What's on their menu?
Taste preferences and dietary habits formed in the first few years can last a lifetime, so it’s important to sow the seeds of a healthy diet at a young age
The habits we form in childhood are the habits we will carry with us throughout our lifetimes and, as parents, it’s often difficult to negotiate the minefield of dietary choices for our children.
Are crisps food of the devil? Will an occasional McDonald’s result in early-onset diabetes and sure and certain misery? Is it okay to offer your child the odd chocolate bar or fizzy drink, and what if you just can’t get them to eat their greens?
We asked three parents to keep a week-long food diary for their young children.
Then we asked Ruth Charles, consultant dietitian, paediatrics, from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, and nutritionist Paula Mee ( paulamee.com) to take a look at the results.
We asked them what these parents were doing right and what they were doing wrong and, ultimately, how many snack-sized Crunchies are too many?
Maedhbh McCarthy (3)
MONDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Cheese, grapes, bread, water with juice
Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwich, tomatoes, water, Actimel yoghurt
Snack: Apple, Milka chocolate stick
Dinner: Pasta with bolognese sauce, yoghurt, water
Bedtime: Milk
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Salami and cheese sandwich, pineapple, banana, kiwi, glass of water
Lunch: Bread, tomatoes, salmon, blue cheese, peppers, glass of water
Snack: Biscuit, grapes, glass of water
Dinner: Vegetarian risotto, ice-cream, water
Bedtime: Glass of milk
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Weetabix with milk and honey, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Cheese sandwich, mandarin, grapes, glass of water
Lunch: Tomato soup, bread and butter, cheese, tomatoes, grapes
Snack: Grapes, chocolate biscuit
Dinner: Fish with carrots, potatoes and peppers, yoghurt, glass of water
Bedtime: Glass of milk
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, toast, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Cheese and salami sandwich, mandarin and pineapple, glass of water
Lunch: Ham, bread and butter, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber
Snack: Grapes, mandarin
Dinner: Macaroni cheese and tomatoes, yoghurt, glass of water
Bedtime: Glass of milk
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, glass of milk
Snack: Bagel and cream cheese, grapes
Lunch: Crackers, vegetable soup, tomatoes, cheese, salami
Snack: Apple, banana, chocolate
Dinner: Chicken curry with rice, ice-cream, glass of water
Bedtime: Milk
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Pancakes with maple syrup, sausages, glass of milk
Snack: Dried apricots, banana
Lunch: Crackers with cheese and ham, yoghurt
Snack: Grapes, mandarin
Dinner: Noodles with pork and vegetables, cake, glass of water
Bedtime: Milk
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Weetabix with milk and honey, bagel, milk
Snack: Oat and blueberry smoothie, raisins
Lunch: Bread and butter with ham, cheese, tomatoes and cucumber
Snack: Cadbury’s Twirl chocolate
Dinner: Melon, roast beef with carrots, potato and cauliflower, meringue with cream and strawberries, glass of water
Bedtime: Milk
Ruth’s notes:
The routine of Maedhbh’s meals and snacks is consistently good. She has a wholegrain breakfast cereal daily and her fruit and veg sources are varied. The mixture of food variety (sweet/savoury) and texture are good and ensure that her skills of eating, drinking and swallowing are regularly challenged.
Vitamin D needs would be covered by regular inclusion of oily fish, eggs and fortified milk. Try to include wholegrain varieties of pasta and crackers. Try to include a range of different coloured vegetables – red (tomato, peppers), green (broccoli, spinach). The colour gives an indication of vitamins and antioxidants present.
It seems there’s a daily “treat”. Try to keep it to twice a week of “fun” or snack size, and try not to use food as a reward.
Paula’s notes:
Overall, Maedhbh’s diet seems fairly balanced, with regular meals and snacks and a good intake of protein and fibre from her porridge, vegetables and fruit. The fibre in wholemeal bread, if she eats it, will help keep her gut healthy and prevent constipation. However, too many high-fibre foods can, in some cases, fill slight children up very quickly and displace other foods that provide important nutrients.
Many young Irish children are not getting enough calcium in their diet, but Maedhbh is exceeding her calcium requirements. For a child of this age, it is recommended that they should consume three servings of calcium-rich foods a day. One serving is equal to 200ml milk, 25g cheese or a 125g pot of yoghurt and Maedhbh would often have more than three servings. This may mean she is not getting enough of other foods.
I would suggest Maedhbh includes more variety in her lunch and occasional alternatives to cheese in her sandwich, because she is getting sufficient calcium and bone minerals from milk and yoghurt already. Processed meats such as ham, salami and sausages are high in fat and salt so these are not good alternatives. Better sources of protein would be leaner, unprocessed meats such as chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs, tinned tuna and salmon or baked beans.
Substituting these foods for the cheese and ham sandwich would improve the overall quality of Maedhbh’s diet.
