Healthy Eating for Kids: Over 100 Meal Ideas, Recipes and Healthy Eating Tips for Children,Second Rev.Edition

161 Pages·2007·17.65 MB·English

by  Anita Bean

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healthy eating
for kids over 100 meal ideas,
recipes and healthy
eating tips for children
anita bean
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First published 2004 by
A & C Black Publishers Ltd
38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB
www.acblack.com
Second edition 2007
Copyright © 2004, 2007 Anita Bean
ISBN-13: 978 0 7136 8260 1
eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0414-9
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
form or by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval
systems – without the prior permission in writing of the publishers.
The right of Anita Bean to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library.
Note: It is always the responsibility of the individual to assess his or
her own fitness capability before participating in any training
activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the content of
this book is as technically accurate as possible, neither the author nor
the publishers can accept responsibility for any injury or loss
sustained as a result of the use of this material.
Text and cover design by James Watson
Cover photographs of children eating courtesy of © Bananastock Images/
Punchstock
Cover photographs of food courtesy of © Comstock Images
This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in
managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The
logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental
regulations of the country of origin.
Typeset by Fakenham Photosetting in Norfolk
Printed and bound in South China by Wing King Tong
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contents
introduction............................................. iv
acknowledgements and foreword................ v
1
what should children eat?........................... 7
2
going green............................................ 29
3
big kids.................................................. 41
4
tricky little customers............................... 53
5
how to survive shopping with the children .. 61
6
healthy eating at school............................ 71
7
packing a healthy lunch box...................... 79
8
active kids.............................................. 93
9
fun with food........................................ 105
10
good health on a plate............................ 111
11
recipes................................................. 122
further information ................................ 158
index................................................... 159
recipe index.......................................... 160 iii
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introduction
What this book is about:
eating for life
Unlike other books on kids’ food, this one doesn’t preach To make it easier, try following these ten 10 key steps:
an evangelical diet, nor assume you have plenty of time to
1 Teach by example – if they see you enjoying healthy
cook interesting meals. It’s about feeding your child in the
meals, they’re more likely to do the same.
real world – healthily.
Here I’ve endeavoured to combine my expertise as a 2 Keep to the 80/20 rule – if children eat a balanced
nutritionist, my knowledge as a health writer and my diet around 80 per cent of the time, then they’re free
experience as a mother. It’s one thing to know what to enjoy other foods they want the other 20 per cent
children ought to eat, it’s another making them eat it. of the time.
Many a time has my patience been tested as my own 3 Be consistent – decide on your ground rules (what is
children refuse vegetables, reject balanced meals, or pester and isn’t allowed) and stick to them.
me in the supermarket for foods they’ve seen advertised on
4 Be persistent – children’s tastes change and they will
the TV.
eventually learn to like what they’re given.
I also know how difficult it can be to say no when
5 Involve them – include your children in menu
children insist on unhealthy snacks because their friends
planning, shopping and cooking as early as possible.
eat them, or when they’d rather nibble on chocolate than
an orange. I also know how demanding it is preparing 6 Share mealtimes when you can and feed your
endless healthy meals and snacks and I am well aware of children the same food you eat yourself.
the amount of patience needed to survive family
7 Make children feel valued – that way they’ll be more
mealtimes.
likely to make healthier food and activity choices.
That’s why I wanted to share some of my tips in this
8 Don’t ban any food – it will only increase your
book. This second edition of Healthy Eating for Kids
child’s desire for it – and don’t use food as a reward.
includes new sections on kids’ fitness, feeding active kids,
food labels and school meals. I have also added new 9 Make meals as attractive, varied and imaginative as
information from scientific studies on kids’ nutrition as you can.
well as some new recipes. Most of the recipes now have 10 Keep treat foods as treats and bring them into the
lovely colour photos to inspire you to make them – house only on special occasions.
hopefully!
One thing is clear: what children eat now has a big I hope you’ll find this book useful and inspirational.
impact on their health, fitness and – importantly – what
Anita
they’ll be eating in years to come. Establishing healthy
eating habits today will give your children the best start
in life.
iv
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acknowledgements
Thanks as ever to my husband, Simon, for keeping cool
during life’s most hectic moments; and to my beautiful
daughters, Chloe and Lucy, for giving me theopportunities
to put everything in this book into practice – including
shopping trips, family mealtime tactics, packing their
lunchboxes, devising healthy menus and recipes (that they
will eat), cooking with them (and putting up with a very
messy kitchen!) – but, best of all, for rewarding me with
their enthusiasm for, and love of, healthy food.
I would also like to thank Linda Bird for her editorial
expertise, and the wonderful team at A & C Black,
especially Charlotte Croft, Rob Foss and Lucy Beevor for
making this book possible. Anita’s daughters: Chloe (left) and Lucy (right).
foreword
I was delighted when asked to write the foreword for this A book about children’s nutrition therefore needs to be
second edition. I have recommended the first edition of both comprehensive and inspiring. It requires lots of
HealthyEatingforKidstomanyofthefamiliesIworkedwith practical ideas and strategies to help parents overcome the
at the Carnegie Weight Management Programme, the only problems of feeding their children healthy foods.
residentialweightlossprogrammeforchildreninEurope. Anita has successfully combined all of these ingredients
Obesity is a rapidly increasing health threat for children resulting in a book that is accurate and exciting and
in this country. One in three children in the UK are written in an easy to follow style. Healthy Eating for Kids
overweightorobese.Thiswillleadtoasignificantincrease is written with considerable expertise and I am sure it will
