In South Africa, the 9th to the 19th of October represents National Nutrition and National Obesity Week.  This year’s theme is “Make Eating Whole Foods a Way of Life”!

The prevalence of obesity is increasing in all stages of life from pre-schoolers to young adults and a huge contributing factor to this epidemic, is the increased availability of highly processed foods and ultra-processed foods.

Whole foods include naturally occurring foods, unprocessed foods and minimally processed foods that maintain the nutrient qualities of the original food. Whole foods are rich in nutrients and fibre which makes eating whole foods essential to achieving a nutritionally complete diet.

These whole plant foods do not need to be organic but we can reduce the toxic burden from pesticides by washing fruits and vegetables before consuming them.  It helps to wash all fresh produce when arriving home from the store as this will reduce time and water wastage later on. It also means you will not have to remember to wash an apple before eating it.

Variety is the key when it comes to eating more whole foods. Each different plant-based food has a different set of nutrients to offer. While broccoli as an excellent source of nutrients, it lacks in vitamin A when compared to orange vegetables such as butternut or carrots. There is value to “eating the rainbow” as it ensures that we cover all our nutrients requirements – nutrients naturally found in whole foods and minimally processed foods.

With a diet rich in whole foods and minimally processed plant foods, comes an automatic reduction in added sugar, palm oil (saturated fat), salt and food additives such as preservatives, stabilisers, colourants, artificial flavourings.

Reading food labels is an important skill to learn as it empowers us with the knowledge regarding the foods we buy and eat. Making informed food purchases can dramatically improve the nutrient profile of any family’s diet.  As a rule of thumb, the longer the ingredients list, the more processed a food is. The difficult to pronounce words are generally additives, emulsifiers and stabilisers used to extend shelf life, promote temperature control during transport and minimise spoiling during handling. The presence of these ingredients is a clear indicator that such foods should be limited in the diet.

Food Label Check List
Total Sugar	< 5g per 100 g food< 2.5 g per 100 ml drink
Saturated Fat	< 2.5 g per 100 g food / drink
Total Sodium	< 120 mg per 100 g food / drink
Dietary Fibre	> 3 g per 100 food / drink

Vegetables and fruits are not the only whole foods we have at our disposal. Incorporating dried beans, lentils and chickpeas into meals and snacks on a regular basis is a simple way to consume more whole foods. These legumes can be creatively added to soups, stews, salads, curries, mince dishes or blended into dips and spreads. Eating more legumes can help us to reduce our intake of red meat and processed protein based foods. Substituting refined grains with whole grains is also advisable.

Menu planning is the best way to ensure that the family diet includes sufficient whole foods for optimal health. Planning the weekly meals with specific vegetables also assists with shopping. Frozen vegetables are perfectly suitable if spoiling or wastage is a barrier to buying enough vegetables for consumption every day of the week.

Helping children to adapt to a plant-based diet will help them to establish a healthy diet that will follow them into adulthood.  Students for example who understand and experience the benefits of a plant based diet and are accustomed to including vegetables and fruits into their meals will be less likely to adopt a diet of convenience meals devoid of colour and nutrients.

To ‘Make Eating Whole Foods a Way of Life’ is a sustainable way to meet nutrient requirements and reduce the risk of obesity and the diseases related to obesity.

Apart from the frustration and stress that picky eating causes for parents of picky eaters, long term picky eating can lead to malnutrition which can manifest as either underweight or overweight. A third, less obvious sign of malnutrition is stunted growth in height which is difficult to undo.

Addressing Picky Eating is important and the first step should be to rule out any medical conditions that may result in feeding difficulties such as swallowing disorders or allergies. If no medical reasons exist, Picky Eating should be tackled to reduce meal time stress and the risk of Picky Eating following children in adulthood. The more prolonged Picky Eating is, the greater the risk on long term health.

While the diet of a picky eater might not be low enough in energy to restrict growth, it is likely to be low in essential nutrients for development, immunity and digestive health. The lack of dietary diversity together with the avoidance of ‘unacceptable’ meals results in a restricted opportunity to meet nutrient goals.

Picky Eaters are typically very selective eaters with potential sensitivities to texture, entire food groups such as meat or bitter flavours in some vegetables. Avoidance of entire food groups or foods with a certain textures results in a diet of poor diversity and a heavy reliance on a handful of foods that are unlikely to fulfill all the nutrient requirements of growing child.

Furthermore, if the handful of accepted foods fall into the treat food category due to the presence of saturated fats, added sugars or large amounts of salt, while lacking in fibre, protein vitamins and minerals, the nutrient composition of the Picky Eater’s diet comes into question. Examples of such foods include crisps, pastries, muffins, white bread or bread rolls, cereal bars, sweetened breakfast cereals, crumbed proteins, fried chips, biscuits and sweetened dairy products or dairy-like products. A heavy reliance on these foods to keep a Picky Eater fed may lead to obesity and hidden nutrient deficiencies such as iron deficiency.

The overall nutrient quality of a child’s diet can easily be assessed with reference to any typical healthy plate model that demonstrates the proportion of starch (¼) to protein (¼) to vegetables and fruit (½) to fat (small circle in the middle of the plate). If all the food consumed by a child on any given day were placed on a large plate, these recommended proportions should be achieved. In other words colour should dominate and the presence of lean protein must be evident. A daily provision of fruits, vegetables and lean protein is important for achieving nutrient goals.

If a child’s diet is overwhelmingly beige, this is a clear sign that the diet is carbohydrate, specifically starch, heavy but lacking in fibre. While children need carbohydrate, carbohydrate should come with nutrient benefits, namely fibre, vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrate is found in all plant based foods and the goal should be to meet carbohydrate needs with predominantly whole plant foods, limiting refined flours, bread crumbs and added sugars. Carbohydrate containing foods (starch, wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and dairy) should be paired with lean protein and healthy fats for optimal nutrient intake, blood glucose stabilization and satiety.

Tips for keeping Picky Eaters well nourished

• Stick to an eating routine and limit distractions at meal times
• Feed small meals often but limit grazing to ensure hunger at meal times
• Eat together as a family as often as possible
• Maintain a positive environment and a neutral attitude at meal times
• Do not avoid cooking vegetables because a child does not like them
• Always prepare one accepted vegetable. It should be eaten everyday if need be until other vegetables become accepted
• Try preparing disliked vegetables differently eg. roasting or steaming rather than boiling
• Set a good example
• Limit the purchasing of convenience snack foods (bars, crisps, biscuits, muffins)
• Reduce the use of crumbed protein products unless made from scratch
• Include children in the menu planning and food preparation
• Do not offer meal alternatives, make a family meal and stick with it
• Do not force a child to finish a meal
• Do not bribe a child with dessert

If a Picky Eater is failing to thrive, seek help from a dietitian who can assist in supporting the restrictive diet

The concept of ‘kid-friendly’ foods seems to have grown out of proportion. People are still quick to condemn sugary breakfast cereals for their high sugar content and clever marketing ploys aimed at children but the truth is that the ‘kid-friendly’ food market has expanded far beyond this one shopping aisle. In fact, it has even crept into the ‘health’ food product market.

