#Search AroundDB * Home * Discovery Bay * Tung Chung * South Lantau * DIRECTORY * PROPERTY * GALLERIES * EVENTS * TIPS * ARTICLES * AROUND DB * DISCOVERY BAY * TUNG CHUNG * SOUTH LANTAU * DIRECTORY * PROPERTY * EVENTS * GALLERIES * TIPS * ARTICLES * ADVERTISE WITH US * CONTACT US * LOGIN Login With Facebook EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AROUND LANTAU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AROUND LANTAU Thu,Jan 22 2015 | Fair 20°C Search...___________ GO iWant * articles-main-page * | (31) * NEWS * | (33) * PROFILE * | (24) * INFOCUS * | (25) * FAMILY * | (26) * ESCAPES * | (29) * REGULARS + Health Q&A + Moments + Out there + Talking Points + Business of the month + Techtrend + Money + Action + Lifestyle + Travel * | (30) Healthy Food Foundations Details Written by arounddb January 2014 issue Getting children to make healthy food choices isn’t easy when they are exposed to so many junk-food options. DB wellness researcher Angie Bucu looks at ways to make healthy food fun and enjoyable for kids in 2014 Do you wonder if your kids are getting an adequate daily dose of nutrition? Are you even up to speed on the complex nutritional needs of kids? A plethora of diet and nutritional guidelines are available from sources like the Department of Health, Centre for Health Protection and Hong Kong Nutrition Association. But as with all matters of health and wellness, information, though abundant, can be confusing. Let’s hear from some Lantau nutritionists, kids and parents who are finding simple ways for the whole family to enjoy healthy and nutritious food. Nutrition 101 “Diet is our biggest interaction with the environment, having more impact on gut and brain health and development than anything else,” advises Graeme Bradshaw, naturopath and founder of the Integrated Medicine Institute in Central, which opens a branch in DB on January 6. “Selecting wholefoods that are nutritionally dense, as well as satisfying to kids allows their growing bodies and brains to function at their optimum. Refined and processed foods are nutritionally depleting by contrast.” Getting kids to eat vegetables seems to be the biggest hurdle parents face. In a recent survey by the Centre for Health Protection, only 16% of Hong Kong kids were found to be consuming sufficient vegetables, whereas nearly 63% consume the recommended serving of fruit. Jessica Williams, nutrition consultant and founder of Evolving Wellness in Mui Wo, says that grouping fruits and vegetables together creates the misconception that having four to five servings of fruit will satisfy nutritional needs. “Too much fruit can actually have a negative impact on blood sugar,” she says. “One to two servings of fruit (including fruit juice) per day should be the maximum with four to six servings of vegetables per day in a separate group.” So what are the serving recommendations for children? Eschewing the traditional food-pyramid model, Lisa Fossey, nutritional therapist and founder of The Nutrition Clinic in Discovery Bay, recommends that each plate or lunchbox should consist of half vegetables, a quarter carbohydrate and a quarter protein. “Have vegetables, protein and fibre at every meal, and increase the good fats which are important for brain development,” she says. “Cut out the sugar and foods with additives, as these have been shown to have a negative effect on behaviour.” Breakfast like Kings Recent studies in childhood nutrition suggest that setting foundations about food and how and when children eat is what seems to work, and what will set them up as they move into adulthood. The World Health Organisation has warned that “nutrition and diet-related problems in adolescence start during childhood and continue into adult life”. Megan Jack, nutritionist and founder of Nutrition Plus, in Kowloon, is a firm believer in ensuring that children’s nourishment starts at the beginning of the day, and recommends protein and fibre as breakfast essentials. “As nutrients for mental health they can sustain and keep children full for longer. Breakfast is an easy yet important way to get nutrient-dense food into kids,” she says. Wholefood cereals like Weetabix or muesli (without added sugar) and milk or plain yoghurt, with some berries for the antioxidant support, are some of Megan’s recommendations. Even if kids are running out the door, a peanut-butter sandwich is better than nothing and ticks those essential nutrient boxes. Offer fun, healthy snacks! The reality is that kids need snacks and immediately after school is when they are essential. Without access to healthy alternatives, children will seek out junk food to satisfy their