First of all this is actually old news. Way back in 2015 the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that processed meats (all meats that have been transformed by either curing, salting, fermenting, smoking or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation, for example ham, bacon, salami, frankfurts, hot dogs, beef jerky among others) were classified as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning that there was substantial evidence to say they cause cancer, specifically colorectal cancer, but to a lesser extent pancreatic and prostate cancer. Red meat ( beef, veal, pork, lamb) was classified as level 2A “probably carcinogenic”, meaning that there was more limited evidence from epidemiological studies to link it to colorectal cancer, but the association was still there.
To be clear, this finding does not mean that you will get colon cancer by simply eating a piece of ham, but rather that your risk increases if it’s a regularly consumed. The report found that there was an 18% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer for every 50g portion of processed meat eaten daily. Please note - this does not mean you have an 18% chance of getting colorectal cancer, but rather your baseline risk increases by 18%. You own personal baseline risk is hard to estimate (it may be influenced by factors such as your genetic predisposition), but in Australia the life time risk of getting colorectal cancer for the general public is about 8.2% by age 85yrs. This means if you eat 50g or more daily of processed meats, your risk then becomes 9.6%. For red meat, the risk is a little harder to calculate but its thought it could increase by 17% for every 100g portion of red meat consumed daily.
By now you’re probably wondering but why does it cause or increase your risk of colorectal cancer? Good question! In short we don’t really know, but we suspect that the breakdown of haemoglobin (the compound found in meat that gives it its red colour) in the gut, produces N-nitroso compounds which may cause damage to the cells lining the gut. Processed meats are often preserved using nitrates or nitrites, which also make these n-nitroso compounds, hence meaning they can potentially do more damage. Another possible cause is linked to the cooking of these meats. Charring or burning of meat together with high temperatures possibly causes chemicals to be present on the surface of the meat which also may contribute to increasing the risk of colon cancer.
Should I stop eating processed meats? What about red meat?
Well that’s entirely up to you, but I don’t personally think you need to panic and there’s ways you can safely limit your intake.
For red meat (beef, lamb, pork) The Cancer Council recommends limiting your intake to 455g per week. You may want to do some quick maths here as you writing your grocery list and think about how much this equates to for your family. If you’re used to serving more red meat than this, here are some ideas on ways you can reduce it
Whilst the cancer council does recommend avoiding processed meats, I think you can consume them wisely. I personally love a little bit of prosciutto or nduja on pizza and I don’t see myself giving it up anytime soon! For me this would probably be my only regular source of processed meats and would equate to 50 -100g not even every week.
My kids enjoy ham or salami on a pizza (or on a pizza muffin in their lunchbox) and I sometimes add some grilled bacon to my eldest’s sandwiches for some extra flavour. When I get can it, I buy nitrate free versions, but I don’t always find these easy to come by and they are more expensive.
We all know kids can be fussy, and whilst I could easily tell you to try a BBQ chook as a sandwich filling instead of ham, the reality is many kids won’t eat it. So instead, I’d say try and reduce the amount of processed meats you're offering (if you add 2 slices, try just 1). We routinely mix up our pizza offerings so its not always a processed meat on top. My kids love a potato, dill and provolone (cheese) pizza, but they also love salami and I’m happy to keep offering it, just not every day.
Sandwich Ideas that Don’t include Ham
Hummus and Vegemite
Cheese
Cheese + vegemite
Cucumber + cheese
Chicken, avocado and Mayo
Tofu (there are lots of marinated options ready to purchase these days, try the Macro Wholefoods range from Woolworths)
Chicken and lettuce (my child enjoys BBQ sauce with this combo)
You might also like 50 sandwich and wrap ideas from basic to brilliant!
Pizza Toppings that don’t include ham
Potato, dill and provolone
Potato, rosemary, sea salt and olive oil
Tomato, cheese + basil (Margarita)
Pesto + mozarella
roasted zucchini + ricotta (see recipe here)
What else can I do to prevent colon cancer?
I’m glad you asked! As a dietitian I like to focus on what we can add to diets, not just what we need to take out. Just like red and processed meats have been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, diets rich in wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds have been linked to a decrease in colon cancer (amongst other health conditions).
As you’re reducing the amount of red or processed meats you eat, why not try serving your nightly main meal with a salad (or just cut up raw carrot + cucumber sticks if you’re kids don’t do mixed salads yet), a side of corn or homemade potato fries and and a fruit plate? It's an easy way to fill kids up with more plant foods.
]]>This article has kindly been written by Accredited Practising Dietitian Dr Amelia Harray, ADP, PhD. of Eat Sustainably. Dr Harray is an expert in the area of sustainable approaches to eating, plant based diets and is currently conducting research into the heath impacts of plastic exposure through Curtain University in WA.
Dr Harray runs the wonderful online community and program at Eat Sustainably. Her mission is to empower you with the skills to improve your family's health and nutrition and support the planet by eating more plants, less meat, more local foods, less plastic in food and less food waste. You can learn more about her services, research and programs here.
Exposing our kids to eco-friendly nutrition isn't just about the food; it’s about shaping their future and the planet they'll inherit. Fortunately, science tells us that foods good for the planet are also beneficial for health and wellbeing. If you and your family are new to the concept of eco-friendly nutrition, welcome aboard! By making manageable, small changes, this journey can be enjoyable, educational, inclusive, and lay the foundation for a healthier and more sustainable world for generations to come.
Many Aussie kids are learning about sustainability and the environment at school. What you may not know is that about one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are related to food. So, making eco-friendly swaps in your kids’ lunchboxes will reinforce what they’re learning and empower them to know that together, we can all make a difference.
Are you open to packing more eco-friendly lunchboxes? If so, I suggest starting with one small change at a time. This is more manageable for busy parents and carers (trust me – I have four kids), easier for children to accept, and increases the chances of long-term sustainability.
Here are three tips for making lunchboxes more eco-friendly:
Seasonal Local Fruits and Vegetables
Choosing and enjoying locally grown produce when it’s in season feels and tastes good. It also has far-reaching benefits for your community and the local economy. Fruits and vegetables naturally grow at different times of the year. While they may be available year-round, trying to grow winter produce in summer requires extra resources, like extra water.
Choosing locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables can:
Choose Bigger Packets
Avoiding all food packaging in a lunchbox can be challenging for busy parents. While reducing plastic food packaging by shopping at bulk food stores or using paper bags is ideal, many people are time-poor.
If you mainly shop at supermarkets or do online deliveries, consider swapping individually packaged foods for larger tubs or packets. Store food in airtight containers to extend shelf-life and reduce food waste. Some examples include switching from individual bags of popcorn to a larger bag, and serve your child's portion in a steel lunchbox compartment. Or exchange individual yoghurt pouches for a larger tub and portion servings into smaller containers. As simple swap like this can:
Offer Plant-Based Proteins
You don’t need to become a vegetarian to eat sustainably, but including plant-based proteins in lunchboxes exposes your kids to a wide variety of nourishing and eco-friendly foods. Plus, lunchboxes don’t have to contain meat, poultry, or seafood to be nutrient-packed!
Plant-based proteins are often rich in dietary fibre, helping kids stay fuller for longer.
As a mum of vegetarian kids, here are some go-to plant protein lunchbox foods:
To reduce the environmental impact of your packed lunchboxes, brainstorm eco-friendly options and tape a list inside your pantry door. This serves as a handy reminder of quick, convenient, and minimally processed lunchbox foods.
Remember, when you’re wondering what to do and what you can manage in terms of eco-friendly choices, be gentle on yourself and remember - It’s not about some people changing everything, but everyone changing something.
Dr Amelia Harray
PhD, APD, Researcher, and Founder of Eat Sustainably
]]>
Trick-or-treating, a Halloween staple, is a definite favourite of my children. While I'm not exactly thrilled about the influx of sugary goodies that tag along (I don't detest it either), I cherish the sense of community it fosters within our neighbourhood.
The big question is, how do we manage the aftermath of the Halloween lolly stash? With two decades of experience as a paediatric dietitian, I approach child feeding from the vantage point of Ellyn Satter's "division of responsibility." I also advocate for intuitive eating, believing it to be the most well-supported approach in fostering a lifelong healthy relationship with food for kids (1,2). Here's my take on managing the Halloween candy stash:
I make it a point to ensure my kids have had a substantial meal or snack before heading out for trick-or-treating. This not only prevents the possibility of an upset stomach but also helps stave off any potential constipation the next day.
I refrain from stressing or explicitly mentioning the impending sugar overload—it's Halloween, after all. Apart from occasions like Easter, Christmas, and the goody bags from parties, there aren't many times in the year when my kids get a free pass to indulge in candies and chocolates. In the grand scheme of their nutrition, it contributes a minuscule fraction.
I steer clear of labelling lollies as "bad" or "unhealthy," maintaining a neutral stance. I do, however, discuss the importance of dental hygiene, emphasising the risks of cavities that come with excessive sugar lingering on their teeth, prompting a thorough brush before bedtime.
I don't enforce any limits on their candy consumption during or after the event. I allow them to gauge their own appetite and desires, letting them listen to their bodies. This approach encourages them to recognise when they've had enough and helps prevent overindulgence driven by the fear of impending restriction.
My philosophy revolves around making these treats feel ordinary, not forbidden. I want my children to view them as everyday items, rather than as something exclusive or special. This approach nurtures a healthy attitude towards indulgence and prevents the urge to binge due to a perceived scarcity.
This strategy has proved effective over the years. For instance, after a trip to the Royal Adelaide Show in early September, my kids came home with several lolly show bags. Initially, they consumed a fair share, but now most of it sits untouched on their bunk bed. It's not a big deal to them.
Excessive restriction and creating a sense of taboo around "treat" foods often leads children to seek them out even more (1,2). A more balanced approach involves incorporating these foods regularly, adhering to the 80/20 rule—where 80% of the time, we prioritise nutritionally rich foods, and 20% of the time, we eat foods we simply enjoy. I embody this approach, enjoying ice cream or chocolate with my kids on a regular bass, ensuring that no food is off-limits in our household. I maintain an open-minded stance toward any new foods they wish to try, be it healthy or not.
So, this Halloween, don't stress over the sugar surge. Use it as an opportunity for your kids to learn about their bodies and their relationship with these foods (and yes sometimes kids need to feel sick in order to learn that they’ve gone past their comfortable stop point). and don’t forget to clean their teeth before bed!
References:
1. Fisher, Jennifer Orlet, and Leann Lipps Birch. "Restricting access to palatable foods affects children's behavioral response, food selection, and intake." The American journal of clinical nutrition 69.6 (1999): 1264-1272.
2. Rollins, B. Y., et al. "Alternatives to restrictive feeding practices to promote self‐regulation in childhood: A developmental perspective." Pediatric obesity 11.5 (2016): 326-332.
]]>As a paediatric dietitian and a parent of four kids myself, I’ve also found it hard to get my kids to want to eat their vegetables. If there’s one sure fire food that will come back home in their lunchbox, it’s their vegetables.
So let's address the age-old question: Do kids need to eat vegetables? The answer is not as clear as you might think.
**The Veggie Challenge**
It's no secret that vegetables often end up untouched in lunchboxes, but why is that? There are a few reasons. First, veggies tend to have flavours that can be a bit challenging for young taste buds – they lean toward the bitter or bland side of the spectrum. Additionally, kids can find the varying textures of vegetables off-putting. Let's not forget that nature loves to keep things interesting, so vegetables aren't always the same; they can surprise kids with different tastes and textures. This unpredictability can be a hurdle for children who prefer their food to be consistent (hint - this is one of the reasons kids love packet snack foods - they are always the same).
**The Power of Veggies**
Despite these challenges, vegetables are important for your child's health. According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines, kids aged 9 and above should aim for 5 servings of vegetables a day (a serving being 1/2 cup cooked veg or 1 cup of salad greens). Why? Because vegetables are a great source of nutrients, coupled with a low energy density that helps balance out our energy intake with much needed nutrients. They provide essential nutrients like fibre, B-carotene, B vitamins, iodine, and non-heme iron to name but a few. Moreover, they introduce a variety of phytonutrients into your child's diet, which may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases in the long run.
**Nutrients Beyond Veggies**
But here's the good news: vegetables aren't the sole source of these nutrients. Fibre can be found in fruits and whole grains, B-carotene in fruits like rockmelon (plus its active form is in abundance in foods like meat, dairy and eggs), B vitamins in various foods, and iron in nuts, seeds, and meat. When you explore your child's diet, you'll likely discover that they're getting these nutrients from other sources too.
**Less Pressure, More Progress**
Many parents stress about their child's vegetable intake, fearing dire consequences. But here's a reassuring fact: there's more than one way to ensure your child gets the nutrients they need to thrive. In childhood, focus on essential nutrients for growth and development, regardless of where they come from. As your child grows, you can work toward an ideal dietary pattern that better aligns with preventing chronic diseases and maintaining a healthy weight.
If your child prefers fruits over vegetables, that's perfectly fine! Offer more fruits; they share many nutrients with veggies. Don't worry about the natural sugars in whole fruits – they're not the same as added sugars linked to dental issues and obesity.
**Take the Pressure Off**
If your child isn't fond of veggies, rest assured they're likely getting their nutrients from other sources. Still, don't stop serving vegetables. Instead, create an environment that encourages long-term acceptance.