In addition to this, the idea that children need special ‘kid-friendly’ meals has resulted in children eating different meals to their parents. Looking at any kids menu at a restaurant, it appears obvious that burgers, fries, macaroni cheese and chicken nuggets are deemed as the only ‘kid-friendly’ foods.

For the sake of convenience, ‘kid-friendly’ foods are often purchased in some sort of package with a long list of ingredients. While some convenience food products marketed for children are genuinely healthy in terms of their ingredients, they should only be used when convenience is genuinely required. Children should ideally eat more whole foods than not. And they should eat more meals together with their families than not. While this is not always practical, the goal should be for families to eat the same foods, even if not quite at the same time. This allows parents an easy opportunity to model healthy eating behaviour.  This in turn reduces food preparation time which ultimately reduces the requirement for convenience.

When feeding children, the goal should be two-fold. Meeting nutrient requirements is an obvious goal but the goal that should parallel this, is teaching children how to eat well through food provision and example.

To achieve an optimally nutritious diet, children should be eating more family foods than ‘kid-friendly’ treat or convenient snack foods. When it comes to what children eat, parents should be making food choices while children should simply be allowed to stop eating when they are full. Encouraging children to maintain the ability to self-regulate is an important part of helping children to establish a healthy relationship with food. Food choices made by parents should be as far as possible in line with the family food intake and should include wholegrains, vegetables and whole fruit on a daily basis.

Day to day ‘kid-friendly’ foods should not be synonymous with the kiddies menu at most restaurants or birthday parties. ‘Kid-friendly’ should not mean quick, easy and most importantly, the absence of colour. ‘Kid-friendly’ food should benefit children nutritionally. The ‘kid-friendly’ bit should come in the form of fun presentation, colourful plates and bowls, a picnic style setting or texture adjustments.

The more exposure children have to family foods, the more they will come to accept them and even enjoy them. Family eating also promotes quality time. Understandably some adjustments to the family may be required depending on the age of a child but there should ideally be compromise from both ends of the age scale. An example of this being, giving a child bigger afternoon snacks so that the child can wait for a later dinner and having an earlier than usual dinner on the part of the parents.

Making an assessment of the use of ‘kid-friendly’ foods is a good start to making necessary changes to avoid an over reliance on unnecessary ‘kid-friendly’ food products.

‘kid-friendly’ Food Do’s

‘kid-friendly’ Food Don’ts

Cut food into bite size chunks Include familiar vegetables with new onesAdjust spiciness of meals Be mindful of portion size Include children in menu planning Encourage children to taste new foods Grow vegetables with children Serve whole fruits, cut up when necessary Trying new foods repeatedly until acceptance is achieved Allow children to see you preparing vegetables Allow children to wash and chop vegetables Present food in a fun way

Fried foods Serving only crumbed meats Frequent use of processed meats and cheeses Using treat foods as snacksFeeling that children need treat foods Not making vegetables because the children do not like themOnly serving pureed fruits or vegetables Trying new foods only once Avoiding always hiding vegetables, combine hidden and visible if necessary Make non-nutritious meals or snacks on demand

Flava was proud to sponsor the Tyger Valley College efforts today in their race to collect 1835g of plastic bread tags towards 200KG for a wheelchair for a much-needed recipient. #green #noplastic #sustainableoperations #environment

A calorie restricted diet is never the answer to undoing excessive weight gain in children.  The risk of stunting a child’s growth in height or causing micronutrient deficiencies is much too high. Either of these negative consequences will have a long term negative impact.

That said, the reduction of empty calories is the best way to achieve a healthier weight in children and adults alike. Highly processed foods and sugar containing foods and beverages are high in energy but empty of any nutritive value. A nutrient gap is created between this high energy consumption and low nutrient intake. Children who are overweight or obese often suffer with hidden malnutrition. These children do not appear to be undernourished but due to a poor dietary intake, they suffer from micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, vitamin A or zinc.

The first step towards improving a child’s dietary intake and food related behaviour is to make an honest and critical assessment of the child’s diet and physical activity level as well as an honest and critical assessment of the family diet and physical activity level. Are there major differences? If so, why?

An energy deficit will assist with weight loss but this deficit is best created with increased physical activity rather than a radical reduction in food intake. Initiating family physical activity time is recommended together with encouraging participation in school sports.

Enhancing the nutritive value of the diet should be the next step in helping a child to reduce their weight. Starting with deprivation or calorie counting immediately puts healthy eating in a negative light. Start by adding healthy foods rather than suddenly eliminating non-nutritious foods.

In essence, the diet should become less beige and more colourful, with the increased consumption of brightly coloured vegetables and fruits. When looking at the healthy plate model, think about the proportion of vegetables and fruit to starchy foods to proteins with respect to the full day’s food consumption. If all the food eaten by the child over the course of the day were placed on a giant plate, would vegetables and fruits dominate?

If not, this is a key focus area when it comes to reducing weight in an overweight child. An increased intake of vegetables and fruits comes with an increased intake of fibre as well as micronutrients and water. This fibre acts as a natural appetite controller while stabilizing blood glucose levels. Fibre also looks after the health of the digestive system which interacts directly with the brain.

Eating as a family, with parents modelling the enjoyment of a variety of vegetables, is critical to promoting the intake of a variety of vegetables, prepared in a diverse range of methods. Encourage the child to taste the new vegetables but do not force them to eat it.

Once a good routine is established and vegetables and fruits have become a more consistent part of the diet, you may notice that the consumption of less nutritious snacks and beverages has automatically reduced. Now is the time to increase the focus on reducing highly processed meals, snacks, ingredients and sugar laden beverages.

Look back at the initial assessment of the child’s diet taking note of the regularity with which the child consumes crisps, sugar containing beverages, crumbed food products, processed protein foods, fast food meals, flavoured dairy products, sweets and chocolates.

Making simple swaps will cut the empty calories without compromising nutrient intake.

Swap

For

Crumbed chicken productsVienna sausagesCrispsFried chipsSugar coated dried fruitDonuts / PastriesCheese slicesBread sticksTake away burgersInstant noodlesFlavoured milk or yoghurtMilkshakesFizzy DrinksA bar of chocolatePacket of jelly sweets

Chicken strips (breasts marinated in lemon juice)Homemade meatballs (with lentils)Homemade popcorn (3 cups as a snack)Homemade oven baked potato wedges (skin on)Fresh fruitWholewheat crackers with peanut butterGrated cheeseCarrots sticks with hummusHome made burgersWholewheat pastaPlain milk or yoghurt, low fat (1 ½ serves per day)SmoothiesWater or diluted fruit juice2 squares of chocolate5 jelly sweets / a marshmallow

Slowly reducing the intake of energy dense but nutrient empty foods will help the child to make the necessary lifestyle transition to maintain a healthy weight as he / she grows through adolescence into adulthood.

