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'Accidental malnutrition' in toddlers highlights importance of healthy lunch box
February, 2006
With a new study revealing that overeating and ‘accidental malnutrition’ is occurring in Australia’s young it has never been more important to understand the contents of your child’s lunchbox.
Conducted by Dr Jenny O’Dea, University of Sydney nutritionist and author of Positive Food for Kids, the study found that young children are encouraged to eat even when they are not hungry and that their intake of sweets and snack foods often go unchecked.
This supports numerous studies finding children as young as two years old are consuming too many empty calories from highly processed foods and not enough protein, iron, calcium and zinc from nutritious foods such as lean red meat, cereals, fruit and vegetables .
Dr O’Dea states that we are faced with both the issues of overweight and under-nutrition at a time when nutrition is crucial for a child’s growth and development. These kids can be grumpy and irritable, more prone to colds and flu and have slower gains in height. “This problem can be helped by parents getting back to basics – giving their children a well balanced diet of lean red meat, cereals, fruit and vegetables every day,” she added.
Identifying under-nutrition
This can be difficult to diagnose, however Dr O’Dea suggests monitoring your child’s growth over time, rather than a one-off height and weight measure and states that “some overweight school-aged children have a height deficit of two centimetres.” Dr O’Dea adds that “this suggests an overfed child who is not eating the right foods to promote growth.”
Practical tips for parents
Dr O’Dea encourages parents to start with the basics and reminds them that children need fruit, vegetables, cereals (bread, rice, pasta), dairy and protein (lean red meat and fish) every day.
“Parents are already struggling with their child’s food preferences, so keep solutions simple. Lean red meat prepared as hamburgers, kebabs, tacos or stews are hits with young children and perfect for time–poor parents,” explains Dr O’Dea.
If parents are concerned about under-nutrition, Dr O’Dea also recommends to keep a 24 hour food and drink diary and talk to their GP.
Tips for improving nutrition in young children:
- Back to basics – parents should give children nutrient-rich foods including lean red meat, dairy, cereals, fruit and vegetables daily;
- Chart the child’s growth pattern;
- Keep a 24hr food and drink diary; and
- Keep food solutions simple and practical. Examples include hamburgers, kebabs, tacos and egg soldiers.
To encourage toddlers to eat a well balanced diet follow these healthy, fun and practical recipes guaranteed to brighten up any child’s lunchbox:
Lamb Patties with Pita Bread
Add delicious hummus and tabouli to serve
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
800g Lamb mince
1 Onion, grated
2 tsp Ground cumin
½ cup dried breadcrumbs
1 Egg, lightly beaten
Olive oil for cooking
Pita pockets (or pita/ lavish bread)
Hummus and tabouli to serve
Method
1. Combine the mince, onion, cumin, breadcrumbs and egg. Mix well and season with salt and black pepper
2. Form into about 24 balls and flatten slightly
3. Pan fry in a little olive oil for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve in pita pockets with hummus and tabouli or simply slip them into a sandwich with some BBQ sauce and the kids will love it.
For a quick meal option later in the week, freeze the patties and then re-serve with freshly grated carrot and salad.
‘Traffic Light’ beef and vegetable skewers
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
400g lean beef steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
8 wooden skewers, soaked in water
Red, yellow and green vegetables eg cherry tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini, squash, broccoli
1 tblsp olive oil
Method
1. Cut vegetables into bite size pieces. Thread a cube of meat onto each skewer and follow with a piece of red, yellow and green vegetable. Finish with another cube of beef
2. Lightly brush with olive oil and cut the points off the skewers
3. Heat a barbecue or grill and cook for 10 minutes (or until cooked to your liking), turning every 2 minutes
4. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce eg yoghurt and mint, satay or tomato sauce
Keep the kids happy by varying this meal each time and alternate the vegetables and dipping sauce with whatever you have in the cupboard! Kids will also love the skewers cold the next day for lunch.
Crouch PJ, O’Dea JA, Battisti, RA Association between maternal attitudes, beliefs, child-feeding practices and risk of overweight among 2-6 year old children, 2005, manuscript under review
Nichols MS et al. Body size, eating habits and activity patterns in children aged under 5 years in Geelong. Proceedings from the ASSO conference, Adelaide, October 2005
Lahti-Koski M et al. The contribution of non-core foods to the diets of Australian children 18 months of age. Proceedings from the European Nutrition conference, Rome, October 2003