Here are some tips to help:
1. Serve veggies in various ways – cooked, raw as snacks, mixed into meals, blended in smoothies, or as part of salads (you may find your child prefers them in one form but not others).
2. Be a role model by eating veggies yourself.
3. Avoid pressuring your child to eat – positive or negative pressure can backfire (best to be totally food neutral at the dinner table).
4. Start with small portions to boost their confidence.
5. Don't give up; keep trying.
Remember, it's a journey, and you're not alone. If your child is extremely picky, consider consulting an accredited practicing dietitian (APD) for guidance. In the meantime, keep offering those veggies and create a supportive eating environment.
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]]> All things considered I wouldn't advise introducing your younger children to caffeine, but the occasional sip or a very milky coffee can be enjoyed without harm. For curious teenagers, it's essential to educate them about the potential risks associated with caffeine consumption and where caffeine can be found, especially in energy drinks that resemble regular soft drinks, such as Mountain Dew Energise and Sprite Plus.
Last week, I had a firsthand reminder of how easily teens can consume caffeine without realising it. My 13-year-old came home with a 1.25L bottle of Mountain Dew Energise after a day out with friends. Mountain Dew energise has 15mg of caffeine per 100g, that’s 187mg for the whole 1.25L bottle, which I’m sure many teens could happily down. That’s roughly equivalent to two coffees. For teens who have increasing independence away from home it’s easy for them to consume caffeinated soft drinks, coffee and energy drinks without realising the full extent of the caffeine they’ve ingested.
Finally I couldn't write about caffeine without mentioning that Prime Energy, a caffeinated energy drink popular with teens, has recently returned to some parts of Australia after being banned for exceeding caffeine limits set by FSANZ. While it has been reformulated to comply with guidelines, it still contains a substantial amount of caffeine (30.9mg per 100ml), and I would encourage teens to stay away from it, or at the very least educate them to stick to one per day and avoid all other sources of caffeine that day. You can read more about Prime here.
It's vital as parents to stay informed about caffeine and guide our children towards responsible choices, helping them understand the potential consequences of excessive caffeine consumption. With knowledge and open communication, we can empower our children to make healthier decisions as they navigate the world of caffeine.
Food |
Caffeine content |
Coffee - milky espresso style, eg latte |
80 - 100 mg |
Instant coffee |
60mg |
Iced Coffee (500ml) |
100mg |
Coca Cola (375ml can) |
49mg |
Hot chocolate (250ml cup) |
5 - 10 mg |
Prime Energy (new formulation) 355ml can |
109 mg |
Red Bull (250ml can) |
80 mg |
Milk chocolate 60g |
5 - 15mg |
Caffeinated spots gel (1 tube) |
50mg but varies from brand to brand |
*Beckford K, Grimes CA, Riddell LJ. Australian children's consumption of caffeinated, formulated beverages: a cross-sectional analysis. BMC Public Health. 2015 Jan 31;15:70. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1443-9. PMID: 25636490; PMCID: PMC4314765.
]]>i truly believe that meal planning can empower you to make informed choices and reduces the chaos of last-minute meal decisions. Embrace this practice, and you'll find that mealtimes become a more enjoyable and stress-free experience for the whole family.
An example of what your weekly meal plan might look like...
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday (late night soccer and gymnastics - quick dinner) |
Thursday |
Friday (soccer after school, likely to be too tired to cook) |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Kids fave/red meat |
Tacos |
|
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chicken - serve items separately as some kids don’t like capsicum. |
|
|
easy chicken fajita tray bake (use chicken tenderloins as they require almost no prep, pre cut capsicum, red onion in the morning). Serve with store bought tortillas, sour cream and smashed avo) |
|
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parents preferred meal. Serve with rice and tortillas separately. Meat free meal |
|
lentil curry |
|
|
|
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|
Fish meal. |
|
|
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Fish burgers and oven fries + salad |
|
|
|
easy meal |
|
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freezer bolognese |
|
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|
eat out/take away |
frozen pizza with salad and fruit plate |
When my children were little, dinner was served around 5-5:30 pm. Now, with the complexities of work, after-school activities, and a growing family, we've shifted to a 7 pm dinner time. In the early days, I would prepare dinner while my kids took their midday nap. Presently, I dedicate the last hour of my workday to cooking, allowing me to manage the whirlwind of after-school activities we now embrace. Eating out was a rarity when my children were younger, and if we did venture out, it was a swift and efficient affair to avoid potential tantrums. These days, we savour the joy of trying new eateries and favourites during weekends, with a more relaxed approach.
As my children have matured, my approach to lunch boxes has evolved as well.
I've always leaned towards packing "nude" (litter-free) food items in their lunches. This habit was fostered partly by my love for baking – many of their snacks were homemade and pulled from the freezer. Crafting lunches that were "pretty healthy" became my goal, aligned with the dietary guidelines of their kindergartens and schools.
However, children grow and develop their own opinions and preferences about their lunches. As they age, their inclination towards packaged foods becomes pronounced. Despite their environmental consciousness, the allure of fitting in and enjoying the trendy packaged foods their peers have is undeniable. This becomes even more evident during the teenage years. High school dynamics often dictate that eating from the canteen is the norm, and lunch must be portable and quickly consumed.
Facing these challenges, how can we strike a balance between our children's evolving preferences and nutritional needs while giving them some autonomy?
1. **Flexibility with Packaged Foods:** While I still prioritise "nude" foods, I've incorporated packaged items into the lunch boxes – think Sunrice bites, Grainwaves, Popcorn, nut bars, or Yopros for the older ones. This balanced approach respects their desires while maintaining nutritional value.
2. **Moderate Treats:** Addressing the requests for popular “treats” (Oreos, Nutella snack packs, chips, and chocolate are the ones I’m asked for at the moment) calls for a measured response. Rather than forbidding such items, I've included small amounts in their lunches. This fosters a healthy attitude toward “treats” (we talk about everyday and not every day foods in my house) and prevents overindulgence. I also love that our five compartment lunch box has a tiny compartment that is perfect for accomodating a little treat like some mini oreos, wafer biscuits or tv sticks (you would have seen me including these if you follow my stories on instagram).
3. **Canteen Fridays:** To lighten the load, we designate Fridays for canteen lunches. This break from packing is especially welcome in our household with multiple children and the kids get to join in with something that their peers are also participating in.
4. **Regular Chip Night:** The ongoing request for chips led us to establish a Friday night chip tradition, aligned with screen time. By normalising chips as a regular treat (and role modelling how they can fit into a healthy balanced diet), their allure diminished, making them a less coveted item. (you can read more about how I started this here).
The key takeaway is that children's food needs shift with time, often influenced by factors beyond nutrition – independence, peer influence, and exploration. While it's tempting to enforce strict dietary choices, empowering children with some autonomy, balanced with healthy role modelling, paves the way for a positive relationship with food as they mature.
In essence, embracing change is crucial, as we acknowledge the evolving needs of our children and the importance of fostering a well-rounded and adaptive approach to their nutrition.
]]>
In nutshell intuitive eating is a practice that encourages us to listen to our body’s natural appetite signals which are there to tell us when we’re hungry, and when we’re full. Part of intuitive eating is also accepting that we all live in different bodies - some of us are programmed to live in bigger bodies, some smaller. As I like to say to my kids, we all come in different shapes and sizes and this is what makes us unique. Your appetite is intrinsically linked to your bodies genetically determined shape and size. Listening to your appetite is acknowledging that your body knows how much fuel it needs to maintain specific size/shape (or take into account growth spurts in kids).
Every single one of us is born with an appetite, it’s essential for life. There were a set of very interesting experiments conducted by Fomon and colleagues back in 1975 where they looked at what happened when you took formula fed babies and altered the concentration of their formula such that some formulas contained many more calories (energy) and others far less energy in the same amount of formula. What do you think happened when the babies were fed these different formulas? Intuitively they seemed to know that some formulas contained more calories than others, and the babies that were fed the very energy dense formulas drank less than they usually would, and the babies that were fed the weak formulas drank more - ie they were able to compensate for the changing amount of energy by drinking more or less formula. I can’t think of a more beautiful way to demonstrate how appetite regulation works.
Unfortunately this precious gift of appetite regulation often goes haywire when our eating environment starts to interfere. Studies done by Birch and colleagues (1987) showed that young children would happily eat in the absence of hunger when rewards or incentives were introduced.
We all indulge in a little non hungry eating from time to time, and this in itself is not a concern and pretty normal. For example who doesn’t load up on the goodies at the Christmas table knowing that you’re probably only going to see those foods once a year? What is not normal is when your daily eating is impacted by non hungry eating or you have no idea whether you’re hungry or full. There are a number of factors that researchers have put forward that we think interfere’s with a child’s ability to lean into their appetite
1. Eating pace - being rushed to finish your meals, think scoffing breakfast because you’re going to be late for school. Create a quiet, calm space for eating. Allow about 10 -15 mins for snacks and 20- 30 mins for meals (note - don’t let meals extend beyond 30mins. Research has shown that meals of a longer duration often enter “battle zone” territory in which parents are trying to encourage their kids to eat more, but in reality very little is eaten).
Raising your kids in a family that supports intuitive eating has been shown to protect them from some of the effects of our diet focussed society and can reduce the incidence of eating disorders, improve their body image and make them less likely to succumb to dieting.
References:
1.Fomon SJ, Filmer LJ, Thomas LN, Anderson TA, & Nelson SE (1975). Influence of formula concentration on caloric intake and growth of normal infants. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 64(2), 172–181. 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1975.tb03818.x
2. Birch LL, McPhee L, Shoba BC, Steinberg L, Krehbiel R. “Clean up your plate”: effects of child feeding practices on the conditioning of meal size. Learn Motiv. 1987;18:301–317
]]>When choosing a savoury snack you want to look for
We know that snacks contribute about 30% of a child’s daily nutrition, so it’s worth making sure that we’re making reasonable choices. The biggest problem with store bought savoury snacks is that they tend to be loaded with sodium. As you can see from the below examples, I had a hard time trying to find products that were under 400mg of sodium per 100g (cobs popcorn is the standout here).
Some points on what I’ve chosen above
Cobs Popcorn - gets a tick from me due to the high fibre content combined with low sodium. Yes the fat is high but the saturated fat is within recommended guidelines. The higher fat content gives this product a higher calorie content, but keep in mind that popcorn is very light (a single serve weighs just 13g), so per serve the calorie content is low. Extra points for the fact there is a bulk buy option, which saves you both money and lunchbox litter.
Sunrice Mini Bites - I really wish they would state the fibre content of these snacks, being made form 90% brown rice they’re most likely to meet the recommendation of more than 3g per serve. The sodium content starts to creep up with these, but they’re still a reasonable choice compared to others in this category.
Parkers Mini Pretzels (6 pack) - Pretzels as a category contain a shockingly high amount of sodium, which is a pity as they are otherwise a fairly simple food made from just wheat, oil and salt. My pick from this category are the Parkers Mini pretzel 6 pack. Unfortunately it must be the 6 pack as these contain far less sodium than any other variety (the bulk buy option contains 1300mg of sodium compared to 559 mg for the multi pack). I suspect this might be due to the salt settling in the bulk pack but I don’t know for sure.
Messy Monkeys - These are to be commended for their high fibre intake. The fat starts to creep ups bit but saturated fat is still within recommendations. The downside to this product is the price and the fact they only come in single serve packets.
Grainwaves - You may be surprised to find these here, but I give them points for their high fibre intake combined with low sodium. As they are more “chip” than anything else, not surprisingly they have a higher fat content (and therefore calorie content) than other products shown here (but the saturated fat content remains within limits). I wouldn't choose these everyday due to high fat and therefore calorie content, but they're one I'm happy to have in the mix sometimes
What I wouldn’t buy?
❌ Whilst I know Healtheries rice wheels and potato stix are long term favourites amongst many parents, the low fibre intake of these products combined with similar (or higher) sodium and calorie content to other products I’ve shown, means there are better choices to be had.
❌ BBQ shapes are a long enduring popular snack. They’re moreish, highly flavoured and hard to stop at just a few. Nutritionally though they don’t stack up. I’d pick the grainwaves for kids that are after a similar flavour hit, but with a better nutritional profile.
Want more ideas for savoury snacks you might like this?
]]>If you feel confused about what muesli bar to buy for your lunch boxes I don't blame you - it was tough to narrow it down to the few I chose to review.
I've lined up some that I do, or would consider buying, and I've given you an example of what I definitely wouldn't buy (last slide).
Just looking at the nutrition information panel doesn't really give you the whole picture and considering the ingredient list and serving size is important too.
Finally I could basically split the available supermarket muesli bars into two categories - those that have mostly whole ingredients and don’t use flavours, low calorie sweeteners or fibre boosters, and those that do. To create a final product that is lower in sugar, but higher in fibre, whilst maintaining an acceptable taste, leads many companies use ingredients such as stevia, chicory root or added flavours. I don’t personally have a problem with any of these ingredients, and they are safe to consume, but I do feel a product made mostly from whole ingredients generally tastes better. Read on for my review of some popular supermarket muesli bars.
]]>I've lined up some that I do, or would consider buying, and I've given you an example of what I definitely wouldn't buy (last slide).
Just looking at the nutrition information panel doesn't really give you the whole picture and considering the ingredient list and serving size is important too.
