differences aren’t glaring. The current standards applied by Woolworths, which comply with the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Domestic Poultry, will not change with the phase out of their caged eggs and is said to be of a lower standard than the RSPCA standards as used with Coles Barn laid, although as this table suggests the differences are marginal. So of these four choices the Coles Barn laid eggs scrap through as of the highest ethical standard and were similarly priced marginally higher at the time of this review. Note, in the 18months of life before these chickens are sent to slaughter (industry standard, even in certified organic), they are not allowed outdoors and are allowed to be mutilated in some way. Male chickens however don’t even make the 18month mark and are killed shortly after birth. Which eggs should I buy?Unfortunately the poor standards of the Australian Poultry Industry don’t make the chicken friendly choice of eggs easy.
I have been guilty of buying caged eggs and am guilty of making choices based on my budget not animal welfare, but am working to reduce my reliance on this industry by choose alternatives to eggs in baking such as banana or apple purees (1/3 cup = 1 egg), or ground flaxseed or chia seed (1tbsp + 3tbsp water = 1 egg). I am trying to source my eggs locally from ‘backyard’ chickens and have started a started a Facebook page to help locals connect with home grown produce such as eggs (you can view the page here and are welcome to use this model to start a similar initiative in your area – and of course please share your stories with us). So next time you sit down to a soft boiled, sunny side or scrambled egg, spare a thought for the chicken who laid it for you. Be aware of the choices you are making and engage with the food system you are immersed in. Appreciate and savour the humble egg, along with all food as there is an extensive and exhaustive production system that goes into getting it from paddock to plate. How do I get my kids old to eat veggies? - This is a question I get asked all the time and let me tell you, although there may not be a single magic answer or overnight resolution (sorry), there are three key principles that, if implemented correctly, will help even the fussiest eater increase the variety of their diet - access, exposure and opportunity. Access to nutritious foods, Exposure to healthy habits and the Opportunity to enjoy them!As a mum of a 6, 4 and 2 year old, I understand that feeding kids can be tough, but it is no coincidence that my kids enjoy eating vegetables. It’s simply a result of consistent and appropriate access, exposure and opportunity to eat and enjoy nutritious foods. Ok, it’s not like my kids jump for joy when they are given a bowl of steamed greens (actually sometimes they do) or that they would opt for some carrot sticks over a Fredo (let’s be honest, neither would I), but my children do eat and enjoy, without coercion or drama, a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains every day. Of course, like all children, my kids have their whims and these fickle little creatures will turn their noses up at something they loved last week - but then again, something they turned their noses up at today is likely to be their favourite food next week! Nobody said being a parent was easy and ensuring your children develop healthy eating habits is just one of many challenges - don’t give up! Even if your child has already developed a preference for less nutritious foods, it’s never too late to get them back on the right track. Don’t expect changes to happen overnight, but plan them to last a lifetime. Create a positive family food environmentCreating a positive family food environment is absolutely essential in shaping the eating habits of children. Ultimately, this means creating a place where food is enjoyed, prepared and shared together as a social occasion, without distractions such as the TV, phones or other gadgets, and without stress or tension – which means if a child doesn’t want to eat something, stay calm. Don't force feedForcing a child to eat something they don’t want to has several consequences; Firstly it creates a tension around meal times and places the foods being served, namely vegetables, in a negative context which obviously is not going to result in a positive family food environment or the food being enjoyed; Secondly, forcing a child to eat something when they don’t want to, overrides their satiety cues which can cause them to over eat and can lead to weight problems. Even nutritious foods in amounts more than is needed can lead to weight gain. Allow children to regulate their own appetiteChildren are very good at regulating their appetite and should be allowed to gauge their own hunger. Allow and encourage them to finish eating when they have had enough, whether their plate is empty or not. Keep in mind that a child’s stomach is far smaller than an adults and serving sizes should reflect this. Serving a large plate of food to a child can also be very overwhelming and in itself cause resistance to eating. Serve a small plate first as they can always have seconds if they wish. This helps to reduce waste too. Small regular meals and snacksGiven that children do have smaller stomachs, small regular meals and snacks are appropriate (every 2 – 3 hours). Aim to provide meals and snacks when a child is hungry, let them finish eating when they have had enough, but once they leave the table don’t allow them any other food until the next snack or meal time. This expectation of a child to wait until the next meal or snack needs to be appropriate to the child’s age and level of understanding. Similarly, a fussy eater may need to have a time limit put on