in childhood/adult diabetes, cancer and heart conditions, go a long way to helping parents feed their children well.
as well as bullying and discrimination. Of greater concern, Here,shebringstogetheryearsofexpertiseasanutritionist,
though, are the reports that many in this generation of aswellasamotherwhounderstandsthechallengeoffeeding
childrenareunlikelytooutlivetheirparents.It’simportant children. This book is packed with useful facts, clever tips,
for our children and their children that we tackle the tasty recipes and inspiring ideas that will transform family
obesityproblembecauseifwedon’tweshallbestoringup mealtimesandyourchild’snutrition–forgood.
major health problems. If present trends continue, at least
Enjoy!
onemillionchildrenwillbeobeseby2010.
Children are eating too many snacks, fast foods and
Professor Paul Gately BA (Hons) MMedSci PhD
ready meals that are high in fat, sugar and salt. They are
Professor in Exercise & Obesity and Founder/Technical
also spending more time in front of the TV or computer
Director of the Carnegie International Children’s Weight
and not taking enough physical activity. Too many
Loss Camp, Leeds Metropolitan University
children get driven to school and schools have reduced the v
actual time spent on P.E.
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what should children eat?
What children eat affects their health both now and in the future. They need
a balanced diet to grow properly, keep healthy and fight off illnesses.
A nutritious diet means your children will:
■ have plenty of energy
■ feel bright and alert
■ concentrate better at school
■ suffer fewer illnesses
■ have clear skin, bright eyes and shiny hair.
Changing children’s eating habits not only improves their health but also their
behaviour, mood and learning success at school. Primary schools that belong to
the government’s national healthy schools programme where pupils are better
fed and get more exercise, make greater academic progress and outperform
others in national tests in reading, maths and science.
Studies at Oxford University show that diet may even help prevent and
manage developmental conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and
autism spectrum disorders as well as mental health conditions such as anxiety
and depression.
Studies in the USA (carried out in 2005) have shown that banning school
vending machines and providing nutrition education and healthier food
options results in better behaviour and academic standards among 5–10 year
olds. After one year exclusions had fallen by 80 per cent and school test scores
in maths and English had shot up.
The earlier you teach children healthy eating and exercise habits, the better.
A healthy diet now means a healthy diet in ten years’ time. Children don’t
‘grow out of’ poor eating habits – they continue eating the foods they’re used
to being given. An overweight teenager has a 70 per cent chance of becoming
an overweight adult.
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healthy eating for kids
You are their role model!
Kids learn eating and exercise habits from their parents. A
2005 study at Arizona State University, USA, showed that
parents who don’t monitor their children’s diets are more
likely to have children who grow up to become overweight
or obese.
With two million overweight and 700,000 obese
children in the UK, we could be facing a looming
epidemic of obesity. The Chief Medical Officer for
England, in his 2002 Annual Report, describes childhood
obesity as a ‘public health time bomb’. Children are more
likely to do as you do, so being a good role model will
encouragegoodhabits.A2004studycarriedoutbyUniversityCollegeLondon
found that the more often parents ate fruit and vegetables, the more likely it
was their children would have a high intake. Eating a lot of high-fat, salty or
sugaryfoodsconditionsachild’stastestothosetypesoffood.Unlessyoumake
aneffort,childrenwillcontinuetochooseblandprocessedfoodandrejectfresh
food such as fruit or vegetables, even though fresh food has stronger flavours.
Youcan’tblamethemforchoosingandeatingwhattheyareaccustomedto.
It’s not always easy to persuade children to make healthy choices but try
to stick to the 80/20 rule. This means eating a balanced diet around 80
per cent of the time, while the other 20 per cent of the time children are
free to enjoy other foods they want.
What are children eating?
Snacking, grazing and eating on the hoof are the norm for many children as
they are moving away from regular mealtimes. According to a 2001 British
Medical Association survey, a quarter of British children eat a breakfast of
crisps and sweets before they arrive at school in the morning. One in five
children aged between 11 and 16 years miss breakfast altogether. The National
Diet and Nutrition Survey of British Schoolchildren in 2000 revealed that the
most commonly eaten foods among 4–18 year olds are white bread, crisps,
biscuits, potatoes and chocolate bars. Fewer than half the children ate green
leafy vegetables. This survey, the largest of its kind, looked at the diets of 1701
children over seven days and found that:
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what should children eat?
■ Children are eating a mere two portions of fruit and vegetables per day (five
portions daily are recommended).
■ One in five children eat no fruit at all.
■ More than 90 per cent of children are eating too much saturated fat.
■ Most children eat twice the maximum recommended amount of salt.
■ Half of all girls aged 11–18 years eat diets grossly deficient in iron and
magnesium.
■ Children are eating more than the maximum recommended amount of
sugar.
It’s when these poor eating habits are coupled with inactivity – watching
television, playing computer games and getting around by car all the time –
that the trouble really begins. Too many calories and too little exercise will
cause an unhealthy increase in body fat.
Why should you change what children eat?
If children eat a healthy diet now, and participate in physical activity from an
early age, they are more likely to remain healthy and active during adulthood.
Children who are used to eating vegetables or walking to school every day
(even when it rains) will continue to eat healthy food and see activity as an
integral part of their life. Equally, those who graze on a diet of fast food and
salty snacks and spend hours glued to the television are setting themselves up
for a lifetime of poor eating habits and inactivity.
It’salsoimportanttorealisethattheseedsofcertainillnesses,suchascoronary
heart disease and diabetes, are sown during childhood. Overweight children as
young as 10 years old are showing signs of artery damage and suffering from
high blood pressure. The good news is that changing children’s diets and
encouragingthemtobemoreactivecanpreventhealthproblemsinthefuture.
What is a balanced diet?
Eating a balanced diet is all about eating a wide variety of foods. Your
children’s diet should provide them with all the vital nutrients needed to keep
them fit and well. A healthy diet consists of a balance of protein, carbohydrate,
fat, vitamins and minerals.
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