Finally I could basically split the available supermarket muesli bars into two categories - those that have mostly whole ingredients and don’t use flavours, low calorie sweeteners or fibre boosters, and those that do. To create a final product that is lower in sugar, but higher in fibre, whilst maintaining an acceptable taste, leads many companies use ingredients such as stevia, chicory root or added flavours. I don’t personally have a problem with any of these ingredients, and they are safe to consume, but I do feel a product made mostly from whole ingredients generally tastes better. Read on for my review of some popular supermarket muesli bars.
What should you look for in a muesli bar?
- Nature Valley oat and honey bar has a higher amount of sugar, higher energy and lower fibre than the others, but the ingredient list doesn't include things like "flavours" or ingredients to boost the fibre content (eg inulin, chicory root etc that you'll see in many of the others). Often we need more sugar for flavour when extra "flavours" haven't been added to the product. This product also comes as two bars in a serve and for some kids, 1 bar might be sufficient which helps to bring the sugar and calorie content down per serving. I’ve included these as they one of the few muesli bars I can find without added flavours.
- Carmen's Brownie bars have one of the lowest sugar and calorie contents plus high in fibre, but they use added flavours to help them achieve an acceptable taste (minus the extra sugar) and use Chicory root to boost the added fibre. I can personally taste the added flavour in this one, and it's not a favourite from a taste point of view, but it's a good choice nutritionally and formulated to be lunch box friendly.
-Uncle Toby's chewy choc chip muesli bars are similar to the Brownie Bar from Carmen's - the sugar is low but they have added flavours and they have used chicory root to boost the fibre (not as high as the brownie bar). A good choice nutritionally and I personally like the flavour of these and buy them regularly.
- Carmen's fruit free and fruit and nut muesli bars-have more calories and sugar (and also some added flavour) but have quality ingredients like seeds, nuts and dried fruit and gives a boost to the overall nutrient density of the bar (adding in extra protein, healthy fats, zinc and iron - please note the added dried fruit also makes the sugar content of the fruit & nut version higher, but as this is naturally occurring sugar I’m happy to accept it).
- Milo bars are basically a combination of wholewheat and wheat flour mixed with milo beverage. Whilst perhaps a little more processed than some of the others they're not a bad choice and still have a reasonable fibre content whilst keeping the sugar under 20g/100g, (but not under the ideal 15g) and the calorie content reasonable for a snack bar.
What I wouldn't buy? The LCM bar. It's loaded with various different types of sugar, is made form refined white rice bubbles and has very little fibre. All round its pretty 🤢
I would quite happily choose any of the other bars but if your school allows nuts then the Carmen's fruit free or fruit and nut bars would be my first choice as you get extra nutrients from the nuts/seeds/fruit.
I personally buy the Nature Valley bars quite often because I need a nut free bar and I think they taste good. They are a simple muesli bar with whole ingredients and many times just one of the two bars in the pack is sufficient. As mentioned above Uncle Tobys Chewy Choc chip muesli bars also frequently make their way into my shopping trolley. I don't like the taste of some of the bars that use added flavours because I think they take on a very distinctly vanilla like flavour which I don't find appealing. That said, I have nothing against added flavours they have a place in our food supply and they are safe to consume.
Ultimately for the amount of sugar you get in a muesli bar I’d prefer to see something that also includes seeds, more wholegrains and dried fruit to boost the overall nutrient content, which often leads me to make my own “muesli type” bars like my seedy cornflake slice. Of course we don’t always have time to spend in the kitchen, so I hope you’ve found something on the list that might be useful to you and meets your own personal food philosophy.
]]>Don’t know what Prime is? Neither did I until a few weeks ago, but let me enlighten you. Prime (Energy and Hydration) drinks are the brain child of two YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI.
Prime Energy is a heavily caffeinated energy drink that is not available in Australia (although can be purchased via online platforms like Ebay) as the caffeine content exceeds what Foods Standards Australia has set as an acceptable level for an energy drink (32mg/100ml) (Prime Energy contains 56mg/100ml). Prime hydration is the non caffeinated version that has caused an absolute frenzy amongst young people.
There always seems to be a new “trend’ or must have item with kids. I can think of a few in my time as a parent - fidget spinners and loom bands are top of mind, but I really struggle to recall a food ever creating this level of hysteria. At first glance Prime hydration looks relatively harmless. It’s a mixture of water, coconut water, some vitamins and minerals, some natural colouring (Beta carotene), sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame) as well as some branched chain amino acids (BCAAS). It comes with a warning statement “Not suitable for children under 15yrs, pregnant or lactating women and should only be used under medical or dietetic supervision”.
It’s not particularly clear why the company has declared it unsafe for children under 15yrs but most likely it’s because we have limited data on BCAA supplementation in healthy children and pregnant/lactating women. BCAAs are essential amino acids that can’t be made by our bodies. To be clear we consume BCAAs naturally everyday in foods like meat, dairy and legumes and supplementation for children is most certainly unnecessary. Whilst I am not a sports dietitian, there is some data that BCAAs may aide sports performance in adults (they aide in muscle protein synthesis and prevent muscle protein breakdown), although it is unclear whether there is any additional benefit over just whole protein supplementation or dietary sources of protein alone. Best talk to an Accredited Practising Sports Dietitian if this is something you’re interested in.
Energy drinks like Prime (as well as Gatorade and Powerade) are also unnecessary hydration aides for kids playing sports. Water remains the best choice and you can read more about that here.
A bottle of Prime Hydration’s highly unlikely to do any harm to your child, but it's not good for them either. In most cases like this when kids are desperate to try a new (not overly healthy) food, my approach is to let them have it. It takes that food off its pedestal and makes it less interesting and therefore something they’re most likely to forget about or at least remove the “frenzy” from it. This is my approach for requests I get for things like MacDonald’s or a new chip favour - I offer it as an as an occasional choice and move on, making sure that 80% of our food choices are healthy and nutritious.
But here’s my problem with Prime and something I haven’t heard many commentator’s mention. Given that most adults I’ve spoken to, had never heard of Prime, but their kids knew EVERYTHING (including its release date and restocking dates) it’s very clear that the marketing strategy for Prime has been squarely centred at kids. Whether this was by design or accidental, we’ll probably never know. In the past couple of decades here in Australia, public health bodies have been working hard to reduce the amount of unhealthy food advertising to kids. Whilst we do have some food industry regulated voluntary codes, these mostly have had limited impact on what can be advertised to kids. Much of the current and past work done towards limiting food advertising to kids has focused on TV ads, inclusion of promotional items that appeal to kids (eg toys) and packaging. What is grossly obvious with the frenzy that Prime has managed to create, is that social media (in all of its forms) is going to have a huge impact on food advertising to kids. How we control this I don’t know. The obvious one is to take a stand at home, but it’s easier said than done. My kids did not know of or watch Logan Paul or KSI, but they still knew everything about Prime.
That day standing in Woolworths on the Gold Coast I watched many a parent beaten down by their kids pester power for a precious bottle of Prime. The check outs around me were full of parents and kids (mostly tweens, not even teens) lining up with their bottles. The pressure on parents is relentless. It’s not always easy to say no to your kids and we all know they wear us down. This is why it’s ideal that there is some limit on what is advertised to kids, but how we go about that in this new age of social media I don’t know.
And this is why I won’t buy Prime, because I don’t want to support something that I feel has been unfairly marketed to kids. If you’ve been pressured into buying Prime or have some thoughts on how we control food advertising to kids, I’d love to hear them.
]]>So with my dietitian’s hat on, today I’m bringing you my top 5 changes (in no particular order) I’d recommend to any family and why.
1. Add More Nuts & Seeds into Your Diet
With most (primary) schools now having a nut free policy many kids I see don’t eat much in the way of nuts.
Nuts and seeds are both powerhouses of nutrition. Rich in plant protein, fibre, plant based omega 3 (an essential fatty acid), vitamin E, zinc and iron (to name but a few) it’s no wonder they have been proven to have a diverse range of health benefits. Most people are familiar with the heart health benefits of consuming nuts, but there is also good scientific evidence that regular nut consumption can also prevent type 2 diabetes, reduced cancer risk, improve brain health, decrease the risk for depression and improve fertility. Most of these benefits are gained by regularly consuming 20 - 30g of nuts (a small handful).
Unsure how to include them in your diet each day? Here’s a few ideas
2. Prioritise Family Meals
The importance of getting together as a family for a shared meal can not be over emphasised. When you have really young kids I know it can be tempting to get them fed and to bed to enjoy a quieter and more relaxing meal with your other half. I still distinctly remember the allure of putting my young toddler to bed to have a nice quiet dinner with my husband. By the time I had two kids, I knew I had to do better, as I knew the importance of that shared meal. So I went all in and succumbed to the fact that this was the season of life we were in, and the chaos and mess of the evening meal were part of that.
Why is it so important? Very young kids learn the process of eating (mechanics and all) by watching what you do with your food. They also learn that food is “safe” when they see their parents enjoying it, and overall it decreases the incidence of fussy eating. Nutrition improves too with a family meal. Studies have shown that children and teens that eat family meals consume less soft drink and “occasional” foods as well as more fruits, vegetables and dairy and are also more likely to be breakfast eaters. And the benefits extend beyond nutrition too. Teens who eat family meals have been shown to do better academically and have better mental health along with reduced “risk taking” behaviour like drug and alcohol use.
3. Drink Water
It seems like a no brainer but so many people just don’t drink enough water. Dehydration (even mild) causes constipation, tummy pains, poor concentration, headaches and fatigue. In my time working as a dietitian I’ve seen so many kids (and their parents alike) not drink enough and end up confusing their thirst with their hunger.
Then there’s all those beverages we consume instead of water. For adults I often see one too many milky coffees across the day. I love my coffee too, but the large sized coffees many of us purchase, contain a lot of calories we probably don’t need. My advice, try switching to a piccolo size for most of your coffees.
If you’re drinking soft drinks regularly then this is something I’d strongly consider limiting. The “empty calories” in soft drink are all too easy to consume, and of course are not good for oral hygiene. Teenage boys actually rate as the highest consumers of soft drink in Australia. My advice would be to set some ground rules around how your family consumes them. Completely banning them often puts (any food) on a pedestal and makes it even more desirable. I’d suggest that you role model it as an “occasional choice”. Don’t keep it t home but a glass out at a restaurant with dinner or at parties is about right.
What about diet drinks I hear you say? Sure they don’t contain the sugar or calories of the real thing, but there is now mounting concern that regularly consuming these sweetened beverages leads to a taste for sweetened foods and drinks, and has you wanting to consume more. I’d treat these the same way as I’d treat the real thing - a sometimes choice.
What about juice? You may recall the huge media circus that ensued last year when the health start rating of fresh juice was down graded from an automatic four stars to anywhere between 2.5 - 4 stars, whereas diet soft drinks got a 3.5 star rating. The problem with juice is that it’s very concentrated in fruit (and hence the natural fruit sugar) but minus any of the pulp (which adds fibre and satiety). I personally don’t agree with this downgrade as juice still delivers some quality nutrients (it’s a great source of vitamin C for example, and can be helpful for kids that are still learning to like fruit). I’d far prefer that there’s more education on how to consume juice as part of a balanced diet. A small 1/2 glass serving of fresh no added sugar juice offered once a day, can fit into healthy balanced diet. I offer my kids juice at breakfast time only a few times per week as the vitamin C can really help the absorption of iron from breakfast cereals.
4. Add in More Whole grains
Australians generally don’t eat enough fibre each day. Switching to whole grains is an easy way to get more fibre into your diet. Whole grains are also generally higher in nutrients than their white counterparts. Consuming more whole grains can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes whilst assisting in maintaining a healthy weight as well as maintaining good gut heath and digestion.
5. Pack Your Lunch
This isn’t just for kids but adults too! Whilst many canteens across Australia now have plenty of healthy options, many of the less desirable ones remain. Then of course there’s the bargaining with your child over which choices you’re happy for them to make.
And if you’re an adult venturing in to the foodcourt, well beware. Whilst there are certainly some great choices, too often take away style meals don’t have enough vegetables, are more likely to contain refined carbohydrates and be high in fat and calories. Sushi, or a salad would be my go to, if I was buying my lunch. Then there’s the expense. It’s hard to get anything much for under $15 in a food court and lunch orders for several kids certainly add up to.
Yes it’s onerous packing your own (or your child’s lunch) but it will help keep the family budget in check and will likely be more nutritious. It doesn’t have to be fancy either. Many of my lunches when I worked in a busy hospital job consisted of vita wheats, tinned tuna and 1/2 an avocado plus a piece of fruit and yoghurt (definitely not hard to put together). For kids there’s nothing wrong with a vegemite sandwich (preferably on wholegrain or wholemeal bread), some fruit, a healthy snack or two. Of course if you want some “fancier” or more interesting options then you know I have them for you, but it’s really down to what you can manage with the time and energy you have to put into it.
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There was just something altogether wholesome about packing these lunches. It played strongly to my maternal instinct to nurture, but it also helped me to feel connected to my son whilst he was at daycare.
Fast forward a decade and the scene is a little different. Our mornings are of the controlled chaos variety, as we hustle to get four kids out the door and off to their various schools. There’s 20 lunches to pack each week, so there’s often a little less love and a bit more slap dash involved. But beneath all of that, there’s still something I find very nurturing about packing those lunches (and I suppose if I didn’t find some joy in it I wouldn’t be running this business).
So here’s what I’ve learnt as a Mum of four and a paediatric dietitian about packing lunch boxes for the past 12 years….