their meals, around 20mins is generally suitable or 5mins after everyone else has finished, after which their plate is taken away and nothing more is available until the next meal. This of course is not to say a meal should be rushed. Water should be readily available, particularly during hotter month. Children sometime can confuse thirst with hunger, especially when they are in the habit of drinking milk when they are hungry. Parent role modellingParents are the greatest role model a child has, particularly during the younger years, and as such eating and enjoying a meal together is extremely important in teaching children to eat a nutritious diet. Prepare one family mealPreparing one family meal is part and parcel of parent role modelling as well as creating a positive family food environment where a meal is enjoyed together. Preparing only one meal reinforces that there are no other food options available for that particular meal, which is a message that needs to be consistent. Parents are notorious for breaking this rule and children are savvy little creatures that learn pretty quickly if they refuse one thing they will be given something else. Peer role modellingParents are obviously not the only role model in a child's life. Kids learn all sorts of things from their friends amongst other places and eating habits are no different. Have a play date with children who are known to be good eaters and put these peer influence to work in your favour. Also be aware of negative influence on your child's food choices like advertising. Offer rejected foods 10-15 timesWe all have foods we don’t like and for children being unfamiliar with a food is good enough reason not to 'like' it. Introducing a new food 10 – 15 times allows a child ample opportunity to become familiar with it and eventually, hopefully, give it a try. Some tactful comments and parent role modelling while the food is being introduced can be beneficial in encouraging a child to try a new food, “yum, this carrot is really crunchy,” “oh I love the colour of this broccoli.” If a child decides they don't like the food once they have tried it a few times, that's ok, remember to stay calm and try reintroducing it in a few months time. Offer a variety of foods of different colours and texturesNot only does offering a child a wide variety of foods expose them to a wide variety of nutrients, it also increase a child’s exposure to a range of tastes and textures which assist to increase acceptance of different foods. Introduce new foods slowlyAlthough a wide variety of food in the diet is the ultimate goal, new foods should be introduced slowly. How frequently you introduce a new food will really depend on how quick your child accepts different foods. For some children they may be happy to have one new/different food added at each meal, while others may need to have the new food introduced and offered for several weeks (10 – 15 exposures), before it is accepted and they are ready to move on to additional new foods. Just remember to stay calm and be patient. Forming habits to last a lifetime takes time. Offer foods before milkIf you want your child to eat the nutritious food you have prepared be sure they are hungry. Given children have small stomachs, milk can be very filling so avoid giving them large amounts of milk or other fluids before meal times. Don’t use food as a rewardThis is a big problem that we are all probably guilty of at times. Rewarding a child for eating their vegetables with desert, simply reinforces to a child that vegetables are a less desirable food and emphasises that desert is desirable. Rewarding, bribing or comforting a child with food also sets up emotional cues with eating – I have achieved something, so I deserve a ‘treat;’ I just endured something unpleasant (work, school, whatever...), so I deserve a ‘treat;’ I need emotional comforting, so I will eat something ‘pleasant.’ Hidden veggies are great, but always offer them on the plate tooHiding vegetables is a great way to get your kids to eat them, quiet often without them even knowing. However it is also important for children to learn to accept vegetables as they are. Continue to hide vegetables wherever you can but be sure to also give your children the opportunity to become familiar with them by serving them on their plate too. Encourage children to be involved with choosing, preparing and growing food where possibleIf you want children to be interested in nutritious food get them involved with choosing, growing and preparing foods. Fussy eating behaviours are often underpinned by struggles for independence so allow them to take control of what they eat by giving them simple choices (would you like an apple or banana), get them involved in planning the weekly dinner menu, and encourage them to be involved in packing their lunchbox. Keep the tasks age appropriate but don't under estimate their capabilities (My Kitchen Milestones). Growing fruit, vegetables and herbs together has many benefits. Children are often more willing to try different fruits and vegetables if they have been involved in growing them. Choose things that grow quickly, like sprouts, so children don't loose interest in the project. Growing foods as well as being involved with preparing and cooking foods also helps children become familiar with them before they are expected to eat them. Increasing familiarity with different foods goes a long way to increase acceptance. Remember to be consistent, persistent and patient.All children are different, strategies that work for one child may not work for another. Some children are far more resistant than other, but please don't give up, your children's health and a lifetime of eating behaviour depends on your persistence.
