Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

• How to get your kid to eat salad: More from the Great Big Vegetable Challenge. This time a successful strategy for encouraging children to eat salad. * Potassium: A good little summary of why we need potassium – yet more reasons to eat vegies. * Grated carrot and beetroot salad: This week Chocolate & Zucchini posted a beautiful recipe for grated carrot and beetroot salad. It’s easy, there are options to provide variety and look at the colour. ...

Read more 14 March, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

• Delicious soup: Poucan has a recipe for lemon and chickpea soup. It takes a bit of time to cook, but is super-easy and looks delicious. * Watercress soup: I blame it on the rain we’ve had this week, but I can’t go past soup recipes. And Wendy has a doozy – watercress soup. Look at that vibrant green and just think of all the antioxidants. * Food for fussy kids: Annabel Karmel’s website is all about food and …

Read more 08 February, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

• Obesity: Fascinating article on CalorieLab about the difference between Japanese and American cultures, food habits and attitudes to obesity. It’s written by Makiko from Just Hungry. There’s a follow up perspective here. * Beetroot soup: It’s been at least a month since I linked to the last beetroot recipe, so how could I pass up the opportunity to show off Green Gourmet Giraffe’s chunky beetroot soup with kidney beans? * Don’t know what to do with fish? Why …

Read more 25 January, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Should manufacturers be allowed to advertise junk food to children? This is one of the key questions being discussed at the Consumers International conference in Sydney. The cartoon character Shrek featured heavily in food promotion earlier this year. Toys are regularly used as giveaways in cereal boxes and at fast food outlets. Many food manufacters have websites featuring games and giveaways. It’s no longer enough to market food products to parents. Instead manufacturers are now directly targeting kids. Concerns …

Read more 30 October, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

The next question in Q & A Thursday is from Andrew and he’s asking about feeding kids : bq. We work hard to try and give our kids a healthy variety of food, but sometimes their appetites are unexpectedly huge, they can eat a whole plate of quality food and still be super hungry (especially at dinner) . . . To avoid junk after dinner, we often end up giving them bananas, toast or weetbix as they are available, ...

Read more 27 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

With much fanfare the government has announced the CSIRO Wellbeing Plan for Australian Children. It’s a ten point plan, covering healthy eating and lifestyle advice. The plan is aimed at helping parents to ensure their children are eating well and developing health habits. Under the programme fridge magnets are being distributed to primary school children and the CSIRO’s website has been ramped up with lots more information and resources. According to the CSIRO: bq. The CSIRO Wellbeing Plan for …

Read more 25 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

The newly formed Obesity Policy Coalition have called for GST to be added to sweet breakfast cereals. GST is already added to cakes, biscuits and confectionary and the OPC believe sugary cereals should be included in this category, as they’re “junk food dressed up as breakfast cereal”. The OPC includes obesity experts from the Victorian Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia (Victoria) and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Obesity Prevention at Deakin University. They are concerned about the increasing rates of overweight …

Read more 12 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I posted a link last week to an article on encouraging your kids to eat a healthy diet, but research from the UK also shows that up to 80 percent of children’s tendency to avoid unfamiliar foods may be inherited. A reluctance to try new foods is called food neophobia and in the past it would have been an evolutionary advantage – preventing exposure to potentially poisonous foods. The team surveyed the parents of over 5,000 twins aged between 8 …

Read more 11 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

The latest GI newsletter includes a useful list of suggestions on how to get your children to eat well. The number one suggestion is one I often give to parents “if you do it, they will too”: bq. Children are primed and ready to follow examples set by others – parents, babysitters, nannies, the day care centre teacher. So the key strategy is that you and those you hire to care for your kids ‘model’ a healthy lifestyle simply by …

Read more 04 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

• For all of you having problems with those afternoon munchies, Chew On This has some good advice on taming food cravings. Paula quotes research from the Journal of Applied Psychology which found “rather than actively trying not to think about the food you crave, it’s better to focus on an image of something completely different”. * Despite it’s salt content, I’m a big, big fan of haloumi – which means this dish from Figs, Olives and Wine is going …

Read more 10 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I’ve blogged before about school canteens and different measures being taken by schools and communities to improve the food they offer. One class in Las Vegas have taken the matter into their own hands and a quiet revolution is occurring. The problem was the kids hated the reheated frozen green beans offered during lunches. Instead of staying silent, they organised a polite letter-writing campaign, with their teacher. While complimenting the canteen staff on the food they cooked, all the kids …

Read more 06 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Labor have announced wide ranging measures to curtail the advertising of unhealthy foods to children, if they win power. The policy details are still being finalised, however Nicola Roxon yesterday outlined the plan. Measures will include: * stopping the advertising of junk food on free-to-air TV, during children’s prime viewing times * preventing the use of cartoon and kids TV characters to promote food in supermarkets * reviewing the guidelines for promotional campaigns and competitions in all forms of media, ...