1. Despite your best intentions there’s often a disconnect between what you’d like to pack and what you realistically have the energy to pack come the evening (or early morning). That’s ok, your lunch box doesn’t need to be photo worthy, just packed.
2. Your kids will complain a LOT - often this happens just when you think you’ve got something good going on. That muffin recipe they loved last week - they’ll hate it this week.
3. Every other child will have a better lunch than your kid - I can virtually guarantee this one. The first time it happens you’ll ask “Ok so tell me what Jamie has and I’ll pack you that”…believe me you’re not going to win, the other kids will always have better lunches, it’s a grass is always greener kind of thing.
4. What your kids will eat at home, they’ll outright refuse to eat at school - I’ve heard it all from “it just doesn’t taste as good at school Mum”, to “I don’t have time to eat that”!
5. Packet food will become very appealing - If you’re like me and try hard to send “nude” food to school, I can guarantee that at some point your kids are going to want something in a packet (because their friends have them, and things in packets are shiny and appealing to kids). You’re going to question why you bother making stuff when they just want the packet stuff? Cut yourself some slack, offer a bit of both, and just get on with it.
6. The lunch box will come home full again - hopefully not always, but you can count on this happening sometimes. Yes it’s deflating when you’ve put so much time and effort into it. Don’t stress, it’s not your fault. Often they just don’t have enough time and aren’t hungry enough to tackle what you’ve packed (note - be prepared for them to come home “hangry”)
7. You are going to have an ongoing internal argument with yourself as to how often, is too often, to order from the tuck shop? I say do what works for you. You’ll enjoy packing the lunches that you do, if you can give yourself a break sometimes (note - when I only had 1 child at school we had lunch orders once or twice a term. With four kids, we do a lunch order day every Friday because #life and #ineedabreak.)
8. Some of your lunches will rock and some will be fairly “meh” - refer back to point #1 and it’s also worth noting that your enthusiasm for all things lunches will wain as the term and the year goes on. This is ok, not every lunch box needs to be exciting, there will be plenty of boring days and that’s just life. Soon enough you’ll find your enthusiasm again and turn out a great lunch (and if you don’t refer back to point #7 and order some lunches)
9. You’ll stress about nutrition - When invariably the vegetables you’ve lovingly cut up come home again, you’ll start to question whether your child is getting enough. More than likely they are. I’ve worked with hundreds (probably thousands) of fussy eaters, and most are still able to get what they need. It’s also worth noting that many of the nutrients you find in vegetables are present in other foods too, like fruit or grains.
10. One day you’ll miss packing lunches - oomph it always hits hard when someone says this doesn’t it? I still may only be part of the way through my lunch box packing journey, but as difficult and relentless as it often feels (actually that’s most of parenting isn’t it?) I know when they no longer need me to pack them lunch, it’s going to hurt hard.
So if you’re about to start packing lunches for the first time, enjoy and whether they are Pinterest worthy or down right boring, I can guarantee they are enough. You’re doing a great job.
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In the 20 yrs that I’ve spent working as a paediatric dietitian I hear the same old strategies being used by parents that are desperate to get their kids to eat. And I know why they use them - they don’t have anything else in their parenting tool box, it’s what their parents did or perhaps it gets them a short term win but looses out in the long term. So here’s a list of what doesn’t work when it comes to getting your kids to eat and some strategies you can try instead.
You’ve watched your child declare that they don’t like it and now they’re pushing the food around their plate and whining for something else. Two thoughts cross your mind - if they just ate a a little bit I think they’d realise they like it, or they can’t eat nothing for dinner, and you start to get worried about their lack of nutrition. Your answer - “You have to eat 3 (more) bites before you can leave the table”.
Why this doesn’t work: You’ve overruled your child’s appetite. When you force your child to eat something they don’t want to, you generally make their experience of that food unpleasant. It doesn’t make them any more likely to want to eat that food on that next occasion that they see it, meaning you’re going to be right back here next time you serve it. Asking your chid to eat a certain amount, also overrides their natural ability to eat to regulate their appetite. Only your child can know how hungry they are ( no matter how much you think you might know better). Even if your child is hungry, hunger alone, is often not enough for them to overcome their distaste or fear of the food.
What to do instead? Stick to the division responsibility when it comes to feeding. Your job as the parent is to decide the what, when and where of eating, and your chid’s job is to decide whether to eat it and how much. Also ensure that every meal (or lunch box) includes some preferred items (this might be plate of fruit, a side of bread, sweet corn - you get the idea). This means there’s always a ‘safe” food they can fill up on while they are learning to eat the other foods.
2. Bribes
So much time goes into preparing that dinner or lunch box doesn’t it? Ahhh the frustration of just watching your kid refuse to eat (yet again) and the worry about whether they’re getting enough nutrition. This is where you pull out the big guns - “ If you eat your dinner you can have a bowl of ice cream”. And it works right? Well not really….
This strategy can get you some short term wins and you might get a few bites of dinner BUT….it makes it no more likely that your child will enjoy this food next time you serve it. You’ve also overridden their natural appetite regulation and you’ve given them the message that “this food is so unappealing I have to offer you a sweet treat to get you to eat it”. This elevates the “treat” to being the desirable food that they are then driven to what more of, and downgrades the other food to being “hard work, not nice and unappealing”.
What to do instead - Offer dessert regularly whether your child has eaten their main meal or not. Stick to a predictable schedule if this helps you, eg serve dessert Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
3. Distraction
It can be hard work keeping younger kids at the table, especially if they’re not that into the meal in the first place. Pulling out an iPad or turning on their favourite tv show can really help. BUT - have you ever been to the movies and realised you’ve run out of popcorn without even realising you’d been eating it? Well this is what it’s like for kids when they watch tv at the dinner table. They become so engrossed in the show that eating becomes “mindless”. You may get some short term wins here, as they eat without really thinking about it, but it means you’ll be stuck in the pattern of always needing to use distraction to get your child to eat. Longer term this strategy really overrides your child’s natural inbuilt ability to regulate their appetite. We want children engaged in the meal and listening to their bodes so they know how hungry or full they are, and feeling fulfilled at the end of it. There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of that popcorn without realising you haven’t enjoyed the experience of eating it - it makes you want to go and buy another box just so you can properly enjoy it. Don’t let this be your kids.
What to do instead - Eat together as a family and use this time for connection. Word games can be a handy way to keep your child at the table and engaged without them becoming mindlessly distracted. For example depending on the age of your kids, go around and ask them to name as many countries, capital cities, African animals (you get the idea) as they can. For kids that are really reluctant to come to the table, using a timer (which you increase slowly as they become better at sitting with you) can be helpful.
4. Eating in a certain order
I hear this one pop up in schools a lot. Well meaning careers or teachers request that the child eats the “healthy” items from their lunch box first then the other items. There’s so much to unpack here from how do we decide what’s “healthy” and what’s “unhealthy” (eg a black bean brownie - it’s made from balckbeans with plenty of nutrition, but it also has sugar and fat - so how would someone else rate that?), to inadvertently elevating the “less healthy” items to be even more desirable, to overriding your child’s natural ability to regulate their appetite. I’m not a fan at all.
What to do instead - Parents should pack a lunch box with a combination of food that suits their child and the child decides what and how much they consume in the order they chose. Over the course of they day, week or month even, children are likely to consume all the nutrition they need and don’t need their food intake micromanaged.
5. Praising your child for eating…
Did this one surprise you? When you see your child do a good job of eating something new or eating more than they ever have, it feels natural to recognise and reward that right?
The problem with positive reinforcement like this is that it tends to make your child feel they are an actor in a performance, and puts a lot of pressure on them. They want Mum and Dad to be happy with them, they want that positive feedback, but they also don’t want to disappoint you. If they feel they can’t live up to your standards and elicit that level of praise every time they eat, it can make them feel like they don’t want to try in the first place.
What to do instead: It’s best to remain completely neutral about food and never comment on how much was or wasn’t eaten. Too much positive reinforcement over the quantity your child has eaten can also lead them to ignore their appetite and try to eat to please Mum and Dad. This goes for the lunch box too - don’t put pressure on them to eat the whole thing everyday.
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Iodine is an essential trace element required for the production of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are required for normal growth and development, as well as neurological functioning. Iodine deficiency is the leading cause of preventable intellectual disability world wide.
It’s extremely important for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women to get enough iodine in their diets to prevent growth and intellectual problems.
In Australia our soils have become depleted of iodine, meaning that vegetables are not necessarily a reliable or consistent source of this nutrient. Changes to sanitisation practices within the dairy industry (milk vats used to be cleaned with a product that left an iodine residue) also mean that milk, whilst still a good source of iodine, is not quite as good as it once was.
To address these problems, Australia introduced mandatory fortification of salt used for bread making purposes in 2009 (note - artisan and organic loaves are exempt from this).
To ensure children are getting enough iodine, it always wise to use an iodised salt in your home cooking (this is widely available in supermarkets) and where possible choose a bread that is made with iodised salt. Other good sources of iodine include seaweed (roasted nori sheets, sushi), seafood (aim to eat fish or other seafood once a week if not more regularly), eggs and dairy products. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding an iodine supplement is recommended.
]]>Preservatives and food additives in general are a vexed issue. I’m going to begin this article by saying that we are very fortunate to live in a country that has a highly regulated food supply. Food Standards Australia & New Zealand are responsible for all facets of our food system and not only do they vigorously review the science and evidence around food additives, but also routinely monitor our food supply to ensure companies comply with our Food Standards Code.
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Throughout history humans have looked for ways to extend the “life” of fresh foods. Simple techniques such a drying and pickling foods have been used for thousands of years. As our knowledge of food and preserving has increased, more sophisticated techniques such as canning and of course now the use of preservatives, have come about.
Of course there are other chemicals beyond preservatives that are added to our food supply as well. These include things like flavours, colours, flavour enhancers, emulsifiers, bulking agents, anti caking agents and thickeners, to name but a few.
In this digital age where we have an abundance of information (not always from qualified professionals ) available at our finger tips, what I see is a lot of scare mongering about food additives. There is often a blanket sense that they should be avoided because they are “bad”. In truth though, I find most people aren’t really aware of what food additives do, and why you might be choosing to avoid them.
As an Accredited Practising Dietitian, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t follow evidence based guidelines when giving nutrition advice. There is also a difference between public health messages and what might be correct for the individual consumer (side note - if you think you have a problem with food additives then speak with your GP, who can put you in touch with a dietitian that can help you work through your problem). Part of our university training to become a dietitian, focuses on how to interpret evidence and gives us a deep understanding of what constitutes high quality evidence. Case reports or anecdotal evidence constitutes the lowest form. Unfortunately when we get into some of the “negative effects” of certain food additives, there is only anecdotal or case report level evidence. This is not good enough to make a blanket statement that additive “x” should be avoided. With this in mind, below is a list of food additives that are worth limiting or avoiding.
1. Nitrates and Nitrites
These are a type of preservative often added to processed meats (think ham, salami, sausages etc..). There is good evidence that diets high in red meat, and particularly processed meats, are a risk for developing bowel cancer. This is because nitrates produce N-nitroso chemicals when digested which can damage the cells lining the bowel. You can read more here.
2. Food Colours
The “South Hampton Studies” are a set of now famous studies that were conducted out of South Hampton University in the UK between 2004 and 2007 that looked at the link between added food colourings as well as the preservative sodium benzoate (commonly found in lollies and soft drinks) and children’s behaviour. Whilst not a conclusive study, it was one of the first studies to find a statistically significant link between the two. Some researchers have hypothesised that some children may be more prone to hyperactive behaviour and are possibly “tipped over the edge” more easily by consuming these food colourings or preservatives.
Since this study, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has lowered the acceptable daily intake for some of these colours and required warning statements (May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children) to be added to food packets that contain these food colours.
3. MSG and Flavour Enhancers
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) has long had a bad wrap as it’s known to trigger symptoms of asthma in susceptible individuals, as well as an array of symptoms such as headache and nausea. It should be noted that these symptoms are be confined to a very small percentage of the population and for the vast majority of us, pose no harm.
There are many other flavour enhancers permitted in our food supply. Flavour enhancers “boost the savoury flavour of a food”, making it more desirable - almost as if it’s manufactured to make us want to eat more. I’m not a huge fan of them because they mostly occur in processed foods (think snack foods) that you don’t want to constitute a large part of your diet anyway. These foods often have flavours that aren’t replicated in nature (think of chicken flavoured crisps for example) and I often feel that the more of these heavily flavoured foods we consume, the less we appreciate the natural milder flavours of real food. I don’t have any evidence for this, it’s just a feeling I have, so feel free to ignore me on this one. I should also say that I still do buy and eat these types of foods occasionally, because I enjoy a flavoured chip as much as the next person, I’m just conscious about how much of these foods we consume as a family.
4. Sulphites
Sulphites are a category of preservatives found in foods like soft drinks, some dried fruit, jellies and jams. It can induce asthma like symptoms in susceptible individuals, but again for the majority of population, it will be well tolerated. Because of the known sensitivity that some people have to sulphites, it is the Australian Law that sulphites must be declared on food label (either using the relevant code numbers 220 - 228) or the word “sulphite”.