Get creative in the kitchen and try as many different recipes as you can (and as many ways to hide veggies as you can). Some of my favourite snacks for kids includes vegetables sticks and dip, soft vegetables like corn or avocado for younger children, savoury muffins, fresh fruit or a healthy fruit option like bliss balls, homemade chicken nuggets, and mini pizzas. I would love to hear your fussy eater stories and what has or hasn't worked for you. Please feel free to share the healthy recipes that your kids love too. PS. Sorry there is no pics, they wouldn't upload At a quick count I pack over 600 lunchboxes a year! And over the next few years as all my children start school this number is easily going to reach over 750, individual, creative, healthy, delicious lunchboxes each year – What a daunting task!! It is no wonder, packing lunchboxes is a task dreaded by so many parents. Now I am certainly not going to claim that by simply reading this blog all your lunchbox dramas will be solved, but hopefully it might make things a little easier and ensure your children has a lunchbox they love that also meets their nutritional needs. Components of a healthy lunchbox:A nutritious lunchbox should have all the same components of a well-balanced meal; half vegetables or salad, 1 quarter wholegrain or low GI carbohydrate, 1 quarter lean protein, and a serve of fruit and milk, cheese, yoghurt or alternative on the side. Of course the exact amount provided will depend on your child’s age, energy needs, as well as the length of time they are away from home. Ideally whole foods should make up the bulk of the items in a lunchbox, with package foods being limited to 1 item that still has good nutritional value. Make packets countPackaged items can be convenient and generally are popular among children, but ensuring the right packaged items are included can have a significant contribution to your child’s overall diet quality. Let’s think of it this way, by including just 1 packet of chips in your child’s lunchbox each day (which doesn’t have good nutritional value), they will consume 200 packets of chips a year! Obviously this isn’t ideal. If you do choose to include a packaged item in your child’s lunchbox, dairy, wholegrain or fruit based item can be a good choice. * Did you notice the giant clause here?? These items can be good, provided they contain little or no added sugar, fat or salt. Aim for a product with less than 15g of sugar per 100g and check the ingredients list to find out where this sugar is coming from. Fruit contains natural sugar so if the product contains actual fruit, about 15g per 100g is a good target. If the product contains no real fruit, but has more than about 5g of sugar per 100g than it is more than likely from added sugar, which we want to minimise. Aim for a total fat less than 3g per 100g and sodium levels less than120mg per 100g (although this can be tough, but definitely go for 300mg or less). If choosing a wholegrain product, check the ingredients list to see how much wholegrain it actually contains (usually listed as a precent – 50% or more is a good choice) and the amount of fibre, aiming for about 6g of fibre per 100g. Suitable packaged items could include yoghurts, cheese sticks, UHT milk poppers (not juice – dental nightmare), wholegrain crackers, natural popcorn, canned fruits or fruit purees – but be sure to read the labels!! Whole Kids FrooshiesThe team over at Whole Kids have some great lunchbox products that meet just about every dietary criteria you can think of and their range of Frooshies is a perfect example of a suitable packaged lunchbox item. Frooshies are a delicious certified organic fruit smoothie that comes in 6 great flavours. They are nut free, dairy free, GMO free, No added sugar, colours, flavours, additives or concentrates, from an Australian company. It leaves to question what’s in them - well quite simply, fruits, vegetables and grains, that’s it! The Frooshie flavour range is awesome; Banana and apple, Banana beetroot and apple, Banana Strawberry and apple, Mango Banana and Carrot, Banana Strawberry apple and raspberry, and, Banana apple apricot and honey - I love the fact that the range has some veggies in there too! They come in great squeeze pouches which kids love and makes them easy to fit in the lunchbox and perfect to freeze which helps keep the lunchbox cool and makes a delicious frosty treat. My 3 little monkeys have been lucky enough to sample the Frooshie range and the verdict was 6 thumbs up! I really liked the flavours too (Banana, beetroot and apple was my favourite) and the texture was really nice, lovely and smooth not gritty like some fruit purees. Overall I think these are a great product that definitely adds nutritional value to the lunchbox while still being a little ‘special.’ Whole Kids Prize Pack!!!!!The generous team over at Whole Kids has got 3 fantastic prize packs up for grabs! These packs are valued at $60 each – which is surely going