The most important thing to note is that this needs to be a family effort and that no changes should be expected of the child that the parents themselves are not willing to do.

With food prices seemingly increasing by the week, healthy eating might seem next to impossible. Compromising our health however is not an option and there are definitely ways in which to trim the food budget without increasing the risk for obesity or disease. When it comes to convenience, the nutrient empty foods are far cheaper than the nutritious options, which makes these foods all the more tempting. It is important not to fall into this trap.

Reducing the use of convenience foods and ready-to-eat meal components is a great way to cut the grocery bill but when time is as tight as money, this is not always feasible. The trick here is to choose your convenient go to products wisely. For example, keep the pasta and the brown bread, and leave the instant noodles.

The cheaper varieties of pasta sauces and condiments are usually those with less nutritive value and possibly high sugar, salt or artificial colourant contents. Pasta nights are often lacking in vegetables but roasted vegetables, including tomato, in fact make for a tasty and nutritious pasta sauce. This covers the sauce and the vegetables. Homemade hummus with extra liquid is also a great option for a homemade sauce. A tin of chickpeas blended with a tin of tomatoes, herbs and spices and added water can go a long way.

Protein foods are often the wallet busters so this is certainly an area to monitor closely. Adopting the principle of Meatless Monday is an easy way to reduce the meat spend each month as using plant sources of protein on occasion is a great way to reduce the amount of meat consumed. If the family is not fond of soya, beans, chickpeas or lentils, using them to extend meat dishes is the perfect way to introduce them in the family diet.

Examples of this include:

1. Adding lentils to mincemeat to extend the mince

• Start with an mince 80 : 20 lentils ratio and work towards a 50:50 split.
• Make meat balls with mince, lentils and oats

1. Add beans(dried and canned varieties are suitable)

• Butter beans make a great addition to stews and curries
• Sugar beans go well with mince and baked potatoes
• Enjoy black beans in Mexican recipes

Cooking tip:

When cooking dried beans or lentils, cook in bulk and freeze in 400 g portions – the equivalent of a tin of store bought beans. It is more economical to cook these from dried but even the canned varieties are inexpensive sources of protein.

1. Take advantage of the humble egg

Eggs are an excellent source of complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids for human protein synthesis and muscle repair. Using eggs at lighter meals whether this be lunch or dinner is a great way to trim the protein cost.

Most will agree that the smell of boiled eggs makes eggs a less than desirable lunch box option. Egg muffins however are the perfect solution to this conundrum. They can be made in advance and a variety of flavour options will reduce boredom.

Frittatas or omelettes packed with vegetables make great dinners on big lunch days. When making chicken curry, use boiled eggs as a substitute to a second piece of chicken.

Other money saving tips

• Start a vegetable garden
• Buy fresh produce in bulk and share
• Buy only fresh produce that is in season
• Steer clear from imported foods
• Cook porridge for breakfast (this can be done the night before)
• Eat raw oats for breakfast, often found cheaply at wholesale baking stores
• Buy only what you know you can use, avoid wastage of food
• Plan meals in advance to reduce unnecessary purchases
• Keep the pantry organised to avoid doubling up on items

Every little bit of effort counts towards the goal of saving money and reducing the grocery bill and once the habits are developed, the effort required will go unnoticed.

While religious fasting with the abstinence of meat is not a new thing, it is becoming popular for teens to experiment with vegetarianism or veganism. Any teen following a diet without a daily intake of meat, chicken or fish, requires parental support in the nutrition department.

Whether abstaining from meat for religious or environmental reasons, following a vegetarian diet, even if only for part of the week, will make meeting nutrition requirements more difficult. Deficiencies can result from a nutritionally incomplete diet and therefore vegetarian meals need to be planned well.

While a diet based on whole plant foods is strongly recommended for the well-studied health benefits, animal foods make a vital nutrient contribution to the human diet in the form of protein, iron, vitamin B12 and other micronutrients.

Plant foods do contain protein but only animal protein sources can be considered complete proteins in that they contain all 9 essential amino acids for human tissue synthesis and repair. The term ‘essential’ implies that these 9 amino acids cannot be made by the body and therefore need to be consumed in the diet. To achieve all 9 amino acids from an all plant or vegan meal, a combination of a variety of plant foods needs to be eaten.

For this reason a healthy, nutrient complete, vegan or vegetarian diet requires planning and effort. Meat cannot simply be removed from meals or replaced by a single vegetable. Legumes and soya are an important part of a vegetarian diet.

While dairy is a source of complete protein, a whole cup of milk only contains the same amount of protein an as a matchbox size of meat. Full cream milk and cheese are high in saturated fat while flavoured dairy is high in sugar. Vegan dairy alternatives, with the exception of soy milk, fall short in the protein department as a substitute for cow’s milk.

Optimal growth and development require an adequate protein intake for age and physical activity level. Building healthy muscles during teen age and young adult years is important for long term health and quality of life. As muscle mass declines with age, by 8 – 10 % per decade after the age of 40 years, having strong, healthy muscles prior to this decline is beneficial. A combination of muscle use and protein intake are responsible for muscle synthesis and the strengthening of muscles for enhanced performance and endurance.

Dietary protein intake should therefore be an important consideration when planning vegetarian and vegan meals. All carbohydrate or all vegetable meals are unlikely to contain sufficient protein to make up for the lack of meat, chicken or fish. Encouraging teens wishing to adopt vegetarianism to include dairy, eggs and perhaps even fish, is highly recommended.

However, if a teen is not willing to do so, the inclusion of soya, dried beans, peas and lentils should be non-negotiable. These foods are often not favoured by teens and or many adults but there is no room for compromise in this area. Starting with soups and dips made with these ingredients may help.

In addition to protein, meat, chicken and fish are excellent sources of iron and vitamin B12 (also essential through diet). A deficiency in either of these two micronutrients can lead to irreversible side effects but to start, tiredness, weakness, poor focus, shortness of breath and mood changes are the initial symptoms of deficiency. These symptoms will reduce performance in the classroom and on the sports field and must be prevented through adequate dietary planning, testing and supplementation if required.

If done well, a vegetarian diet can support optimal functioning and health but it is also very important to note that some teens adopt a vegetarian diet an attempt to avoid eating, especially when in social setting. This food avoidance mechanism is a sign of disordered eating and should be monitored closely. When done for the right reasons, a teen will happily eat adequately from plant based food sources and be prepared for all social situations involving food.

At the end of the day, no child should be fully in charge of their diet, they need help to consume a nutritionally complete diet.

Unpacking the tip of the food pyramid by Registered Dietitian, Kelly Francis

It may be interesting to some that the South African Health Department and South African dietitians do not in fact use the Food Pyramid as a nutrition education tool. We have our very own nationalized Food Based Dietary Guidelines.

In spite of this, the Food Pyramid is familiar to most non-health professionals as the standard of nutrition education and is used in some schools as a nutrition education tool. The Food Pyramid has been criticized for promoting a high carbohydrate diet, common in westernized populations, and the resulting obesity epidemic which is in fact a health crisis.