Read more 31 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Over the weekend I read about the Food Dudes: Charlie, Tom, Raz and Rocco. These four superheroes battle the Junk Punks, who are plotting to take away the energy of the world, by depriving everyone of fruit and veg. The leader of the Junk Punks is General Junk, an evil, grumpy man who is as unhealthy as he is miserable. The Food Dudes get their special powers from eating lots of fruit and veg! True it’s a bit cheesy, ...

Read more 23 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

My favourite quote from yesterday’s Good Living came in Simon Thomsen’s review of Glebe Point diner: bq. My two-year-old son was enjoying his linguine with fabulous veal meatballs and olives ($18) until he tasted Daddy’s flash-fried baby squid ($16) – gently crunchy from a light salt-and-pepper dusting – and scoffed the rest. At least he left me some of the pungently garlicky aioli. It seems that not all kids are difficult eaters . . . h3. Reminder “Q & A …

Read more 04 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Following up on my last post about protein, I now want to get down to the specifics of Keltie’s question – how do you get enough protein when breastfeeding? h3. Do you need more protein when breastfeeding? When you’re breastfeeding you do need more protein. Your diet is not only providing your own nutrition, but you’re also making milk to satisty your baby’s nutritional needs. At this time you need 1.1g of protein per kilogram of body weight. Therefore a …

Read more 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Question number one, for this week’s Q&A Thursday is from Keltie: bq. Our family is vegetarian and I’m currently breastfeeding. I’m worried about my protein intake and also protein for my baby once he starts on solids. how do I ensure we are getting enough? Protein is important for all of us. While it’s one of the nutrients vegetarians need to be careful about, in clinic I also see many omnivores who are not eating enough protein. Keltie, I’m going …

Read more 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

The calls to ban junk food advertising to kids has been gaining momentum recently. With parents and medical bodies increasingly concerned about childhood obesity and health, preventing the marketing of foods high in fat, sugar and sodium to children is seen as one important step. Concern over the possibility of a British-style ban and, wanting to prevent advertising from becoming an issue in this year’s federal election, food manufacturers have started to ditch adverts aimed at children . Kraft, Heinz, ...

Read more 12 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

• Overseas action on junk food advertising to kids: tomorrow the UK parliament is having its second reading of a bill aimed at preventing the advertising on TV of foods high in fat, sugar and sodium before 9pm (when in theory young children have stopped watching and gone to bed). * According to Rudd Sound Bites, Starbucks in the US is about to make reduced fat milk the standard in a lot of its drinks. * I like this breakfast …

Read more 08 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Nutritionists and dieticians often emphasise the importance of not eating dinner in front of the TV. I frequently encourage clients to switch off and have their dinner at the table, at least a few times a week. Paula Goodyer has just posted about why this is important. Eating together and away from the goggle-box allows the whole family to talk to each other and connect. However, more than that, it’s all about food associations: bq. Just as going to the …

Read more 06 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Claire has asked a question about mercury and tinned tuna: bq. We eat a lot of tinned tuna in our family, maybe once or twice a week, sometimes more. We use Serina tuna in oil mostly, and I have concerns about the mercury content of such a product . . . should we be avoiding tinned tuna? Claire thanks for your question and the short answer is, no, you don’t have to worry about mercury in tinned tuna. h3. Mercury …

Read more 31 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

A new study shows where you live can influence your health. It’s not surprising news, but this three year study by the University of Melbourne has shown the more fast food outlets and the fewer walking tracks a suburb has, the more unhealthy its residents. Location affects the food residents eat, the amount of exercise they do and their weight. The report looked at 50 different areas and the food purchasing and exercise habits of about 5,000 residents. The study …