A word on gut health…
You’re probably getting the feeling by now that for the vast majority of us no real harm will come of consuming food additives. That said, I would always encourage a diet as full as possible of fresh mostly unprocessed food. Not only will it taste better, but it’s probably going to be higher in nutrients overall. There is also some interesting research emerging regarding some of the additives we use in food manufacturing, and its impact on the gut microbiome. Our large bowel is home to trillions of bacteria that play a vitally important role in our overall health. We’re still learning about the importance of good gut health and the role that it plays in preventing certain health conditions, but I think its fair to say that good gut health is associated with both your physical and mental health. Much of the research surrounding food additives and gut health has thus far been done in vitro (ie in the lab in test tubes) or in animal studies, but shows some interesting early negative associations. Of course we don’t eat food additives alone, but as part of a mixed diet, so it’s important that we have robust human studies done to investigate this further.
Putting it altogether…
One of my favourite sayings is that nutrition research is both complex and simple at the same time. As much as we may find interesting associations between individual food components and certain health outcomes, the dietary advice nearly always comes back to the same thing. Put most of your focus into consuming a diet high vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, quality protein, nuts and seeds, dairy or dairy alternatives and minimise the amount of processed food you consume. If you’re doing this most of the time then I don’t think you need to worry if you’re consuming some food additives here and there, we all need some help in the kitchen and we all need a few corners to cut!
Simple really isn’t it?
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I did my university training during the low fat era, where we were encouraged to cut back on the fat in our diets to curb the calories and promote weight loss. To a certain extent it’s not unreasonable advice. Fat is more calorie dense than either protein or carbohydrate, so reducing your intake can reduce your overall calorie intake. BUT that was only part of the picture. We’ve worked out that a little fat in our diets is actually quite satiating (filling), and including fat as part of a balanced meal adds taste and flavour, and leaves us feeling well, fulfilled.
The food industry picks up on these buzz nutrients and tends to run with them. In the low fat era of the 90s and early 2000s, we saw ultra low fat snack foods of various varieties (think yoghurt, sweet biscuits and desserts) all hit our shelves plastered with “No Fat” labels. On closer inspection what was actually happening is that once food manufacturers removed the fat, the product was bland, tasteless and unlikely to sell. The answer to this problem was to lace them with sugar. The result? As the fat in our diets decreased, our intake of sugar increased. Overall our diets didn’t improve, and neither did our health. Part of the problem with such an intense focus on just one nutrient is that it tends to overlook the fact that we don’t eat nutrients, we eat food. The low fat era just caused us all to pay more attention to the processed foods we were eating, not to the overall quality of our diet. It did very little to promote eating more vegetables, fruits or wholegrains - the things we know we need to eat more of.
I see all of this playing out again with sugar. In 2015 the World Health Organisation (WHO) released its recommendations for sugar intake for both adults and children. They found that there was moderate evidence to support reducing our sugar intake to 10% of our total energy intake. This is tricky to calculate, but for school aged kids would be in the range of 8 - 13 teaspoons of sugar a day. “Sugar” refers to the free sugars in our diet - that’s sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides - e.g. glucose syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, rice malt syrup etc..) added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates” (WHO, 2015).
This evidence primarily relates to obesity and dental caries. This does not mean that sugar can cause you to become overweight or obese, it simply means that people who consumed a higher sugar diet were more likely to have a higher body weight. We know that obesity is associated with a higher risk of some diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Once again, we have seen a rush of food manufacturers producing “Sugar Free” foods, but a quick survey of the label will often reveal that it’s simply been replaced with a sugar alternative such as brown rice syrup or sweetened with apple juice - all still sugars. The influencer/wellness industry is also big on using sugar alternatives in recipes and cooking and claiming them to be sugar free. Honey, maple syrup, rapadura, coconut sugar and brown rice syrup are all still sugar.
I think most parents naturally desire to feed their kids a healthy diet. It’s always a concern to me that these misconstrued messages that focus more on nutrients than food, influence the way we feed our kids. Kids don’t need sugar free diets, in fact none of us do.
Much like fat can leave us feeling satiated after a meal, a little hit of sweetness can do the same thing. I’m a child of the 80s and 90s which means I hit my teen years when the “low fat” trend reached it’s peak. I have vivid memories of my Mum suddenly stocking the fridge with “no fat” yoghurts and low fat cheese both of which in my opinion, tasted horrible. I recall really going off yoghurt at that time. I see the same thing happening now, but instead of taking out the fat, it’s now the sugar. Now I’m going to preface this by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with unsweetened greek yoghurt, but if you or your child doesn’t enjoy it, then there’s no need to feel guilty for giving them yoghurt with sugar in it.
I see a lot of nutritionists and dietitians really against yoghurt with added sugar (for the record if your child is under 2yrs then I’d avoid it too), and yes some varieties have a lot of sugar added to them. But let’s stop and consider for a moment that yoghurt is a great source of protein, calcium, phosphorus and B vitamins, to name but a few nutrients. Both sweetened and unsweetened yoghurt provide the same amounts of these nutrients. If you’re avoiding offering your kids yoghurt because they only like the sweetened variety, then you can be missing out on some of these quality nutrients.
Once again I feel like we’ve got it wrong with too much emphasis on just one nutrient and what to avoid, rather than on what we should be eating.
To reduce sugar in your diet I think you really want to focus in on those foods that offer very little other nutrition, e.g. soft drinks, lollies, chocolate, ice cream, cake, cookies - I think you get the idea. It’s a good idea to limit, but not remove these foods altogether from your diet. I know I couldn’t live without a piece cake or a bowl of ice cream here and there, and probably neither can you (and you don’t have to).
Then of course there’s the category of foods (like yoghurt) that include plenty of nutrition but usually have a bit of sugar added to them, think muesli, some breakfast cereals, snack foods and baked goods you might make at home (like the recipes you find on my website). I think it’s perfectly ok for these foods to include some sugar, in fact, I think most of your sugar intake should come from this category of foods that also deliver some decent nutrition. Often the sugar free versions of these types of foods are awfully bland, and really don’t leave you feeling satisfied (but if you’ve got some sugar free foods you love in this category then go for it!). Of course the argument is that consuming too many of these foods with “hidden” sugar in them can lave you with a large sugar intake by the end of the day. My argument would be that if we focus on consuming mostly whole foods and a quality diet (so plenty of vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, quality protein and not so many snack foods etc), then I think there’s room for these foods.
I’m a big believer in the fact that food should be really tasty and that you should be able to enjoy and feel satisfied after a meal, not just eating a healthy food because you think you should - that makes eating nothing more than a chore and I’m not here for it.
]]>Recently a follower asked me whether she was making one of my recipes “healthier” by making some substitutions to a few of the ingredients. It was an interesting question and one I thought worth exploring here.
The concept of a “healthy” food is often difficult to define. Public health bodies have tried to do this with health star ratings and alike, and as dietitians we also try to educate people on what to look for on a nutrition information label. These are far from perfect systems however, and often cause a lot of consumer confusion. Food manufacturers are also known to manipulate their products so that they fit certain criteria and get a better star rating (ever wondered why that packet of biscuits you bought has about 6 mini cookies or chips in it, hardly enough to satisfy you is it?). In Australia we also allow a certain number of “health claims” to be made on the front of food packets, for example “good source of protein”, “low fat” or “good for heart health”. Whilst there are certain criteria that must be met to promote a health claim, the mere presence of these claims often leads consumers to over estimate how healthy the product actually is.
The main problem with all of this is that it is impossible to separate food, nutrition and marketing and this is where the concept of a health halo comes in. A health halo can be given to any food that has a perception of being “good” for you, even where there is little evidence that this is the case. In many instances the health halo leads people to over consume the product. Let me give you an example. Sugar is a hot buzz topic at the moment and consequently we are seeing products in the supermarket with claims like “low in sugar”. To make this claim a company must show that the product contains no more than 5g of sugar per 100g. Great you think as a consumer, and you buy the new low sugar cookies. You happily serve this product to your kids and you don’t mind handing it out as a snack because it’s low sugar, so it’s got to be ok right? Well not necessarily. Often products like this still contain plenty of saturated fat and refined carbohydrates and are fairly empty when it comes to nutrient content. Sure you’ve cut down a bit on that days sugar intake, but what have you really contributed to you or child’s nutrition that day? Not much.
As dietitians we are far more interested in assessing nutrition by looking at your overall dietary pattern, not individual foods. And this is always where my advice lies. Whether a cookie is low fat, low sugar or high fibre it’s still a cookie, and that’s a food that you want to take up only a small part of your diet. Focus your efforts on getting your overall dietary pattern as good as it can be (so plenty of veggies, fruits, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, dairy and quality proteins) and it won’t really matter whether the cookie you choose to eat is low sugar or not.
When it comes back to the original question of whether substitutions to recipes are healthful or not, my answer is this: There’s nothing wrong with aiming to make a recipe more nourishing. In fact when I develop recipes I often look for ways to boost the fibre and general nutrition content whilst trying to keep the sugar and fat to reasonable levels. BUT (and this is a big one) the end product has to taste good. It’s really important that we get a certain level of satisfaction from the food we eat. If we’re really craving a deliciously sweet cookie but eat something that tastes likes cardboard, it’s not going to satisfy us and we’ll be on the look out for the next thing to take that craving away.
So next time you reach for that expensive packet of coconut sugar to make your cookies, ask yourself whether it’s really contributing much nutrition to your diet (hint- it’s not)? You’re better spending that money on fresh produce and focussing on your diet overall.
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All fats and oils are made up of blend of different fats with different chemical structures. To make things simple we categorise a fat based on the predominant type of fat it contains, either “saturated” or “unsaturated”. Unstaurated fats are further broken up into “mon-unsaturated” and “poly-unsaturated” (Omega 3 and Omega 6).
I think most people are aware that there is a link between heart health and dietary fats. For many years we thought that saturated fat increased your bad cholesterol (or your LDL cholesterol) which in turn was bad for your heart health. More recent evidence has suggested that it’s actually bit more complicated than this. Eating saturated fats not only increases your bad or LDL cholesterol, but it also raises your good or HDL cholesterol. Raising your HDL cholesterol may help off set the effects of raising your bad cholesterol and consequently saturated fat may not be quite as bad as we once thought. Please note though, that this does not mean that we should be eating lots of saturated fat, it’s perhaps just not as bad as we once thought it was. Different types of saturated fat will also have different effects on your cholesterol, for example in recent years we’ve become aware that the fat found in dairy products seems to have a more “neutral” effect on heart health and the recommendation to consume reduced fat dairy has decreased unless you come from a high risk group (you can read more here).
Whilst the full picture regarding saturated fat and heart health remains a little foggy what is clear is that the best dietary pattern for heart health is one where the majority of dietary fat comes from either mono or polyunsaturated fats and oils (seeds, nuts, fish, avocado, olives). In fact some of the strongest evidence is actually more for monounsaturated (think olives, nuts and avocado) than polyunsaturated fats. Most importantly it appears that it’s your overall dietary pattern that will have the most effects on your heart health - that is consuming predominantly mono and poly unsaturated fats, limiting alcohol intake, consuming quality protein as well as plenty of vegetables and wholegrains, and lets not forget we all need some physical activity too.
So what then do we choose to use on our kid’s sandwiches ?
Butter is a saturated fat. It’s minimally processed and made from just milk and salt. Unsalted is often preferred for baking, as a true chef will prefer to adjust the salt content in the final recipe by simply adding salt.
Margarine is a manufactured product made from a variety of sources (most commonly canola, sunflower, safflower or olive oil - although be aware that all are blends of a variety of oils) with added colouring and fortified with vitamins A and D (naturally occurring in butter). “Light” margarines are simply whipped margarines that have more water than fat whipped into the final product and are therefore lower in energy (calories) and fat.
Given what I’ve said above about wanting to consume mostly monounsaturated fats, you might be thinking that an olive oil based margarine is the way to go. However, the quantity of olive oil in margarine is not high (18%) and as they are blended with other vegetable based oils, it’s not the same as consuming extra virgin olive oil.
Personally if you’re not a family that consumes a lot of bread or toast with spreads, then it would be perfectly fine to opt for butter when you do. If you consume a little more, or you like your butter softened, then I’d recommend using an olive oil or butter/olive oil blend spread (but keep in mind that you’re not just consuming butter and olive oil as all margarines are blends). It also pays to consider how you are using fats overall in your diet. I’m a big proponent of using the right oil for its culinary purpose. Butter lends a nice flavour to baked goods, so I use it predominantly here in our family’s diet. For every day cooking I use an extra virgin olive oil and for toast or sandwiches we use a light olive oil based margarine (or forgo it altogether if it’s a sandwich with lots of fillings and doesn’t really require it). And above all consider your family’s diet as a whole. It’s time that we get beyond looking at individual nutrients and really focus on quality of your overall diet - that is minimally processed foods, plenty of plant based foods (vegetables, fruit, whole grains), quality protein and dairy and a sprinkling of “fun foods”.
]]>As parents we all bring a “learned history” of food and eating to our role as caregivers. It’s probably no surprise that a lot of what we experienced as kids, plays a major role in how we now feed our own kids. Below I’m going to outline some of the feeding patterns you might have experienced, and how these potentially shape how you now feed your family.
]]>Last week we talked about the here and now of feeding your family - those real life, real times factors that determine what goes on the table tonight or in the lunch boxes tomorrow. These factors are easy to identify - the long work day, the million after school activities, our grumpy mood, low tolerance for food being rejected at the table, these are all things that contribute to what we decide to put on the table for dinner/lunch/breakfast. I like to refer to this as our “capacity” for feeding our family.