While not a tool by which I educate people about healthy eating, I feel it important to clarify the message intended by The Food Pyramid, which yields 160 million Google results. It might be an easy to recall image but the message, I fear, is easily manipulated.

By unpacking just the tip of the food pyramid, I hope that both unfounded criticisms and unfortunate misconceptions will be laid to rest. It is important to remember that not all carbohydrate foods are created equal and that all plant foods contain carbohydrate to some degree. It is therefore easy to overdo it on carbohydrate intake which may displace either protein or fat in the diet and may result in an excessive daily energy intake.

While the base of the pyramid is carbohydrate heavy, it does not include all carbohydrate containing foods. Taking a closer look at the top end of the pyramid is the key to differentiating between carbohydrate containing foods that should be included in healthy meals and those that should be limited to occasional consumption.

The tip of the food pyramid implies that fats, oils and sugar are to be used sparingly. This message does not, however, only refer to these ingredients when we use them for cooking, bread spreads or to sweeten hot beverages and porridges. It also refers to the fats, oils and sugar found in food products on purchasing them.

For accurate illustration purposes, the tip of the food pyramid is too small to fit every food product that falls within this “use sparingly” guideline.

When we truly unpack the tip of the food pyramid we find many a carbohydrate based food that has no place in the base of the food pyramid.

Examples of such foods include:

• Muffins (made with oils and sugar)
• Donuts (fried in oil)
• Fried chips (oil)
• Potato crisps (oil)
• Burgers (patties fried in oil)
• Pizza (topped with lots of high fat cheese)
• Sweet breakfast cereals (sugar)
• Biscuits (palm oil and sugar)
• Savoury crackers (oil)
• Toasted sandwich (cooked with fat)
• Crumpets (sugar)
• Croissant (butter)
• Pastry (butter)

Other foods that fall into the tip of the food pyramid include

• Sweetened dairy products
• Fruit juice
• Energy drinks
• Sugar containing beverages
• Chocolate
• Sweets
• Ice cream

Any misinterpretation of the information illustrated by the food pyramid graphic can lead to a poor dietary intake and obesity. The food pyramid is therefore perhaps not the best guide to follow because while the overall message of the pyramid design might seem clear, a mere glance is not sufficient to unpack the information appropriately.

The South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines are as follows:

1. Enjoy a variety of food.
2. Make starchy foods part of most meals.
3. Lean chicken or lean meat or fish or eggs can be eaten every day.
4. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit every day.
5. Eat dry beans, split peas, lentils and soya regularly.
6. Consume milk, maas or yoghurt every day.
7. Use salt and foods high in salt sparingly.
8. Use fats sparingly. Choose vegetable oils, rather than hard fats.
9. Use sugar and food and drinks high in sugar sparingly.
10. Drink lots of clean, safe water and make it your beverage of choice.
11. Be active!

The required nutrient quality of the diet is more evident in these guidelines which read as practical instructions.

Put simply, at the end of the day, we should have consumed 80% of our energy intake from nutritious (fibre, protein, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals) foods rather than nutrient empty, energy dense foods.

Striving for a traditional Mediterranean diet is a great way to achieve optimal health because of its nutrient dense, socially feasible and fairly economical dietary recommendations.

There are many studies to prove the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in reducing risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. A stroke, if not fatal, can have devastating consequences, all of which rapidly reduce quality of life and an increased health care burden. Type 2 diabetes, if not well managed, is associated with long term complications that may lead to unnecessary end of life suffering.

Based on whole plant foods with a splash of plant oils eaten together with moderate portions of lean protein, a Mediterranean style diet is packed with all the goodness we need for optimal functioning of the body. The human body has 11 major organ systems, each of which are fueled by energy and use varying combinations of vitamins and minerals. Consuming a variety foods is essential for the support of the organ systems which keep us alive.

The circulatory system is responsible for the transport of nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, wastes, electrolytes and hormones throughout the body, effectively interacting directly with every other organ system. The digestive system delivers nutrients into the blood stream for transport. Supplying adequate nutrition reduces the risk for the development of vitamin or mineral deficiencies which can disturb the equilibrium of the functioning of the body and result in various symptoms and disease conditions.

Literally taking a leaf from the populations eating a true Mediterranean diet can promote health with limited compromise to dietary diversity, social activities and food budgeting.  One of the best things about Mediterranean eating is that it is easy to adhere to when eating at restaurants or entertaining friends. The options are many and the limitations are few!

What is a Mediterranean Diet?

When reading food labels, the ingredients of any product are listed in descending order of mass, meaning that the ingredient listed first is the dominant ingredient. Putting a label on a Mediterranean diet, in a South African context, would read something like this:

Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, whole grain products (minimally processed), fish, ostrich, chicken, pork (unsmoked), eggs, red meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, nut butters, olives, avocados, plant oils. 

Nuts, seeds and plant oils are listed at the end, not because they are bad but because they are very energy dense. Small portions are sufficient.

Healthy cooking methods are essential to preparing these foods for maximum nutrient quality. The following tips will help you to optimize the nutrient quality of family meals:

• Cook vegetables in minimal water or none at all. Steaming and roasting prevent nutrient losses.
• Include raw salads as starters of lunch box fillers
• Include fruit in meals and snacks
• Use fresh or dried herbs and salt free spices to make meals tasty
• Leave the skin on potatoes
• Extend meat dishes by adding legumes such as lentils or butter beans
• Choose high fibre starches, limiting highly refined grains and low fibre grain products
• Add plain yoghurt to dishes instead of cream
• Use low fat, unsweetened dairy products
• Avoid deep frying any foods in large volumes of oil
• Avoid highly processed cheese (eg. cheese slices or spreads)
• Avoid cooking or baking with hard margarine (bricks)
• Limit processed and smoked meat products

If snacks are required to stabilize blood sugar levels, keep hunger at bay, support the demands of physical activity or supply adequate nutrients for growing children, the following options are advised:

• Baby carrots with hummus
• Fresh fruit
• A closed handful of unsalted nuts
• Plain yoghurt
• Apple wedges with peanut butter
• Green apple slaw

Green Apple Slaw = grated apple, shredded cabbage, plain yoghurt with a little mayonnaise for tang

Sweet potato fries have a reputation for being healthier than French fries, but you may wonder whether they’re really better for you.

After all, both kinds are usually deep-fried and served in oversized portions.

This article reviews the nutrition of sweet potato and French fries, as well as their potential health effects.

Nutrition Comparison

Detailed nutrition information is most readily available for store-bought, frozen fries.

The following nutritional comparison is for a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving — or 10–12 pieces of frozen fries — which can be baked as-is from the freezer (1):

• 

*Fat and sodium content may vary between different brands of either type of fries.

Sweet potato fries are slightly higher in calories and carbs but also more nutrient dense than French fries.