Read more 28 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I’ve written before on strategies for getting kids to eat more vegetables. Even the best eaters tend to go through a phase where they “go off” vegies. Persistence and consistency are important, but sometimes meals are in danger of becoming a battlefield. In that situation I recommend vegies by stealth: bq. Hide the vegetables in what you’re making. Add vegetables to soups and then puree the lot; make a risotto with the vegetables grated through; make fritters and burgers that …

Read more 25 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

US Food Policy reports on the anti-childhood obesity programme in Somerville, MA. Called Shape Up Somerville, it’s an example of what happens when a whole community joins together to tackle this problem. A wide range of measures have been set in motion, offering a school, parent and community programme that comes at the issue from several angles: * By improving the food served in school canteens * Including healthy eating as part of the school curriculum * Encouraging after …

Read more 17 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

The calls for restrictions on junk foods advertising to kids are gaining momentum .

Read more 16 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

According to the latest Parent’s Jury newsletter it’s increasingly common for food companies to collect personal information about children and adolescents through websites, competitions and promotions. This information is often used to market directly to kids through emails, sms and direct mail. I guess this has always taken place, I can certainly remember filling out vouchers for competitions and giveaways when I was younger. The key difference now is the ease and cheapness of sending out information. Printing letters and …

Read more 10 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Following the recent court case highlighting msleading claims about the nutritional content of Ribena, GlaxoSmithKline have withdrawn the vitamin C statement from it’s packaging. As John Sayers, Manager Consumer Healthcare in Australia says on their website: bq. “Recently you may have heard about some issues relating to Ribena “ready to drink” products. We stated that some Ribena products contained a level of Vitamin C that was incorrect. The testing method used to determine the level of Vitamin C was unreliable …

Read more 08 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Choice have set up a new website called Food For Kids to help decipher the hype and health claims that are made about children’s food. At Food For Kids you can: * look at the latest product reviews * check the nutrititonal values of a whole range of kids’ foods * nominate a food you want Choice to assess There are also opportunities to take part in their campaigns (they’re currently lobbying Kellogg’s to make healthier children’s cereals) and they …

Read more 07 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Some good advice from Choice on juices for babies. Golden Circle, Heinz and Just Juice have started selling specific Baby Juice. Despite the packaging and marketing, they’re nothing extraordinary, but are simply watered down to better suit the baby’s digestive system. The choice advice includes: * Always dilute it for your child – about one part of juice to one or two parts of water gets the sugars down to a level they can manage. * Never give juice or …

Read more 31 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

As I’ve blogged about , juices are not necessarily all they’re cracked up to be. Yes, they contain vitamins and antioxidants, but that’s mixed up with a whole lot of kilojoules and no fibre. 1 glass of orange juice (ie 250ml) is more than 500 kilojoules, which is equal to : * 2 bananas * 3 small apples * 3 punnets of fresh strawberries * 3 oranges * 2 tablespoons of sultanas So, if you’re drinking a few glasses of …

Read more 30 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

A while back Cooking Chat asked a question in the comments on my post about antioxidant supplements – are juices a good way to get your daily fruit serves? I can totally understand the attraction of juice – they’re sweet, easy to consume, tasty, no fussy cutting up or messy fingers at the end, you can buy them anywhere and they’re made from fruit, so they must be good for you? However, it’s not that simple. Fruit is part of …

Read more 28 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

School science projects can lead to unlikely results – GlaxoSmithKline were caught out on their ribena claims by two New Zealand schoolgirls . Two years ago Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo, a couple of 14-year-old high school students tested the vitamin C levels in Ribena. Not only did they find it contained very little vitamin C, they also found at least one commercial orange juice brand which had four times more vitamin C than Ribena. I’m wondering if this is …

Read more 27 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Ribena manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline have dobbed themselves in to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for misleading advertising. Apparently their claim that ribena contains four times more vitamin C than oranges, is not entirely true. They are already under investigation in New Zealand and will be in court next week facing more than 80 charges relating to misleading claims. Back in January Choice included ribena in their list of the _ * Ten foods that make kids fatter faster ...