to make filling some of those lunchboxes a whole lot easier. For your chance to get your hands on one of these packs, please: 1. Share this article on your Facebook page, 2. Leave a comment below 3. Pop over to the Whole Kids Facebook page, ‘like’ them. Winners will be announce on The Kids Menu Facebook page on Monday 30th September 2013 at 7pm and winners contacted via email. Good Luck! P.S. The team at Whole Kids would love if you could take just a few minutes to complete their survey, thanks: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WholeKidsSurvey In my last blog instalment I brought you a look at fuelling and cooling active kids – And just to recap; although active kids may have higher energy needs than their less active peers, these energy needs should be met through a nutrient dense diet, packed with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and rich sources of calcium. ‘Extra’ foods, like chips, pies, lollies, chocolates, and soft drinks, should be kept to a minimum and not consumed on a regular basis. So next time you’re checking out the menu board at your local soccer club canteen be sure to keep these nutritional priorities in mind… Although that’s pretty useless advice given that canteens typically stock an abundance of chips, pies, lollies and not much else. In fact, it is not only canteens that are packed with this junk, it’s pretty much every family fun day, weekend barbeque, bowling alley, vending machine and supermarket you visit. Given that these ‘food-like stuffs’ are everywhere it comes as no surprise that a recent study has pointed at an environment that promotes poor eating habits as the reason for increasing rates of obesity despite the fact that rates of physical activity have increased (this again goes to highlight that simply being active, without due consideration of your diet, is not enough to promote good health). This role of environmental influences on eating habits has also been recognised in the drafted Healthy Eating Guidelines: Healthy Community and Sports Club Canteen Guidelines, which has just been released with the aim of providing guidance to community and sports clubs that want to provide healthy food and drink options. These guidelines are a very promising start in bringing about changes in our food environments; however given that they are simply a guide available for voluntary implementation, there is still a long way to go before real changes are likely to be seen. Amendments to the drafted Healthy Community and Sports Club Canteen Guidelines Despite the intentions of this draft, these guidelines are far from a user-friendly document that is likely to assist canteens develop healthier menu options and create healthier eating environments, particularly for our children. We have codes of practice in place for food venues to ensure a quality of hygiene and safety in foods sold and I do not believe it is unreasonable to extend this code to consider the long term health and environmental impact of foods sold. I am not suggesting a complete ban on the sale of any particular food items, we of course still must take individual responsibility for the choices we make, but rather suggesting the Healthy Community and Sports Club Canteen Guidelines would serve the community far better if they were converted into a working code of practice which mandated the availability of healthy options, limited the serving size of ‘discretional’ food choices, promote the marketing of healthier food choices (e.g. only ‘recommended’ foods are available in meal deals, ‘recommended products be preferentially placed for sale). What about School Canteens? Regardless of whether this document come into effect as a voluntary guideline or a code of practice, the inconsistencies with current nutritional advice and other food labelling systems needs to be addressed. The drafted Healthy Community and Sports Club Canteen Guidelines have opted to label foods as either ‘recommended’ or ‘not-recommended’ – this seems simple enough, however we already getting set to see the new ‘health star’ front of package labelling come into place and have school canteens following the ‘traffic light’ system. Wouldn’t one consistent labelling system be far more user-friendly? Speaking of school canteens it seems extremely short sighted to have neglected to include school canteens from this drafted guideline (and as far as I am able to see, from any other draft), given the childhood obesity crisis we are experiencing. The current National School Canteen Guidelines are out dated (2010), and no longer reflect the current dietary guideline (2013). Similarly to sporting clubs, school canteens would benefit extremely from having a code of practice in place to guide their menu development and sale of items. Unlike the current drafted Healthy Community and Sports Club Canteen Guidelines, the National School Canteen Guidelines do provide quantified criteria for foods fitting into each category. It would again be good to see a consistent criteria applied across our canteens and front of package labelling systems. But this in part, is where the challenge lies as assessing the nutritional quality of a food items is far more than simply a numerical classification. For instance, varieties of zero energy soft drinks numerically many appear superior to a milk product, despite milk being a more nutritious option for a variety of reasons. And of course fruit and vegetables don’t come with a label.
The problem being that, as a population, we have been surrounded and immersed in this processed, packaged, artificial food world of so long, we lack the food literacy skills (or common sense) to recognise ‘healthy’ options and make choices that will benefit our health and the health of the environment – real food doesn’t come in packets. The Healthy Community and Sports Club Canteen Guidelines are still only in their draft form so it is not too late to raise these issues, make comments on the draft and help influence the food environment that has us trapped in the obesity epidemic. Submissions can be made here: http://anpha.gov.au/internet/anpha/publishing.nsf/Content/news-20130807 Or feel free to make comments on this blog and I will make a compilation for submission. - Nikki - |
AuthorNikki is a PhD qualified Nutritionist and an expert in children's eating. Categories
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