The greatest nutrient difference is that French fries have no vitamin A, while sweet potato fries are high in this nutrient. Vitamin A is important for your vision and immune system (2).

SUMMARY Sweet potato fries are a bit higher in calories and carbs than French fries. However, sweet potato fries are also more nutrient dense and particularly high in vitamin A.

Serving Size and Cooking Methods Matter

The table in the previous chapter shows that a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of baked French fries has 125 calories, compared to 150 calories for the same serving of baked sweet potato fries.

In contrast, fries at restaurants are typically deep-fried — which nearly doubles the calorie content.

Here’s a comparison of the average calories, fat, and carbs in different size orders of deep-fried fast food fries (1):

A large serving of each kind of fast food fries has as many calories as some people need in an entire meal.

Additionally, the carb and fat content are about doubled if you choose a large rather than a small serving — regardless if they’re French or sweet potato fries.

SUMMARYDeep-frying nearly doubles the calories in both French and sweet potato fries compared to baking. When deep-fried, a large serving of either type of fries contains a full meal’s worth of calories.

Concerns Over Frying

Two issues that have made news headlines over the past few decades are trans fat and acrylamide in fries.

Is Trans Fat Still a Problem?

Trans fat in fries and other processed foods became a big concern in the 1990s, as studies linked it to increased heart disease risk (3, 4).

Fortunately, new FDA rules ban the use of partially hydrogenated oil — the primary source of trans fat — in the U.S. food supply as of June 2018, though some may remain in the food supply until January 2020 as inventories are depleted (5).

Therefore, you should no longer see “partially hydrogenated oil” in ingredient lists of fries, nor should you find any trans fat listed in their nutrition information.

However, it’s likely still wise to limit your intake of deep-fried foods, as two studies suggest that small amounts of trans fat may form when oil is repeatedly used in a deep fryer (6, 7).

Acrylamide Forms in Both Types of Fries

Acrylamide is a potentially harmful compound discovered in 2002 in cooked, starchy foods — including fries. In fact, fries are one of the major dietary sources of acrylamide (8, 9, 10).

It’s formed through a reaction between the amino acid asparagine and certain sugars when starchy foods are fried and — to a lesser extent — when they’re baked or roasted (11, 12).

Though most studies on acrylamide levels in fries have tested French fries, this compound also forms in sweet potato fries and is what makes fries brown (13).

Acrylamide is classified as “probably carcinogenic” in humans. However, this is based on studies of animals given high doses of the compound (14).

A review of human observational studies suggests that typical acrylamide intakes are unlikely to be related to the most common causes of cancer — but more research is needed (15, 16, 17, 18).

Additionally, food suppliers may use several strategies to reduce acrylamide levels — such as treating fries with certain additives — though this isn’t required by law (13, 19, 20).

If you’re making fries from scratch, you can reduce acrylamide formation by avoiding refrigerating potatoes, baking instead of frying, soaking potato slices in water for 15–30 minutes before cooking, and heating them just until golden, not brown (12, 13, 21, 22).

SUMMARY New FDA rules have largely eliminated trans fat content in fries. However, acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic byproduct in fried starchy foods, occurs in fries. Still, a typical intake through a normal diet is unlikely to be problematic.

Regular Consumption May Increase Disease Risk

French fries have come under increasing scrutiny due to new studies suggesting that higher intake may raise your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Obesity

In observational studies, higher intake of French fries is linked to an increased risk of weight gain and obesity (23, 24).

One study associated an additional daily serving of French fries with gaining 3.35 pounds (1.5 kg) over a four-year period (25).

Studies also suggest that eating French fries at least once or twice a week may double the risk of food addiction in adults and children (26, 27).

These observational studies don’t prove that French fries were what really contributed to weight gain or food addiction, but they do suggest that it may be wise to limit your intake.

Type 2 Diabetes

French fries and sweet potato fries are both rich in carbohydrates, which raise your blood sugar.

The glycemic index (GI) — a measure of a food’s potential blood sugar impact — is 76 for fried sweet potatoes and 70 for fried white potatoes on a 100-point scale (28).

These are moderately-high values and suggest that both types of fries may raise your blood sugar similarly (29).

In an observational study, people who reported eating 3 or more servings of French fries per week had a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of their body weight (30).

Additionally, a review of eight studies linked each daily 5.4-ounce (150-gram) increase in the consumption of French fries with a 66% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (31).

Though these studies don’t prove that fries increase diabetes risk, it may be wise to cut back on both types if you’re trying to lower your blood sugar.

Heart Disease

Some observational studies suggest that a higher intake of fried foods may increase heart disease risk — though studies haven’t been able to pinpoint French fries as a culprit (24, 32, 33, 34).

Still, if you frequently eat fries, you may be more likely to develop heart disease risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure (24).

In a large observational study, people who ate 4 or more servings of French fries per week had a 17% higher risk of high blood pressure, compared to people who ate fewer than one serving per month (35).

The reasons behind these findings are uncertain but may be related to weight gain, which may increase high blood pressure risk (36, 37, 38).

SUMMARY Regularly eating French fries may increase your risk of some diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. It’s uncertain if regularly eating sweet potato fries would similarly increase disease risk.

Which Type Should You Choose?

To make the best choice, it would be ideal to have studies that directly compare the health effects of sweet potato and French fries when eaten in the same quantities. However, such studies are unavailable.

Still, many people’s diets fall short of meeting the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin A. Sweet potato fries boost your vitamin A intake whereas French fries lack this vitamin (39).

SUMMARY 

While sweet potato fries may be slightly healthier than French fries, neither is healthy if eaten in large amounts.The Bottom Line

Sweet potato fries are slightly higher in calories and carbs than French fries but also high in vitamin A — giving them a nutritional edge.

Still, deep-fried fries of any kind served in over-sized portions — as in many restaurants — may increase your risk of weight gain and related health problems.

A better choice is to bake frozen or homemade fries — regardless of what kind they are. This gives you more control over your serving size and helps limit your calorie intake.

There is much controversy surrounding these two spreads that look similar and essentially serve the same purpose but it is well worth knowing the difference, and more importantly, the facts that will hopefully put this debate to rest.

Firstly, the reason for the creation of margarine in the 1860’s is a very simple one. In war times, butter was difficult to get hold of and somewhat of a luxury in terms of cost. The margarine invented as an affordable substitute butter is however not the same margarine sold as the heart healthy tubs of soft ‘margarine’ we see in supermarket refrigerators today.

On a closer look, these soft ‘margarines’ are not actually even labelled as ‘margarine’ but rather as fat spreads with varying fat compositions reflected by percentages. The fat content requirement for a butter substitute to be labeled as a margarine is 80% which is equivalent to that of butter.

What are the fats?

While margarine is still available in solid bricks, the general rule is, the more solid the fat, the more trans fats it contains. Knowing that trans fats increase the risk for heart disease, brick margarine is never advocated as a healthy fat choice.