Read more 22 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Good advice from Bill Granger this week on how to feed fussy eaters. In response to a question, he suggests: bq. Feeding young children can be trying at the best of times, but with these challenges please don’t let her fussy eating get the better of you. All children go through periods of not eating different foods and wanting only starchy carbohydrates. It is natural for children, or all of us, especially when we’re tired, to go for carbs because …

Read more 21 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I’ve been reading a lot in the media recently about the Parents Jury . Set up by Diabetes Australia, the Cancer Council and the Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity, the Parents Jury is an online resource and forum enabling parents to discuss children’s food, health and physical activity. Through collective advocacy, they are targeting food industry marketing tactics, aiming to reduce the marketing of products to young children. And it’s not just about television adverts. The Parents Jury …

Read more 19 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

News in the weekend herald of another organic school canteen, this time it’s Newtown High School of Performing Arts . They’re the first high school in NSW to have a completely organic canteen. Soft drinks, ice-creams and junk food have been replaced by nori rolls, juices and fresh fruit. In the last few years, the State government, through the NSW Canteen Association , has been actively encouraging school canteens to get healthier. While only a couple are going organic, many …

Read more 22 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

On the subject of school lunches, this week’s herald also contained an article about Normanhurst West Public School’s canteen, where the school and parents have realised: bq. a good, healthy canteen is good for their child, just as good as sport The menu features dishes called barbecue piranhas, shark-attack fish burgers and the Alpine gourmet sandwich. One of their biggest sellers is the Crunch and Munch snack, a plastic cup containing carrot, celery, cherry tomatoes and crinklecut cheddar. No soft …

Read more 03 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Kids were back to school this week and Good Living had some lunchbox ideas from Bill Granger – mountain bread wraps with hummous, a Greek-style pasta salad, along with a simple Chinese rice salad. All the recipes are easy to make and have a nice balance of protein, low GI carbohydrates and vegetables. Simply add some fruit , a yoghurt and a bottle of water and you’ve got a healthy lunchbox. There are also some cute ideas for sparking up …

Read more 03 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Reports on the news and in the papers yesterday about the latest Choice report – this time into kids’ snacks. The foods listed in the Choice study are all targeted and marketed to kids and their parents and most of them are also promoted as being healthy, however they’re shockers. I’ve talked before about the problems with kids’ food , ie foods that are branded, marketed and promoted to children. Once you look past the dodgy marketing claims, they’re simply …

Read more 23 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

A lovely idea to encourage littlies to cook (and be more interested in good food) – buy a subscription to Clever Little Cooks . Each month they’ll send your child a cooking package through the post, which includes two recipe cards, an easy-to-use kitchen implement, newsletter, as well as information on healthy food choices. Each package is themed, for example around seasons or upcoming cultural festivals. This month’s recipes are based around Australia Day and include mini meat pies and …

Read more 16 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are very important during pregnancy for the healthy development of the bub’s central nervous system. Omega 3s can be found in fish, nuts (walnuts are especially high), linseeds, Omega 3 eggs, canola oil, soy and some margarines. In recent years, concern that some fish may contain mercury levels harmful to the baby, has led to much confusion. While Omega 3s help the development of the central nervous system, mercury actually impairs this development and functioning, ...

Read more 15 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Gastrokid.com are putting together a world-wide guide to kid-friendly restaurants and they’re going to include a google map, pointing to all the sites. What an excellent idea. I’ve just nominated two Sydney places ( Hopscotch in Annandale and The Barn in Rozelle), but that’s it so far for Australia. If you have any suggestion, leave them in the comments on the gastrokid site.

Read more 13 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

Some interesting resources on the website of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest . These are the guys threatening legal action against Enviga , for misleading advertising. The CSPI are based in the US and some of the brands and issues they mention are not relevant to us, here in Australia. However, their website has a section for kids and I particularly like the ””Trust Gus? quiz . The scenario: bq. Gus Bogus is a food industry spokesman …

Read more 13 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I’ve blogged before about the importance of vegetables and how to get your kids to eat more of them , for more tips here’s a great list from the Nutrition for Kids website.

Read more 03 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I arrived at the Nutrition for Kids website via a link from the excellent Shaping Youth blog and I’m loving it. The homepage is mainly advertising for Connie Evers books and teaching resources, but the back copies of their newsletter are a gold mine – full of excellent information, resources and links. I’ve been happily clicking, downloading and subscribing away. There is a weekly report on new research, as well as lots of useful links . I’m going to add …