Today I want to dig down to the next level. There are so many more factors that contribute to how we choose to feed our family and they’re not always easy to identify, but they certainly play a role. The reason I want to dig down a little and share these with you, is that if you are feeling stuck in a rut and you would like to improve or just change how you feed your family, then it can be worth examining what’s shaping the choices that you make. Sometimes just knowing this is enough to help you re-shape things and try a different path.
As parents we all bring a “learned history” of food and eating to our role as caregivers. It’s probably no surprise that a lot of what we experienced as kids, plays a major role in how we now feed our own kids. Below I’m going to outline some of the feeding patterns you might have experienced, and how these potentially shape how you now feed your family.
1. The Chaotic Food Environment - Feast or Famine
Over the last several decades as we’ve seen two parent working families become the norm, the busyness of family life has increased exponentially. With this we’ve seen food become something that needs to be more ‘convenient” (cue the rise of the microwave frozen dinners of the 80s and 90s). Lack of a regular “food or meal plan”, lack of regular grocery shopping and a heavy reliance on convenience and/or take away meals shapes this approach to eating. It also possibly means that the house was either full of food, or there was hardly anything to eat. If you grew up in this type of environment you may feel that cooking is something overly complicated and you may be programmed to think that it’s beyond your skill set. This type of food environment may also have lead you to a somewhat complicated relationship with food - you may have felt you needed to overeat when food was present (because you didn’t know when it would be available again), and suffer through periods of being hungry when food was scarce. As an adult this may have led you to become out of tune with your appetite and always feeling the need to eat.
2. The Clean your Plate Mentality
Many of us grew up in families that had the nightly mantra that your plate must be empty before you left the table. Many dietitians think this approach is a throw back to the post war era when food was scarce, and so waste needed to be minimised.
This approach can inadvertently raise children who find it hard to be in tune with their natural appetite. Being taught to always finish your meal regardless of how hungry or full you are, has been shown to contribute to contribute to problems regulating your weight later in life.
Children are wonderful at listening to their appetite - we want to help them preserve this, by allowing them to choose how much they want to eat.
3. No Dessert Unless You Eat all of Your Meal
This is closely aligned with #2 above, but the motivation here is less about food waste and more about cajoling kids into eating a balanced diet. The problem with this approach is that it 1) doesn’t allow children to regulate their appetite and 2) it teaches kids that “heathy” food is so unenjoyable that you need to be bribed to eat it. Studies have also shown that this approach does very little to expand a child’s acceptance of foods over the longer term. Rather than bribing your child to eat, I’d recommend a gentler child centred approach called the “division of responsibility”. First developed by Ellyn Satter, the idea is that your job as the parent or care giver is simply to provide a healthy balanced diet. Your job is done once the food has been served. Your child is responsible for whether they want to eat from what is provided, and how much. As for dessert, read on about restrictive feeding practices below, but I believe all food should be enjoyed as part of a healthy balanced diet. Serving dessert several nights a week is perfectly fine and don’t exclude your child from it because they didn’t eat their dinner.
4. Restrictive Feeding Practices
I want to recognise that the intention here is all good. I’ve never met a parent that didn’t want their child to have a healthy diet, but there is a lot of confusion about what a healthy diet is, and how to achieve it. Many parents feel they are doing the right thing by restricting foods they consider “unhealthy” - this might be sugar, lollies, chocolate, cake, you name it! The problem with this approach is that all kids eventually learn that these foods exist . When they are never allowed access to them, it places these foods on a pedestal, which can lead children to crave them all the time and want them at every turn. They can even become quite obsessed with them. It’s better to create at environment where kids might get excited about getting a chocolate bar or a piece of cake, but they can eat it until they’ve had enough and then feel satisfied, rather than obsessed with that food. This process is called habituation and you can read more about it here.
5. Food Preferences/Dislikes
I think this category applies to everyone. I am yet to meet a person that likes absolutely every food under the sun. It’s natural and normal for us all to have food dislikes. As a care giver its easy to fall into the trap of assuming your children won’t like a food because you don’t and/or never exposing them to that food. Case in point - I really dislike lamb and as such I rarely cook it. Imagine my surprise when I cooked lamb lollipops one night and the kids declared it the best meal ever! I need to work harder to cook lamb more often.
6. Food Culture
Every generation seems to have its “buzz” diet - low fat of the 90s, high protein of the naughties and if I had to describe the current food culture I’d say there’s a huge over focus on sugar. It’s worth taking a minute to consider how these cultures impact on your own food beliefs. They’re not necessarily wrong, but are they leading you to over complicate your approach to feeding either yourself or your family?
Putting it Altogether
The first step in wanting to change your approach to either feeding yourself or how you feed your family, is recognising what’s shaping it. Start by asking yourself how do you want to feel when you eat a meal with, or serve food to, your family? Do you want to feel like you’ve done your best ( I can say with certainty that you have), do you want it to be a happy and calm event? Is it triggering for you if your children don’t eat or at least try everything? Do you need to drop the guilt that you’re not doing a good enough job?
Here’s a few things that might help you. If you need to simplify your approach to how you feed your family and ditch some of the Mum guilt, it’s worth introducing the concept of the division of responsibility. Remember that your job is done once you’ve served the food - so put your energy and focus into planning, shopping and prepping the meals, and stop worrying about what is or isn’t eaten at the table.
I think I have recommended meal planning to nearly every family I have worked with as a dietitian. It can feel overwhelming to start and like just another job to do, but the rewards are worth it.
Knowing ahead of time what you’ll be cooking, that you have the ingredients on hand and that it’s achievable in the timeframe you have, introduces a sense of calm to the family dinner routine. You can also plan a combination of meals you know your kids will eat and meals that might be less successful (but at least you will enjoy eating them) to help you feel better about what your kids are eating, but prevent it being the same old thing every night.
Like all change, it’s best done in baby steps. If you’re new to meal planning start by just planning out 2-3 dinners at a time. Always factor in a night off or an easy dinner too, so that it feels more achievable. There’s nothing wrong with a dinner of frozen pizzas and a side of salad or a fruit plate! If cooking has always felt like it’s out of your skill set, put aside some time to learn some simple recipes and start building up a repertoire of recipes you feel confident with.
Above all, if feeding your family is stressing you out, then get help. An appointment with an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) can really help ease your mind and trouble shoot the things that are preventing you from feeling successful.
]]>What got me thinking about this, is that I let my 5yr old daughter clean her teeth both times today by herself. Now I know ideally that a parent should assist with teeth cleaning at this age and that kids don’t have the manual dexterity to clean their teeth properly until around 7-8yrs of age. Most of the time I try to help her because I want her to have great teeth and be without dental problems. But you know what? Today I just did not have the capacity to go and help her. It was a combination of being sick, feeling tired and just plain flat and I thought you know what - she can just manage by herself.
Then I started to think about how this applies to food as well. There is just so much judgement on everything we do as parents these days (maybe there always was, I don’t know, I can only account for what I’ve seen and experienced myself). I recalled a newspaper article I read a few years ago now that was based around the results of a lunch box audit (that’s icky already right there in my books), where an “expert’ was called in to critique the lunch boxes. There were lots of comments about how could parents just grab a bunch of snacks and call it lunch? But also comments like “why aren’t people repurposing their leftovers from dinner?”. The whole tone of the article was judgy and implying the inherent laziness of the parents. I’ve thought a lot about this article over the years. God knows I try hard to put together a nutritious and appealing lunch box for my kids, but they’re never perfect and that’s me, who is very invested in health and nutrition. I’m sure if you’re the CEO of a bank, then you probably think a lot less about lunch boxes than I do, but you probably do a bloody good job of teaching your kids about savings, mortgages and compound interest - things I don’t do well.
And that brings me to the concept of capacity. Each of us as parents only has the capacity to take on so much each day. Our capacity to manage every aspect of our lives is determined by so many things, for example your mental health, financial status, working hours, social and emotional supports, number of children you’re caring for etc etc. On top of this, each of us will prioritise things that are important to us and each of us bring a “learned experience of food and eating” from our own childhoods.
And these are the things that influence the choices we make when it comes to putting food on the table or in a lunch box, not “laziness” as the above article I mentioned suggested.
Whilst I know that good nutrition is important for kids, I also know that it can come in all shapes and sizes, and means different things to different families. I also know that nutrition is best measured as patterns over time and not determined by a single food or meal.
The concept of the “Good Enough Mother” was coined by paediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott in 1953 to describe the characteristics of parenting that were “good enough” and lead to stable and happy families and children. He relates the term to a process of parenting where the mother starts out as “hyper-responsive” to her infants needs, but relaxes this as the child grows and develops. He champions that the goal is not to be a perfect parent, but rather that the good enough parent (who is not always immediately available, but is mostly reliable) is actually important for developing autonomy and independence in our kids.
I like to apply this concept to feeding our kids. We don’t have to get it perfect all of the time, because gods knows that’s something most of us couldn’t achieve no matter how hard we tried. Perhaps in your family, your family dinners rock, but your lunch boxes will only ever be so so, or maybe you’re the expert egg cooker at breakfast and you make a mean sandwich for the lunches, but dinner is a bit cobbled together because no one has the time or energy come night time.
I think this has to be ok.
I think what I’m trying to recognise is that being responsible for feeding your family is hard work. Most of us want to do the best job that we can for our kids, but there are always going to be limitations. Since you’ve found your way here, I hope that some my interest, enthusiasm and ideas for feeding kids can help you with the daily struggle. And in the mean time, if you’ve got tips on teaching kids about compound interest - I’m all ears!
]]>As a paediatric dietitian, Mum of four, and owner of Nudie Rudie Lunch Box, it probably won't surprise you to learn that I try to do a good job of making a heathy lunch box for my kids. They're not perfect though, as often there's a disconnect between what I'd like to pack and what I actually have the energy to pack at the end of the day. Then of course there's what my kids are happy to eat..... |
My kids are probably just like yours in that I suffer from pester power A LOT. The item that is currently requested ad nauseam is potato crisps.
So how do I manage this? With around 30% of a child's daily nutrition coming from their lunch box, I know it's important that the lunch box delivers some decent nutrition. Most schools these days also have some kind of healthy food policy which I try to adhere to (although note I firmly believe these should always be just guidelines and never enforced - more on that another day). That said I also know that a sure fire way to get a child OBSESSED about a food, is to place it on a pedestal and tell them they can't eat it.
Have you ever lusted after a new car, handbag or dress? When you finally got it, it made you feel 100%, it was so special, so luxurious, you loved it! But after a while that feeling wore off - the new car just became an ordinary car and that special feeling was gone. We call this experience "habituation" and the same is true of food. When we tell ourselves (or our kids) that we can't have a certain food, it actually leads to us placing an even greater value on that food, and our desire to eat it increases. It becomes the forbidden fruit and when we finally get it, we often binge on it because we don't know when we are going to get access to it again.
A better approach is to allow yourself unconditional permission to eat a food. When you do this you'll find that food such as potato crisps actually aren't that fantastic - you'll eat them until your satisfied (not sick) and you won't find yourself craving them at every turn.
With children the best way to achieve "habituation' is to work out a regular schedule (there's no right or wrong here, just what works for you as a family) - where your kids have regular exposure and access to foods that you might consider "treats"
(I prefer the term sometimes foods). I like the 80/20 rule - where 80% of the time you're offering foods from the core food groups and 20% of the time you're offering "treat foods" (think chocolate, ice cream lollies, dessert etc etc).
Back to the potato chips - When the pestering about having chips didn't stop I knew it was time to give them more access to them, so I introduced Friday afternoon as "chip night". This means that when they get home from school they know they get potato chips for their after school snack. So far this is working for me. I even noticed that when I first started doing this, all the chips were gone at the end of the afternoon - now that the chips aren't so special anymore, there are usually some left over.
Right now this approach is working for me, but I’m constantly re-evaluating how I feed my kids. My eyes are firmly set on my long term goal of having kids that have a great relationship with food. Kids that can eat when hungry and stop when full. Kids that can enjoy a varied and interesting diet and kids that don't feel guilty or bad when they've eaten a "treat" food, but know how to enjoy these foods in moderation. If at some point my current approach doesn't work I'm not against throwing in a "chip day" for school.
]]>If you’ve got a child at either kindy or school in Australia, then I’m pretty sure that at some point you would have received a flyer requesting for more nude food to go to school, or promoting a nude food day/week or challenge. It’s a concept that’s taken off and with good reason.
“Nude Food” is really just a fun play on litter free lunches (and incidentally why we named our company Nudie Rudie Lunch Box, in case you’re wondering). It’s been estimated that the average school aged child creates about 3 pieces of litter from their lunch box each school day. That equates to around 30kg of waste per child, per year at school. Wow! We all know that we need to be sending less waste to landfill. Using the concepts of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle you can send a litter free lunch to school. Litter free lunches should have no disposable wrappers or single use items like cutlery, plastic straws, juice or milk poppers or wrappers such as cling wrap, foil or zip lock bags.
And there are other benefits of litter free lunches too. With my dietitian’s hat on, I can tell you that you’re more likely to have a healthier lunch if it contains more nude food. Fruits and vegetables are wrapper free and should always take up some space in your child’s lunch box. Taking the time on the weekends to batch bake snacks and freeze them, will also ensure you have more wrapper free options to pack. If you need some inspiration I’ve linked some of our customer's most favourite recipes below.