The reduction of trans fats in soft fat spreads sold in tubs is due to the addition of palm oil and or coconut oil as an ingredient. These are the only saturated plant fats and due to the fact that they are solid at room temperature (full hydrogenated), the need for the hydrogenation (a process that produces trans fats) of the vegetable oil is eliminated.

As a result, the fat found in these fat spreads is comprised of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Regular fat spreads contain 60 % fat while the lowest fat spread available contains 35 %. The reason for this is simple switch between the vegetable oil content and the water content.

The ingredients list taken from a tub of 60% fat spread is as follows:

Vegetable oils and fats (60%) [sunflower seed and / or rapeseed and /or linseed and /or soya bean oil, fully hydrogenated fats (palm, palm kernel and/ or coconut)], water (39%), salt, whey powder, emulsifiers (E471, E322), preservative (sodium benzoate and/or potassium sorbate), citric acid, flavouring, beta-carotene, vitamins (A,D,E).

It seems significant to highlight that the additives listed after the oils, fats and water make up only 1 % of the fat spread ingredients.

Butter is higher in saturated fats with 100 g of butter containing about 50 grams of saturated fat compared to the 15 grams of saturated fats contained in a 60 % fat spread. While there is still debate regarding the health effects of saturated fat, the World Health Organization, recommends that saturated fat be limited to no more than 10 % of total energy intake.

Butter or Margarine for weight loss?

While butter is purely butter with perhaps a little salt added for flavour, being 80 % fat, makes it much higher in energy that fat spreads sold in tubs and labelled as heart healthy. A teaspoon of butter will add 152 kilojoules while a teaspoon of 60 % fat spread will add 114 kilojoules and a teaspoon of a 35 % fat spread will only add 67 kilojoules.

While a high fat meal might result in feeling fuller for longer and hopefully curb unnecessary snacking, a high fibre meal can have the same effect without the additional kilojoules.

Is margarine plastic?

Many argue that margarine (a generalization used for all fat spreads save butter) is virtually plastic, and far from natural but a brief look at the ingredients list on a tub of fat spread will tell you that this is not true. It is even possible to make margarine in a home kitchen.

Early margarine was did not display as much ‘plasticity’ as butter, simply meaning that it can be molded and retain its new shape. Milk and water were therefore added to vegetable oil shortening and it was named ‘margarine’ based on its scientific properties.

If it were even possible to add one molecule to margarine and convert it to hard plastic, it would no longer be margarine but plastic. One molecule makes a huge difference and is wonderfully illustrated by the difference between hydrogen peroxide and water which differ chemically by only one molecule, oxygen!

Which should you choose?

In moderation, neither is harmful but neither, margarine nor butter should be used in large quantities, especially when the alternatives to both are far more tasty and nutritious. Think nuts, nut butters, olives, olive oil, avocado and seeds!

For some, there is no choice as fat spreads are not only kilojoule sparing options, they remain a cost effective substitute for butter. The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of making health choices based on reason rather than rhyme.

By Kelly Francis, Registered Dietitian

“Teaching’ Children How to Eat Well”

by Kelly Francis, Registered Dietitian

Eating well does not come as naturally as we might assume. While children are naturally good at self-regulation we cannot expect that they will make the healthy choice when presented with different food choices. In the same way that we teach children to do the activities we expect of them, we need to teach them how to eat well. In the same way we encourage the improvement of their natural abilities, we need to encourage them in the area of good nutrition.

Teaching need not mean lecturing on the benefits of healthy eating but should rather be the creating of opportunities for children to learn through experiencing healthy eating for themselves on a very regular basis. This includes parental example, continuous exposure to healthy foods and the exploration of new healthy foods.

Example

This the most important aspect of healthy eating in young children. Acceptance of new healthy foods is far more likely with the modeling of good eating behaviour by parents and any other caregivers. Children must be able to see their parents eating the foods they are expected to eat. For maximum effectiveness, families should eat as many meals as possible together. Family foods can be adjusted for age appropriate texture but preparing different foods for children and adults should be limited. This might seem difficult to achieve but starting with one meal a day will help. If need be, small children can sit and colour in at the table or talk about their day while their parents eat.

Children also pick up food aversions from parents. It is important to remember that both positive and negative food related parental behaviours set an example for children. The key would be to model more positive (healthy) food behaviours than negative behaviours. Limiting the substitution of meals with treat foods or the habitual eating of fast convenience foods is essential in setting a healthy example.

Exposure

Children will not have the opportunity to accept new foods unless they are exposed to them. This exposure has to be a regular for it to be successful in achieving an increased intake of healthy foods. Food diversity is very important for the achieving of adequate nutrients from the diet. Developing a diverse diet requires diverse exposure to new foods and continued exposure of previously accepted healthy foods.

When first introducing a new food, your child may have to try it 8 – 12 times before they accept it. Remember that acceptance does not mean they have to like the food. Tolerance is sufficient. When introducing a new food, it is advisable to pair it with a familiar food that has been previously accepted. The trick is not to mix new foods with familiar foods in effort to hide them. Simply present the new food as part of the meal and encourage your child to have a taste if there is immediate resistance.

The texture and cooking method can differ but the food must be recognizable for what it is in order for it to be accepted for what it is. The more familiar a food becomes, the less terrifying it becomes.

Exploration

With the focus on tasting new foods rather than eating new foods, a door opens to the more fun method of teaching children to eat well through food exploration.

Involving children in food preparation is the perfect way to harness their interest while inadvertently expanding the duration of time for example setting and exposure to healthy foods. This time of food preparation allows for the exploration of new foods without the pressure of eating new foods.

In the same way children learn through play, subconscious learning takes place during this time of family food preparation. Cooking vegetables every night, for example, is a habit that can be passed on to kids simply by giving them the opportunity to witness this as a daily act. An added bonus is that learning food preparation skills will never go to waste.

Allowing children to help in the kitchen is likely to encourage them to try the foods they have assisted in preparing. Try new recipes with the foods they like. This will help you to expand on your list of family favourites for easy weekly menu planning.

Example, exposure and exploration are key investments in the development of good nutrition behaviour for the same reasons they are relied on for general childhood development.

With school holidays and the festive season just around the corner, fun food and holiday treats are becoming more of a focus. Mince pies have been available for some time now and with Black Friday done and dusted, some of you might already be stocked up on all the treats you associate with Christmas and summer fun. Over indulging during the holidays can be a real set back when it comes to health maintenance. Without the structure that the school day provides and perhaps a reduction in physical activity, overeating is easy.

While we associate Christmas and school holiday outings with treats it is more important to associate the summer season with the lovely fresh produce that is in season. With a far greater variety of fruit available, we are spoiled for choice in meeting our fruit intake for the day.

It is very important to keep up a daily intake of 5 fruits and vegetables during the holiday season. The nutrients fruits and vegetables supply together with fibre and water must not be overlooked because we cannot take a break from good nutrition. It is not enough to meet energy requirements alone. Energy must be accompanied by nutrients. A daily intake of fruit and vegetables goes a long way in contributing towards daily nutrient intake. While micronutrients, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, are only required in small quantities by comparison to protein, carbohydrate and fat, this makes them no less important.

