Happy Eaters
The March 2007 edition of the Sainsbury's Magazine has some interesting articles and advice about healthy eating and in the next three weeks we will be sharing that information with you in the Weekly Bulletins.

School lunches have been overhauled and rules on what can and cannot be advertised on children's TV are finally being taken in hand. Such moves certainly help, but if, as a parent, you are sometimes left wondering what actually constitutes a healthy diet for children, then you are not alone!

Making sure they eat nutritious foods isn't always easy, but the advantages do not end with the fact that they will grow at the "right" rate, develop strong bones and have less need for dental work. There are plenty of less obvious advantages that make your life as a parent easier. Well-nourished children, for example, concentrate better at school, are less likely to be affected by hyperactivity and dyslexia, and are less prone to infections.
What is a balanced diet?

Looking back at how our grandparents used to eat will give you a good idea of how to feed children in a balanced way. On the whole, people then ate three meals a day that were based on starchy, unrefined carbohydrates such as porridge, wholemeal bread or potatoes. To this they added some protein, such as milk, eggs, meat, chicken or fish, plus vegetables and fruit. In other words, simple, straightforward food.

Of course, the reality is that we live in very different times. Our choices have expanded. This can be a good thing if we stick to the same principles. We can have muesli or wheat flakes for breakfast as an alternative to porridge. We have pitta breads and tortilla wraps, as well as bread, pasta and noodles as a change from potatoes.

No to junk food?

We also live in times when children are exposed to endless crisps, sweets, biscuits, cakes and drinks, which are particularly tempting when advertised using cartoon characters. It is almost impossible to ban such foods. Given this, aiming to stick to the 80/20 rule is probably best. Essentially this means that 80% of the time you help your children to make healthy choices and have balanced meals. The other 20% of the time, children can enjoy some of the less healthy foods on offer. In practical terms this means up to one portion of fatty or sugary foods daily - maybe a pack of reduced crisps, a few biscuits or a pudding.
Healthy Eating Guidelines
GRAINS AND POTATOES (4-6 servings)
Bread, sugar-free breakfast cereals, potatoes, noodles, rice, pasta, tortilla wraps, sweet potatoes, parsnips, couscous, bulgur wheat. These foods give energy and B vitamins and, when wholegrain, provide fibre. Servings should be about the size of your child's fist.
PROTEIN-RICH FOODS (2 servings)
Lean meat, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, pulses, Quorn. These foods give children protein, which is crucial for growth, along with vital minerals such as iron for concentration. A good guide is to give a serving that is the size of your child's palm.
CALCIUM-RICH FOODS (2 servings)
Milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium-enriched soya milk, tinned fish with edible bones. Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth. Give whole milk to children under two; semi-skimmed from two to five; skimmed is okay from five years if the child isn't underweight. A serving is a glass of milk, a yogurt, or 75g of tofu or tinned fish.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES (2 servings of fruit and 3 of any veg)
These can include any that your children enjoy. It is best to aim for variety so that you are feeding them lots of different vitamins, minerals and supernutrients. Mixing and matching as many flavours and colours as possible is a good idea to ensure that they get a balance of protective nutrients.
SALT (children aged over 11 - 6g max)
Excess salt is difficult for children's kidneys to cope with and can cause blood-pressure problems. Home-cook as much as possible to enable you to monitor intakes. Avoid products with more than 0.5g of sodium (1.5g of salt) per 100g. A low-salt food has less than 0.1g (0.25g salt) per 100g.
SUGAR (children 11 to 14 - 3½ tablespoons/50g max)
On nutrition labels, if you see that a food has more than 10g of sugar per 100g it is a high-sugar food. If it has less than 2g of sugar per 100g, it is a low-sugar food.
 
Cool School Lunchboxes
The March 2007 of the Sainsbury's Magazine has some interesting articles and advice about healthy eating which we wish to share with you. Tempt your children to eat healthily with these ideas and try to include the following in their lunchboxes:
A PORTION OF STARCHY FOOD
Wholemeal bread, chapatti, pitta pocket, wrap, bagel, rice cakes, oatcakes, crispbreads, currant bun, plain popcorn, breadsticks, scone, rice salad or pasta.
PLENTY OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
Apple, satsuma, cherry tomatoes, grapes or vegetable sticks, small box of raisins, small pots of fruit salad or dried fruit, or small tins of fruit in natural juice.
A PORTION OF MILK OR DAIRY FOOD
Individual cheese portion or a pot of yogurt.
A PORTION OF LEAN MEAT, FISH OR ALTERNATIVE
Ham, chicken, beef, tuna, egg, humous, or bean or lentil salad.
A DRINK
Keeps children hydrated, which helps them to be alert and improves concentration. The ideal drink is still or sparkling water. Other good choices are flavoured water (check the label for added sugars), milk, diluted low-sugar squash, unsweetened fruit juices (buy a litre of fruit juice and decant into small bottles rather than buying mini sizes), long-life skimmed milk and yogurt drinks. Milk drinks act as snacks and are good for calcium.
 
Family Friendly Fast Food
The March 2007 edition of the Sainsbury's Magazine has some interesting articles and advice about healthy eating which we wish to share with you. Your children will be full of energy with these healthy snacks and lunches.
CRUDITÉS
Wash and prepare, in bite-size pieces, an assortment of interesting fruit and vegetables, such as celeriac slivers, apple wedges, pepper sticks, fennel slices, broccoli florets, celery sticks, cucumber chunks or courgette slices. If necessary, these will keep safely in a sealed food bag in the fridge for 2-3 days. Dip into low-fat mayonnaise or low-fat dips.
CHICKEN AND GRAPE SALAD
Serves 3-4. Mix together 110g (4oz) cooked chicken with 2 spring onions, chopped, a handful of grapes, 110g tinned or fresh pineapple. 110g fresh, chopped mango and a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Use to top jacket potatoes of fill pitta breads or tortilla wraps.
SUPERFOOD COUSCOUS
Serves 3-4. Mix together 125g (4½oz) couscous, soaked, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 red or yellow pepper, 125g cooked peas, seeds of 1 pomegranate and 1 apple, chopped. Mix with 110g cooked chicken, salmon, smoked mackerel, ham, cooked sausage or a hard-boiled egg. For variation, add cucumber, celery or sweetcorn.
FRUIT SALAD
Invent your own combinations using fresh fruits, tinned fruit in natural juice and dried fruit. Add extra pure fruit juice if necessary, and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice, which will help the fruit to stay fresh. Can be stored in a sealed food container in the fridge for 2-3 days.