The last thing I’d ever want to do is place more guilt on parents - I know our shoulders already strain with a heavy burden. There are absolutely going to be those days when you just need to reach for a store bought snack (I totally get that and that’s also why we have a free PDF of our top dietitian’s approved supermarket snacks for kids available when you subscribe to our newsletter). This is where I like to narrow in on the concept of “reduce”. Personally I think if we can just focus on doing our best to send litter free lunches most of the time, then we can totally give ourselves a break on those occasions that we do need to send a packaged snack (and read on for packaged snack ideas that are low on waste).
My Top Ideas for a Waste Free Lunch
1. Invest in a Bento Style Lunch Box
Seriously, there is no better way to reduce wrappers than by using a bento style lunch box. There are plenty of bento style lunch boxes now available on the market. Before you invest consider what you like to pack each day and make sure your lunch box can accomodate that. In my mind a box that is leak free is a must, as it gives you flexibility around what you can send (no one wants soggy crackers because there was orange packed next to it). You also want something that’s durable - our lunch box is built to last. I’ve probably done myself a disservice, but you’re more likely to be handing it down to your nephew than binning it, because it’s that durable.
There’s no plastic used in the manufacturing of our lunch box, which is another tick for the environment and stainless steel is 100% recyclable.
2. Look for snacks that come in a bulk buy option
I’m certain that as the nude food movement increases in popularity we’ll see more of our children’s favourite snacks available as a bulk buy. Until then, here’s some you can buy now:
3. Bake your Own Snacks
I know we’re all time poor but baking your own snacks is a big tick for both litter free lunches and more nutritious options. My own personal rule is to try and maximise any time I do spend in the kitchen. This means if I’m going to make a mess then it needs to be worthwhile. Usually I’ll prep 2-3 snacks for the freezer in one hit. Yes it’s a lot of work, but then it’s DONE and most baked goods will last 3 months in the freezer (like a whole school term!).
Here are some of the recipes that you’ve told us are your favourites:
3. Ditch the pop tops and milk cartons
Again, I know they’re convenient, but there is another way. Our range of stainless steel insulated bottles will keep your smoothies, milk drinks or juice cold for the whole school day.
We recommend blending your smoothies and milk drinks with ice to keep them icy cold for as long as possible. Low sugar Milo and simple smoothies like my Boosted Green Banana have been winners in my house.
4. For-go cling wrap
If you buy a quality leak proof bento-style box you simply WILL NOT need cling wrap. Most people use cling wrap to stop food touching and making everything soggy. No need for that with our bento box. Our largest compartment is just the right size to hold all your sandwich or roll fillings too. If you really do think you need something to hold it altogether, a reusable bee’s wax wrap will probably do the trick.
5. Switch out disposables like straws and cutlery
We stock a range of cute reusable silicone travel straws. They team perfectly with our stainless steel bottles, and they also come in a handy carry case so you can keep any messy residue out of your school bag and simply bring it home to wash and reuse.
6. Don’t forget to manage your waste
Most likely your child will come home with at least a few bits and pieces uneaten in their lunch box. Where possible try and reuse items for afternoon tea, and if that’s not possible then remember to put them in the green waste. If fruit is looking a bit bruised and battered, chop it up and freeze it to use in smoothies.
So there you go - I hope that’s given you a few ideas to help you up your game when it comes to sending more nude food to school!
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I’d love to say that I’m an amazing cook, but I’m simply not. I do however believe in making the effort to cook most things from scratch because they simply taste better. (side note - there are some convenience foods I simply couldn’t live without - a good quality curry paste & dried pasta being my top two, and I’m also happy to cut corners by buying fresh pizza dough and using a jar pasta sauce for the base). When food tastes really good I think you’re far more likely to finish a meal feeling satisfied instead of asking “Ok now what can I eat next”? I also like to think that the more I cook at home, the more cooking skills will rub off only my kids and one day they’ll leave home being able to make more than just a poached egg.
Simple fresh ingredients make for the best meals. I don’t buy organic because as a family of six, it’s just too expensive. I also believe you can do much more for your health by having a diet high in fruit and vegetables, rather than consuming a smaller amount of fruits and vegetables that happen to be organic. I also don’t buy alternative sweeteners like rice syrup, agave or alike. I mostly use sugar in my cooking because again it’s cheaper. I do use things like maple syrup, honey or golden syrup - but mostly for their culinary purpose - to add flavour. Typically you’ll find me staying away from the food trends in favour of simple home style meals that I’ve prepared to the best of my ability from scratch. In the Winter we always start the day with a big pot of porridge bubbling away. There’s always cereal back up if the kids want something different ,or are extra hungry and want more than one bowl. If they ask nicely, I’ll switch out the porridge for some eggs. After school snacks include smoothies, crackers, fruit, and on my shopping day my kids get a treat of a finger bun. If we’re killing time at the shops after school while one of them plays sport, it’s quite likely they’ll all share some sushi.
Dinner is home cooked and I always focus on maximising the veggies in what I’m cooking. This week we’ve enjoyed cauliflower soup and a cracked pepper and smoked cheddar damper (the weather is getting cooler here!), tonight it’s a chicken enchilada tray bake (I’ll make my own spice mix), and we have some family favourites like tacos and spaghetti & meatballs on the menu too. I really love a baked dessert in the winter time, so this week we’ll have an apple crumble, but chocolate self saucing pudding and apple & blackberry pies will all feature regularly. I’m also not above giving myself the night off cooking (especially on a Friday when we come home late from sport and I’m just done for the week) by using convince items like frozen pizza and just padding out the meal with a fruit platter and a salad to make it more balanced.
I apply these same philosophies to my lunch boxes. I prep a lot of baked goods myself and freeze them. Nothing beats the taste of a home baked chocolate chip cookie, and I like the fact that I know it’s got a better nutritional profile because of the extras I’ve added (wholemeal flour and oats are in our recipe). I always have a selection of the kids preferred fruits and veggies on hand and I try to alter this with the season (although my kids are likely to want watermelon year round). I’ll add some savoury convince items (like wholegrain crackers, popcorn etc), and throw in their main item for lunch (English pizza muffins have been the big hit this week). I feel good when I’ve done my best at sending a “nude” food lunch. I know it’s the better choice for our environment, and often it also often means a more nutritionally balanced lunch box. In creating our lunch box it was paramount to me that we created something that supported the nude food/waste free movement in schools, as well as supporting my food philosophy. I think we’ve done ok if your feedback is anything to go by!
]]>If you’ve got a starch loving fussy eater on your hands (and perhaps even if you don’t) you’ve probably found yourself wondering whether they are getting enough protein?
We all know that protein is essential for growth, but there’s a lot of confusion as to how much protein kids actually need, hint - it’s not as much as you think.
]]>We all know that protein is essential for growth, but there’s a lot of confusion as to how much protein kids actually need, hint - it’s not as much as you think.
Protein needs for kids are quite modest and surprisingly not hard to meet. I suspect a lot of parental worry stems from kids being reluctant meat eaters, but meat or poultry aren’t the only sources of protein in our diet. Protein is found widely in food and in fact most population based surveys have found that kids are consuming more than enough protein.
Protein has an essential role supporting your child’s growth, muscle development and is used to make various hormones and enzymes. Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. Our bodies can make some of these amino acids and there are some we can’t. The amino acids we can’t make are called “essential amino acids” and accordingly these are the ones that we need to get from our diet. Animal products (meat, chicken, dairy or fish) all contain these essential amino acids. Soy products and quinoa are two plant based foods that also contain all the essential amino acids. All other plant based foods usually lack at least one essential amino acid.
That doesn’t mean that you need to be consuming animal foods to get all the amino acids your body needs, eating a wide variety of plant foods is generally considered sufficient to get everything you need.
The table below gives you a guide as to how much protein your child needs each day (you’ll note that it goes by gender from age 9 to represent the differing needs as children hit puberty) and the pictorial below shows how easy it is for an 8yr old to meet their protein requirements. Bottom line - you don’t need to count your child’s protein intake, just work towards them eating a variety of food from each of the 5 core food groups (protein foods, vegetables, grains & cereals, fruit and dairy) each day. And because I know a lot of kids don’t like meat, I’ve included 20 ideas for protein rich lunch box foods that are meat free!
|
All ages |
Girls |
Boys |
1-3 yrs |
14g |
|
|
4- 8 yrs |
20g |
|
|
9 - 13yrs |
|
35g |
40g |
14 - 18yrs |
|
45g |
65g |
Protein Rich Non Meat Ideas for your Lunch Box
Baked goods with seeds - try our seedy cornflake slice
Tinned or roasted chickpeas
Hummus
Baked beans (in a thermos)
Smoothie or milk drink - use our insulated bottles to keep cold all the school day long
Cheese - slices, sticks or grated
Wholegrain or seedy crackers
Wholemeal bread - it’s higher in protein than white or choose a higher protein loaf
Peanut butter if allowed (many high schools allow)
Muesli Bars
High protein dry cereal like weet-bix high protein bites
Boiled egg
Yoghurt
Trail mix with pepitas or sunflower seeds or nuts if permitted
Quinoa based salad
Popcorn
Tinned 3 bean mix
Tofu
Endame
]]>A sensory eater is a child who has a particular preference for the texture, smell, taste or temperature of a food. When food doesn’t meet their specific preference, they can find the food extremely challenging to accept. Children with these issues are highly likely to have other sensory issues too (eg they may find noise overwhelming or constantly seek inout from their surroundings). Put all of these things together and it’s not surprising that a school lunch box can be a very overwhelming experience for a child.
There are many many kids that experience sensory issues with food, so if you are struggling with this know you’re not alone. An added difficulty that many parents now face is that it has become common place for schools and kindergartens to have in place some type of “healthy food policy”. Whilst I’m all for health promoting environments, i strongly feel these policies MUST just be guidelines only, and are very definitely NOT to be enforced or policed. Our food choices are complex and shaped by so many factors that it’s never ok to judge what another parent feeds their child - we’re all doing our best. With that in mind, here are my top tips to help you pack a lunch box if you have a sensory eater -
1. Use a Bento Style Lunch BoxI’m not trying to toot my own horn here, I just truly believe that this style of lunch box works best for kids with sensory issues. Having only one box to master opening and closing, is far less overwhelming. Having all of their food options on display also helps them to decide what they feel confident and comfortable eating at any given time. Keeping all the food separate is also a no brainer - it preserves the integrity of each item you are offering, and there’s no risk of one food “contaminating” another by touching it. Offering a small amount of a variety of accepted foods is also likely to be helpful - don’t go overboard, kids feel more confident if they have less not more good to eat.
2. Stick to their Preferred Foods
It’s tempting with all the healthy food policies and colourful lunch boxes you might see other people sending to want to replicate this for your own child. For most of the kids I’ve worked with, the school environment is rarely a place they are likely to experiment with a new food. Kids are most likely to try a new food in an environment where they feel safe should they need to spit it out or feel they might gag. Add in the other sensory issues they might be facing at school (a really noisy environment, the smell of other people’s lunches) and you’ll probably find that school is a place they eat less not more. I would also strongly encourage you to chat with your child’s teacher before the year starts about your child’s lunch box - it is preferable that you forewarn them that your child’s lunch box may not look like other kids, and whilst you are well aware of any healthy food policies that might exist, explain that adhering to this is simply not achievable for your child and why. Kid’s with sensory feeding difficulties really just need to be left alone with their lunch - pressure from teachers only serves to make them feel bad about themselves or their food choices and add further stress to an already difficult situation.
3. Know your Child’s Preferred Food Texture/Taste/Smell/Look
If you’re aware that your child has sensory issues, you’ve probably already considered that all of their food has something in common. If you haven’t it's well worth sitting down and trying to work out whether there is a common thread. Does your child have a preference for crunchy, smooth or soft foods? Do they like all beige or white foods? Are mixed texture foods a problem? Do they prefer everything sweet or salty or just very bland? Use this information to write out a master list of foods they might accept and use this for both packing the school lunchbox and meals and snacks that you might offer at home. If you feel a bit stuck a feeding therapist that specialises in this area can really help (that might be a dietitian, OT or Speech Pathologist)
4. Make the Food Easier to Handle
Touching food can be an issue for many kids. Simple additions to your lunch box such as some reusable food picks or food skewers for slippery or wet foods can be useful. Using a cookie or sandwich cutter to cut bread, fruit or veggies into shapes can make the food more appealing and less scary for many kids.
3. Consider the Eating Environment
As mentioned above kids with sensory eating challenges may have other sensory issues too. Sometimes addressing some of these issues can make the school meal time environment more enjoyable for your child. For example, are they better with supported seating rather than sitting on the grass, do they need a “wiggle cushion” to feel grounded and be able to focus on eating? Do they need to be separated slightly from other kids if the smell of other people’s lunches is too much? If some of these things can be sensitively accommodated it can be a big win.
Most of all I want to say to be kind to yourself. If your child needs the reassurance of seeing the same thing packed every single day in their lunch box, then so be it. The most important thing is that they are fed!! There are now many feeding clinics across Australia that specialise in helping kids with sensory feeding difficulties (or any feeding challenges for that matter). Whether you’re unsure if your child’s currently accepted foods are meeting their nutrient needs and want some reassurance on this front, or need some ideas to help gently expand their diet, a multi disciplinary clinic comprised of dietitians, OTs and speech pathologist can be really beneficial.
