Next week is healthy heart week, with the emphasis on children's diets. Anne Dempsey looks at one family's approach to eating
They used to say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and these days the same could apply to children, as parents increasingly capitulate to the insistent whine for sweets and fast food alternatives to more traditional cooking.
The results are all around us. Today, according to the National Children's Survey 2005, one in eight boys and one in 11 girls aged eight to 12 is overweight, most children eat only a half serving of vegetables per day compared with mounds of consumed confectionery. One-fifth of their calorie intake comes from poor snacking.
Such a diet, low in fruit and vegetables and full of foods high in sugar, fat and salt, along with physical inactivity (only one in five children walks to school) lays the foundation for adult illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.
So A Child's Heart. . . for Life, the theme of this year's Irish Heart Week, which starts next week, running from Thursday to September 29th, is timely. During the week, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) aims to provide parents with information on healthy eating and active living for children and young people. Passing on these positive habits is no easy task for parents, they say, as manufacturers of processed foods and fizzy drinks wage an increasingly successful battle for young hearts, minds and tummies.
The survey also showed that children get 90 per cent of their energy from food eaten at home. So how easy is it to get the kids onto a good regime?
Gillian and Owen Higgins, Knocknaheeny, Cork, are parents of Megan, almost 12, and Joshua, nearly two. Megan is in sixth class at St Mary's On The Hill, and Joshua goes to playschool two mornings a week. Both parents work outside the home, Owen's job involves shift work and Gillian works two evenings a week in a medical supplies company.
She sums up a typical day: "Megan doesn't like breakfast. At weekends or during holidays she mightn't eat till an hour and a half after she gets up - cereal, tea and toast. On a school morning, I want her to eat before she leaves as I'm worried she will be hungry and tired mid-morning.
"Sometimes she will have a bit of fruit, this morning she had a banana, and I plan to encourage her to get up a little earlier and give her something she really likes such as a boiled egg and toast.
"In her lunchbox this morning she had a cheese sandwich on white bread, yoghurt and Ribena Toothkind. I tend to ask her what she would like, otherwise she may not eat it. Sometimes I give her cream crackers or soup in her flask. I buy the cartons of soup and make my own vegetable soup.
"They're not allowed to take sweets or salty snacks in their lunchbox, it's school policy. It was the same when I was there, and now that I'm a parent myself, I find it a great help in cutting out hassle. Megan loves milk and she gets milk at school as well.
"Joshua did not eat well during the summer heat, it was pick, pick, pick. There were battles, he would occasionally be throwing the food around. But in the last fortnight, he is eating very well, it may be linked to a growth spurt.
"The other morning he had cornflakes, toast and boiled egg. The last two mornings he's had two Weetabix with hot milk. I normally buy Weetabix, Rice Crispies or Ready Brek, I don't like getting the sugar-coated cereal, though occasionally I buy them Coco Pops as a treat.
"He loves going to the playgroup, knocks on the door to be let in. He will take a snack with him, a ham sandwich and milk. At home he'll have a sandwich for lunch, or sausage, or beans on toast. He won't let you feed him for love nor money, but he's pretty good, he'll sit up at the table, and while he may toddle off for a toy, he'll come back to his meal."
Megan is home from school at 2.30pm. Last term, Gillian says she used to cook her a small meal such as pasta with sauce.
"But I found she wasn't hungry when it came to dinner time, and then she would be looking for something at eight or nine at night.
"So now I either have the dinner ready when she comes home, or give her something like fruit and yoghurt to keep her going and serve up dinner at about 5.30pm. I will eat with them because Owen isn't home till later."
In terms of the main meal, Megan is beginning to take an ethical stance. "She won't eat lamb, she thinks of it as eating the little lambs she sees, though she will eat chicken, steak, a pork chop.
"She won't eat fish either. I think seeing the fish laid out whole in the supermarket turns her off. She used to love smoked coley with white sauce which I told her was yellow chicken. But then she discovered it was fish, I wasn't able to get away with it any more, and now she won't touch it.
"Megan is a good vegetable eater, she'll have broccoli, carrots, turnips, cauliflower, potato, particularly roast potatoes. Joshua will have some of whatever we're having - meat, potato with gravy. They would often have a packet of crisps or a bar of chocolate, but not every night and we try to make it a treat. Joshua loves a few rusks which he dips into a cup of tea."
Gillian feels she is a fairly responsible shopper with the emphasis on good raw ingredients rather than on processed foods.
"I would buy chicken nuggets and potato waffles every two weeks. I don't buy much sweets, chocolate or biscuits because it's too easy to put your hand in the cupboard, and I would be eating them as well as the kids.
"I used to buy packs of mini bars, but I've stopped that because if they're not there, you can't have them. We would have a weekend takeaway every third week, usually Chinese. Megan and I would share a beef dish, Owen would have a chicken curry and Joshua would have chicken nuggets that night.
"Generally speaking I would be aware of cooking them healthy food rather than handing up something easy, because I think with poor food, you eat it, but you're hungry again in no time. The other thing I believe we should pay attention to is portion size.
"A friend told me recently that our portion sizes have increased, even our plates are bigger, so you may not be noticing if portion sizes are way too big."
One in three children watches over two hours of television every day, according to the 2005 survey, commenting that the availability of TV, video and computer games, parental safety concerns and access to recreational facilities can limit the opportunities for outdoor games and sport.
In Knocknaheeny, however, the back garden is still their oyster. "After school, Megan changes, does her homework and is gone, I see her in the back garden with her friend next door. Joshua plays outside as well. He might watch a bit of Barnie and Megan looks at some television before bedtime.
"I'd have the television on in the kitchen when I'm preparing the meal. I used to have it on during meal time, but I've started to turn if off so that we can talk," Gillian says.
What the expert says
"Gillian is correct in realising the importance of a breakfast for Megan," says consultant dietician Roslyn Tarrant.
"Anything is better than nothing, if she won't have breakfast, encourage the eating of a piece of fruit or yoghurt, and avoid sweetened cereal.
"Equally, when children begin to pick rather than having meals similar to the phase Joshua went through, they can fill up on empty calories.
"To avoid this, offer healthy snacks such as a fruit-based smoothie or milkshake, popcorn, crackers and cheese. Ribena Toothkind, which Megan brings to school, is sugar-free, and milk-based drinks or water are also much preferable to sugary, fizzy drinks.
"Gillian is getting a lot of things right. Seeing sweets as a treat after the meal is the right balance and needs reinforcement," says Roslyn.
Up to 40 per cent of children and young people aged nine to 17 are eating high sugary foods three or more times a day. However, tea is not recommended for children as the tannin can inhibit the absorption of iron in food.
"I think Gillian is correct to turn off the television during the meal. Getting into the habit of sitting down at the table and eating together without distraction such as television, radio, video or computer games is very good for children, and the parents can be positive role models in this."
To coincide with Irish Heart Week, the IHF has produced a magazine "Your Child's Heart. . . for Life". It comprises 24 pages of help and advice for parents, childminders, teachers and carers on shopping, cooking and snacking, coping with fussy eaters, plus ideas about getting children and teens to be more active. For a free copy, telephone LoCall 1850 364 364 or e-mail claffen@irish-heart.ie
Anne Dempsey