Fibre is essential for digestive health, appetite control and immune support. Holidays bakes, chocolates and crisps are very low in fibre and therefore should not replace healthy meals and snacks.

Potassium

Fruits and vegetables are rich in potassium which supports muscle health. Remembering that the heart is a muscle and that muscle mass, potassium plays a vital role health. The role of potassium in the contraction of the smooth muscle also makes it an important nutrient in normal digestive functioning.

Fruits such as bananas, citrus fruits, guavas, grapes, peaches, mango and watermelon are good sources of potassium while vegetables rich in potassium include butternut, gem squash, mushrooms, baby spinach, beetroot, cauliflower and green beans.

Folate

Also known as Vitamin B9, folate is essential to the manufacturing process of new blood cells and our DNA. Folate’s important role in preventing changes in the DNA is a cancer protecting function. Folate is especially important during pregnancy and other periods of rapid growth such as adolescence.

This important nutrient is available in dark green leafy vegetables in addition to legumes which are also an excellent inclusion for a healthy diet. Oranges, berries, pineapple, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, corn and parsley also offer folate in high quantities.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is often valued for its immune boosting properties when the cold and flu season arrives. The truth is that a regular and consistent intake of vitamin C is more protective than taking mega doses when you are already sick. Vitamin C has a major role to play in the synthesis and maintenance of blood vessels, cartilage and scar tissue, all important structural features in the body.

Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron, especially from plant sources. Iron deficiency anaemia has a negative impact on brain development in young school going children.

Oranges, while a good and economical source of vitamin C in winter, are not the only source of vitamin C. Other sources include bell peppers, guavas, kiwis, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and kale.

Vitamin A

Orange fruits and vegetables, such as mangoes, paw paw, butternut, pumpkin and carrots are rich in vitamin A which is essential for eye health and the maintenance of good eye sight. Successful learning and the reduction of classroom fatigue requires good eyesight.

Vitamin K

Green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin K which has a significant role to play in healthy blood clotting for wound healing and tissue repair.

Eat the rainbow

The variety in the natural colours of fruits and vegetables is incredible! This makes them an attractive addition to any festive table. Making all meals colourful is the key to achieving an adequate vegetable and fruit intake!

Tips to include vegetables and fruit during the holidays

• Swap crisps or biscuits for chopped vegetables or fruit
• Carry fruit on outings and road trips
• Eat fruit with breakfast
• Eat fruit instead of dessert (think stewed apples and yoghurt)
• Serve vegetables and hummus as snacks
• Braai vegetable kebabs
• Add salads to any meal, even a sandwich
• Include vegetables in fruit smoothies
• Grate carrots into oats with cinnamon
• Fruit kebabs for breakfast, snacks or dessert
• Chocolate dipped fruit for dessert
• Fruit smoothies for breakfast
• Frozen smoothie pops for snacks
• Fruit salad and plain yoghurt
• Frozen dates for a sweet caramel-like treat
• Christmas Muesli (dried fruit, nuts and toasted rolled oats)
• Fruit juice ice cubes to give water a hint of flavour

When it comes to fruit juice however, a glass is typically more than a single fruit portion and lacks the all-important fibre that whole fruit offers. The occasional fruit juice drink is best diluted with up 40 – 50 % water. Fruit juice is however a better choice than the fizzy sugar beverages.

Holiday eating can be less detrimental if we keep up with a daily intake of vegetables and fruits for optimal nutrient intake.

Have a great festive season!

One of our first smoothie promo winners of R500 Flava credit from Heritage Hill.

Make sure you get your Smoothie or Frappe and drop your entry in the draw!

Remember to get your loyalty card stamped to earn that free smoothie!

Crawford College La Lucia recently hosted their Valediction eats at our La Lucia branch.

While small snacks are encouraged at mid-morning and mid-afternoon to meet nutrient requirements, stabilize blood glucose levels and keep hunger at bay, it is important to distinguish between nutrient dense snacks and a treat foods.

A snack is a small amount of food eaten mid-way between two main meals to enhance nutrient intake and prevent overeating to satisfy extreme hunger. Snacks are especially important for children as the stomach capacity of a child is small while the nutrient requirements for growth and learning are high. Snacks must therefore offer nutrient benefit such as fibre lean protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, making a significant contribution towards achieving a healthy diet.

Treat foods are foods that do not offer any nutrient benefit the body. They are typically high in sugar, fat and salt, all which have negative effects on health and weight maintenance, if consumed in excess. Non-nutritious snacks essentially add empty energy to the diet.

With convenient, pre-packaged ‘snack’ items readily available in supermarkets, the overlap between snacks and treats becomes problematic in that a regular consumption of high-energy, nutrient empty foods increases the risk for nutrient deficiency and obesity. Some convenient ‘snacks’ foods are deceptively healthy because they incorporate healthy ingredients such as high fibre cereals and oats but they come with added sugar too.

While South Africa has recently implemented a tax on sugar containing beverages, cold drinks and juices are not the only culprits for high sugar content. Too many treat-like snacks can tip the sugar intake into an excess consumption. The World Health Organization recommends a sugar intake of less than 5 % total daily energy intake. This allowance includes sugar contained in all foods purchased, not only the addition of sugar to cereals and hot beverages.

In order to adhere to this guideline, treat foods containing sugar should not contribute to more than 20% of food intake while the remaining 80% of food intake should be in the form of whole plant foods, lean protein and plant fats. A good rule of thumb, is to limit treat foods to weekends as there is usually plenty of opportunity to consume treats. School days should for the most part be treat free.

As sugar is often hidden in unsuspecting foods, reading labels on shop bought snack items is an important strategy to limit the substitution of a healthy snack with a treat food. Adopting this habit will make it easier to determine between snacks and treats. Assess the sugar content by checking the ‘of which is sugar’ value with reference to the total carbohydrate value. Typically, a healthy convenient snack should not contain more than 5 – 10 % of the total carbohydrate in the form of sugar. Looking for sugar in the ingredients list is also important. Food ingredients are always listed in descending order according to mass. If sugar is one of the first 3 ingredients, the product contains a high amount of sugar.  Ingredients such as sucrose, glucose and cane syrup are also sugar.

Opting for whole foods and minimally processed, high fibre foods as snack options is the best way to achieve an optimal nutrient intake while avoiding an excessive intake of hidden sugar.

5 whole food snack ideas

• Fresh fruit and plain yoghurt
• Apple wedges and peanut butter
• Wholegrain crackers with cottage cheese
• Vegetables and hummus dip
• Boiled egg and a fruit

Sometimes, fun snacks are desired but it is the novelty of the snack rather than the sugar content that makes for the fun.