If you have a sensory eater - let me know in the comments below what you’ve found helpful when it comes to packing a school lunch box.
]]>I’ve been a paediatric dietitian for the past 20 yrs which means I’ve spent most of my adult life talking to parents about feeding their kids. Without a doubt I’d say the thing that stresses parents out the most, is the fact that their kids won’t eat vegetables. And I totally get it because my own kids are often reluctant vegetable eaters too.
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What I know though as a dietitian, is that fruit and cereal products (so other plant based foods) have many of the same nutrients as vegetables. If your kids eat these foods, it’s unlikely they have any nutrient deficiencies (although possibly their fibre intake is a bit low).
I am huge on role modelling the behaviour you want to see (and the evidence supports this too). This means that even though I know my kids might not eat the vegetables, they certainly get served them. When you fall into the habit of stopping offering foods that you’ve just accepted your kids don’t like, then your kids miss out on the opportunity to learn about and explore these foods. You want your kids to see vegetables appearing as many times as possible across the whole day so that they recognise that they are part of our diet (whether they chose to eat them or not!). And of course you need to be eating them in front of your kids too - don’t expect them to do something that you don’t do yourself! I truly believe that if you set the foundations for good eating habits during childhood ( serving mostly home cooked, fresh meals with plenty of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and quality proteins with smatterings of convenience foods as required) your kids will transition into adulthood recognising that this is the diet they will follow.
With that said, here are some ideas to serve up vegetables in the lunch box. The beauty of our lunch box is that it keeps all the food separate. Many kids are prone to finding their whole lunch box ruined if the cucumber has dared come into contact with their favourite crackers! The smallest compartment of our lunch box is also ideal as a “food exploration” zone. Use it to expose kids to small amounts of new vegetables that they might not have tried or just haven’t learnt to like yet. Always keep your offerings of new and non preferred foods to very small portions. This is much less likely to overwhelm your child and they may find a really small offering manageable. As always - don’t put any pressure on your child to eat the food you have provided and try not to comment on what does or does not come home from school. Keep your child’s lunch box a judgement free zone!
Vegetable Ideas:
Sides & Snacks:
- Try a chocolate avocado mousse for a sweet surprise (serve it in our large snack pot)
Main Event Ideas
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We can widely categorise bread into white, wholemeal and wholegrain varieties - within each of these categories there is now a fair amount of choice.
Somewhere between the low carb trend and the “clean eating” phenomenon white bread got a bad wrap. First and foremost I want to point out that all bread varieties deliver on nutrition and can be included in a healthy balanced diet. All bread varieties are a great source of B vitamins and carbohydrates, an essential fuel for our bodies.
White bread is made by removing the outer husk of wheat and finely milling it into a flour. The outer husk contains a lot of fibre as well as many of the other nutrients found in wheat, making white bread varieties naturally lower in both fibre and nutrients (B vitamins, vitamin E and zinc to name a few). I think most of us would agree that the processing of white bread delivers a mouth feel that most of us find appealing, and kids even more so. Therefore it’s not surprising to me that for kids, who are motivated by not much else outside of taste, the desire for white bread is strong. To compensate for the reduced fibre in white bread (and recognising that many kids prefer white) there are now many high fibre white options available. These are generally made by adding ingredients such as wheat fibre (insoluble fibre), soy flour or guar gum (forms of soluble fibre).
As a dietitian I have noticed a trend to fortify many of the foods kids find appealing with added soluble fibre (often inulin) - think sweet biscuits, muesli bars and alike. Whilst this is a helpful strategy to improve fibre intakes amongst kids in particular, it should be noted that you need both soluble and insoluble fibre for optimal gut health. Insoluble fibre (some like to call this roughage) is found in seeds, nuts, the outer husk of cereals and fruits and vegetables. Insoluble fibre, like the name suggests, does not dissolve in water. It adds bulk to your stools and improves removal of waste from your gut. I see many kids who are getting lots of soluble fibre through fortified foods and alike but are lacking in insoluble fibre which is still causing them gut issues.
Sourdough is a variety of (usually) white bread that’s worth a special mention. Yes we all went a bit crazy trying to make it ourselves at home during lockdown, but that aside, if you enjoy the slightly sour taste then you might like to know that it’s also low GI (Glycaemic Index) meaning it releases glucose more slowly into your blood stream. This is notable, as most white bread is high GI. The long fermentation process also makes traditional sourdough suitable for those following a low FODMAP diet.
Wholemeal breads are made by grinding the entire wheat husk into a flour. Wholemeal flour therefore naturally contains more fibre and nutrition. Wholemeal is often the ideal choice for kids as it lacks the “bits” of grainy bread, and has a smooth mouth feel.
It also has a lower GI than white bread, meaning it delivers glucose more slowly into the blood stream.
Multigrain bread is a variety that often causes confusion. Multigrain bread is usually still made from white wheat flour but has added seeds or grains. It delivers more nutrition than white bread but I’d honestly skip this category and go straight to the wholegrain varieties.
Wholegrain bread is made from wholemeal flour that then has added seeds and or grains mixed through it. It gets the highest points for nutrition as it’s loaded with fibre, protein and nutrients like vitamin E and B vitamins as well as being low GI. It’s your best choice, but I know many kids really don’t enjoy the texture or the taste - and that’s ok!
What about fortified breads?
Since 2009 Australia has had mandatory fortification of wheat bread with iodised salt and folic acid. This has been a huge public health campaign that’s made significant inroads into the health of the nation. Before mandatory fortification of bread it was estimated that up to 60% of women of child bearing age were getting inadequate iodine, that’s now fallen to 9% whilst intakes of folate have increased by over 100%. Adequate iodine is vitally important for preventing neurological problems in children and folic acid is associated with preventing neural tube defects in pregnancy. It should be noted that breads labelled as “organic” are exempt from fortification.
Aside from mandatory fortification, there are now breads available fortified with novel nutrients such as iron, calcium and fish oils. If you’re worried that your child’s diet is low in these nutrients then choosing to use products with extra fortification can be helpful.
What do I choose?
It’s worth noting that kids will learn to eat from what is offered. When my kids were younger, Bakers Delight Cape Seed loaf was my go to bread. I still love it because it delivers on both nutrition and taste. No surprises here though, as my kids have made their way out into the world they have discovered white bread and become more fussy and demand to have what they see everyone else with. This means I’ve had to compromise a little which is perfectly fine, because I truly believe that all food fits within a healthy diet.
My go to bread is now Wonder Wholemeal with Iron. I think the iron fortification in bread can be really useful for young kids that may still struggle to eat meat. My kids are all pretty good with meat, but I like the extra fortification. I also buy one loaf of white bread a week so my kids know they are heard. Most recently I’ve been giving them “Wonder Wholegrain Smooth White”. This is a hybrid between a white high fibre and a wholemeal loaf and I really quite like it. It contains 18% wholegrain flour (yes I know, not much, but it’s something) and also contains added wheat fibre and acacia gum to boost the fibre content. I also like that this bread has a faint hint of “brown” colour. I think this can be useful for kids who are stuck on white bread as it may help them make the transition to wholemeal.
On the weekends we are quite likely to buy a loaf of sourdough - white if the kids get their request and a seedy wholegrain variety if I get my choice. Toasted seedy sourdough with avocado, feta and a poached egg makes a great weekend lunch or brunch.
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A good vegan diet requires more effort than just pasta and sauce, especially for children, who have very particular nutritional needs. If you are going to embark on a vegan diet, having a thorough understanding of the nutrients that are at risk and having a plan for how you will meet them, is key. Below is a summary of the key nutrients you need to consider for children following a vegan diet and some lunch box ideas to help you achieve them.
Energy (calories) - The vegan diet can be lower in energy because of the large number of vegetables consumed. Whilst this might be a good thing for adults looking to lose a bit of weight, for children who are growing rapidly it can be a problem. Balancing the vegetables in a meal with good quality wholegrain carbohydrates (eg rice, pearl barley, quinoa, wholemeal pasta) and a protein source, will help ensure each meal has adequate energy.
Protein - If a wide variety of plant food is eaten and energy intake is adequate, then it is generally agreed that protein intake will meet your child’s needs. Without adequate amounts of protein and energy, children can fall behind with their growth. The key here is eating from a wide range of plant based foods. Unlike animal foods, not all plant based foods contain the “complete” range of amino acids required by our bodies. By eating a wide variety of different plant based foods, a complete range of amino acids will be consumed.
Lunch Box Ideas: Tofu, Soy milk used to make a chia pudding, soy yoghurt, beans & legumes (eg chickpeas- tinned or roasted, hummus or white bean dip), add seeds to your baked items
Ideally these higher protein foods should be consumed at every meal.
Iron - Iron from plant foods (called non-haem iron) is not as well absorbed as animal sources. Phytates and polyphenols (naturally occurring compounds in vegetables) inhibit the absorption of iron, whilst the presence of vitamin C (naturally present in many fruits and vegetables) can help improve absorption. Over time the human body is able to adapt to a diet with low iron bioavailability ( a measure of how well iron can be absorbed from foods).
Lunch Box Ideas: Fortified foods such as weetbix bites or cheerios, iron fortified bread, add seeds to your baked goods, include beans and legumes as suggested above. Serve these foods with fruits like strawberries, citrus or rockmelon which are all high in vitamin C.
Calcium - Calcium absorption from plant foods high in oxalate is generally poor (eg spinach). White beans, tahini, chia, calcium set tofu and almonds are all reasonable sources of calcium.
For children their most reliable source of calcium will be from a calcium fortified plant milk such as soy milk.
Lunch Box Ideas: Soy yoghurts fortified with calcium, use calcium fortified soy milk to make a chia pudding.
Iodine - Good sources of iodine for Vegan’s include sea vegetables (eg nori sheets) and iodised salt. diet. In Australia all commercial bread products that are not labelled as “artisan or organic” must be fortified with iodine. For most children using these fortified products together with iodised salt in cooking should be sufficient to meet their needs.
Lunch Box Ideas: Roasted Nori Sheets, Bread that contains iodised salt
Vitamin B -12 - B12 is not found in plant foods. B12 fortified foods in Australia include soy milk, soy burgers and alike, as well as some yeast spreads. Checking the ingredient list of these products will tell you whether they are fortified or not. The nutrition information panel will tell you how much B12 is present in the food. Discuss with you Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) or general practitioner whether your child is getting enough from their diet or needs a supplement.
Lunch Box Ideas: Use B12 fortified soy milk for smoothies (use our range of insulated bottles to keep them cold for the whole school day) or chia puddings.
Vitamin D - as most vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, vegan infants and children will generally receive sufficient amounts so long as their skin is exposed to sunlight each day.
Fatty acids - EPA and DHA are n-3 fatty acids that are important for brain, eye and heart health.
Seafoods such as oily fish (eg salmon) are some of the best sources, whilst meat and eggs provide lesser amounts. ALA is a plant based n-3 fatty acid that our body can convert into EPA and DHA. ALA is found in nuts and seeds, with flaxseed, chia, avocado and walnuts all being good sources. Olive oil is also a good source.
Lunch Box Ideas: Try guacamole dip and crackers, add avocado to sandwiches or serve a 1/2 avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of salt. Add seeds to baked goods. Try a chia pudding.
Choosing the right plant based milk for your child is critical to ensuring they are getting enough energy, protein and calcium in their diet. A calcium fortified milk soy milk is the best choice for vegan children. Ideally chose a soy milk that contains at least 100mg of calcium per 100ml and preferably one that is also fortified with vitamin B12. Depending on how much of this milk your child drinks, they may not need additional B12 supplements. Soy milks have some of the highest protein contents of plant based milks and are therefore ideal for growing children. Other plant based milks include almond, rice and coconut. These milks however, tend to be lower in energy and protein and therefore are not the first choice for vegan children. If your child has an allergy to soy products speak with an accredited practising dietitian about the best choice of alternative milk that will tick all of their dietary needs.
Julia
Paediatric Dietitian, APD
]]>Coming up with endless lunch box ideas is hard work isn't it? I know those really small sections of any lunch box can really have people scratching their head as to what to pack. Never fear, I have plenty of ideas for you. These also work well in our mini snack pot. Keep in mind that all sections of our lunch box are sealed tight by the silicone seal on the lid, which means thick liquids are okay too.
Happy Packing!
- Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries
- Tinned or roasted chickpeas or fava beans
- Chocolate coated chickpeas
- The Mood Food Company's Natural Well Being Bars
- Dried cereal like Weet-Bix Bites, Cheerios or Fruit Bites (these are a great source of fibre and are fortified with nutrients like iron which can be beneficial for many kids)
- Trail Mix - use the dried cereal above as your base and add in mini marshmallows, pepitas, cranberries, sultanas, toasted coconut flakes and choc chips
- Soy crisps
- Dried fruit like apricots, apple rings, sultanas, banana chips
- Yoghurt buttons
- Dip or cream cheese
- Cheese cubes
- Nuts if your school permits them (likely only high schools in Australia)
- Chocolate bliss balls or Choc-Orange lunch box truffles
- A little treat - my kids love a couple of squares of Cadbury Old Gold Chocolate
- Bel Vita Mini Breakfast Biscuits
- Baby Bel Cheese
- Granola Clusters (great for dipping or adding to your yoghurt)
- Mini Pretzels
- A couple of squares of apricot delight
- Grapes - cut length ways if your child is under 4yrs to avoid choking
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