5 novel but healthy snacks

• Popcorn
• Banana ice cream
• Peanuts and raisins

• Homemade fruit and oat muffins (no sugar needed)
• Smoothies made with frozen fruit and plain yoghurt

Banana Ice Cream Recipe …

For two servings, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon nut butter or ¼ avocado
• ½ cup milk

This soft ice cream can be eaten as is but can be frozen for a more solid treat.

Happy winners from our stores across the country enjoyed their prizes with our recent Nomu Hot Chocolate promotion.

While snacking is encouraged in young growing children, constant grazing and inappropriate snack choices can undo the benefit of regular meals. The need for regular meals is a simple one. Children have a small stomach capacity but a large nutrition requirement. This nutrient requirement encompasses both energy and nutrients and can only be met with the regular intake of nutrient dense meals.

All too often though, snacks in between meals are viewed as a time to ward off hunger or treat chidren rather than a time to nourish. Small meals eaten in between meals should assist in the meeting of a child’s nutrient requirements. Food choices for these small meals should not push the daily energy intake into excess, nor should they be void of nutrients such as fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Snacks and treats are two very different things and unfortunately too many of the convenient ‘snack foods’ in the supermarkets are more treat than food. Some are especially deceptive, making label reading of great importance.

Choosing appropriate and satisfying snack foods can make all the difference in meeting a child’s nutrient needs. Substituting even just one snack time with a non-nutritious food on a daily basis could be sabotaging an otherwise healthy diet as a nutrient gap forms whenever this occurs. For example, if a piece of chocolate cake is eaten after school instead of a boiled egg and a fruit, not only has the energy consumption of that snack been too large but there is an absence of fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. This absence could lead to a deficit in nutrients. Coupled with an excessive energy intake; the child’s blood sugar levels, appetite control, weight maintenance and overall health will be negatively impacted.

High energy convenient snack foods may not always satisfy, leaving children hungry within an hour. Grazing or overeating at the next meal is likely to occur. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks should both nourish and satisfy until the next meal time. A minimum gap of 3 hours between meals helps the body to process a meal adequately before the next meal. This promotes stable blood glucose levels and in turn stable appetite, mood and concentration.

How to read labels

Checking the list of ingredients is a good place to start as the ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity. If sugar (glucose, syrup, honey, sucrose) is in the first three ingredients, it can be assumed that the product is high in sugar. Palm oil and high fructose corn syrup are commonly used in commercially made snack food products and should be limited in a healthy diet. Being aware of these three ingredients helps consumers to make better choices.

When it comes to fat, unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats and should therefore make up the bulk of a child’s daily fat intake. Fats are generally listed separately in the nutrient composition table and can therefore be easily compared. Transfats should be limited as far as possible.

Looking for nutrients is also important. Fibre is key nutrient to look for in the nutrient composition table. A product must have 6 grams or more fibre per 100 grams to be considered as high in fibre. A product that is high in fibre tends to be low in sugar and saturated fats. It is a good rule of thumb to use as a quick reference.

Label reading is an easy skill to develop and is likely to become a completely subconscious habit. The knowledge that this skill brings cannot be unlearned and acts as a powerful tool when making food decisions. Marketing, while very attractive and effective, can also be deceptive. The best way to counteract this is by checking the science which is provided by law right on the label for all to see.

Naturally nutritious snacks

• Fresh fruit
• Dried fruit (without sugar dusting)
• Raw nuts
• Popcorn (air popped and lightly salted)
• Trail mix (nuts, popcorn, seeds, raisins)
• Apple and peanut butter
• Dates and peanut butter
• Whole grain crackers with cottage cheese
• Plain yoghurt with fruit
• Smoothies
• Vegetables and hummus
• Meat balls and baby carrots
• Orange wedges and raw nuts
• Unsalted peanuts and raisins
• Boiled egg on whole wheat toast

While snacking is encouraged in young growing children, constant grazing and inappropriate snack choices can undo the benefit of regular meals. The need for regular meals is a simple one. Children have a small stomach capacity but a large nutrition requirement. This nutrient requirement encompasses both energy and nutrients and can only be met with the regular intake of nutrient dense meals.

All too often though, snacks in between meals are viewed as a time to ward off hunger or treat chidren rather than a time to nourish. Small meals eaten in between meals should assist in the meeting of a child’s nutrient requirements. Food choices for these small meals should not push the daily energy intake into excess, nor should they be void of nutrients such as fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Snacks and treats are two very different things and unfortunately too many of the convenient ‘snack foods’ in the supermarkets are more treat than food. Some are especially deceptive, making label reading of great importance.

Choosing appropriate and satisfying snack foods can make all the difference in meeting a child’s nutrient needs. Substituting even just one snack time with a non-nutritious food on a daily basis could be sabotaging an otherwise healthy diet as a nutrient gap forms whenever this occurs. For example, if a piece of chocolate cake is eaten after school instead of a boiled egg and a fruit, not only has the energy consumption of that snack been too large but there is an absence of fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. This absence could lead to a deficit in nutrients. Coupled with an excessive energy intake; the child’s blood sugar levels, appetite control, weight maintenance and overall health will be negatively impacted.

High energy convenient snack foods may not always satisfy, leaving children hungry within an hour. Grazing or overeating at the next meal is likely to occur. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks should both nourish and satisfy until the next meal time. A minimum gap of 3 hours between meals helps the body to process a meal adequately before the next meal. This promotes stable blood glucose levels and in turn stable appetite, mood and concentration.

How to read labels

Checking the list of ingredients is a good place to start as the ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity. If sugar (glucose, syrup, honey, sucrose) is in the first three ingredients, it can be assumed that the product is high in sugar. Palm oil and high fructose corn syrup are commonly used in commercially made snack food products and should be limited in a healthy diet. Being aware of these three ingredients helps consumers to make better choices.

When it comes to fat, unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats and should therefore make up the bulk of a child’s daily fat intake. Fats are generally listed separately in the nutrient composition table and can therefore be easily compared. Transfats should be limited as far as possible.

Looking for nutrients is also important. Fibre is key nutrient to look for in the nutrient composition table. A product must have 6 grams or more fibre per 100 grams to be considered as high in fibre. A product that is high in fibre tends to be low in sugar and saturated fats. It is a good rule of thumb to use as a quick reference.

Label reading is an easy skill to develop and is likely to become a completely subconscious habit. The knowledge that this skill brings cannot be unlearned and acts as a powerful tool when making food decisions. Marketing, while very attractive and effective, can also be deceptive. The best way to counteract this is by checking the science which is provided by law right on the label for all to see.

Naturally nutritious snacks

• Fresh fruit
• Dried fruit (without sugar dusting)
• Raw nuts
• Popcorn (air popped and lightly salted)
• Trail mix (nuts, popcorn, seeds, raisins)
• Apple and peanut butter
• Dates and peanut butter
• Whole grain crackers with cottage cheese
• Plain yoghurt with fruit
• Smoothies
• Vegetables and hummus
• Meat balls and baby carrots
• Orange wedges and raw nuts
• Unsalted peanuts and raisins
• Boiled egg on whole wheat toast