hunger. Having an octopus card makes it easy for kids to pick up unhealthy snacks at 7-11, McDonald’s and other fast-food outlets unmonitored. Preparing snacks as part of the lunchbox helps kids maintain energy levels right through to dinner time. DB resident Alexander Braun, age 11, is a boy with good taste. Found to be intolerant to a number of food groups as a young child, he has grown up eating healthy, and he now prefers nutritious food to junk food. His favourite snacks include fruit, and sandwiches or rice crackers with avocado and mackerel. Having been introduced to juicing at a young age, Alexander is also a big fan of vegetables. “I like eating salads a lot and I like vegetable juices even if they are a funny colour,” he says. “I like trying different vegetables at dinner in small qualities.” Get your kids involved Children have a natural curiosity and like to know how and why things work. Getting them involved in food preparation and cooking encourages them to try different foods. Young kids, who can’t yet chop or stir, can help out by washing the fruit and vegetables, setting the table and tasting dishes before they are served. “Even if the end product does not look nice, when I know what’s in it and what was involved in making it, I am happy to eat it,” Alexander confirms. DB resident Melissa Valentine, mother of Mason, seven, and Molly, five, takes her children shopping in search of healthy wholefoods which they then taste in different forms at home. “I suggest they pick three different things they’ve not tried before – a fruit or vegetable, a protein and a grain or nut/ seed,” Melissa explains. “When we get home, we take turns tasting each other’s choices in different forms – raw first (often described as yucky!) and then cooked. Even though my kids don’t like some of the things they taste, they love doing it and I get to talk to them about good and not-so-good food choices.” Eat together as a family Nutritionists place a lot of emphasis on eating together as a family but also recognise that working parents may find this difficult to achieve. They suggest that if this is impossible during the week, family meals are made a priority at the weekend. The idea is to create routine, boost family connections, and allow children to start exploring and discussing food at a young age. Once children are well into their solids, experts agree that everyone should be eating the same food at home. Parents with ‘picky eaters’ may be shaking their heads, suggesting this is not always possible. But Megan warns that “eating different foods, even if eating together as a family, can create a power play that may lead to unhealthy food choices and a diet high in calories, sugar and carbohydrates”. So what are your options? Don’t make anything special just for one family member, and don’t acknowledge a child’s fussiness or force the issue. Studies have shown that pressuring or bribing kids to eat an unwanted food item does not work as they end up disliking it even more. If children leave their food uneaten, ensure there is a healthy snack available for later. Megan suggests that tying food to relationships can ensure both healthy relationships with food and each other. “Most people who have been brought up this way have a good relationship with food,” she says. “They like good food and are healthy.” Sound snack ideas • Whole fruits • Trail mix (nuts, seeds and dried fruit – unsalted and no added sugar) • Rice cakes/ whole-wheat crackers with toppings likes avocado, cottage cheese, cherry tomato, cucumber, hummus, sardines • Baby carrots and veggie sticks • Oat cookies • Sandwiches with toppings like peanut butter, hummus, low-fat cheese, ham • Wasabi peas • Yoghurt or frozen yoghurt • Fruit smoothies – banana, kiwi and / or blueberry • Water Source: Nutrition Plus Eating the rainbow Tracy Griffith, chef and author of Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love is into healthy food options for kids that focus on colour. At a recent book launch and demonstration in Discovery Bay, she confirmed that children love a variety of colours in food, noting that this can make the plate or lunchbox healthier and more fun. You can learn more at www.tracygriffith.com/cookbook. Find it • Body Awakening, www.bodyawakening.net • d.Be FIT, www.dbefit.com • Evolving Wellness, www.evolving-wellness.com • Integrated Medicine Institute, www.imi.com.hk/dbclinic • Nutrition Plus, www.nutritionplushk.com • The Nutrition Clinic, www.thenutritionclinic.com.hk Advertisement Monexo HOTEL DEALS hotels deals 1 TOP STORIES Fighting Form in Profile 9 Dragons Fitness owners Joey Lee and Doug… See all articles >> LATEST ARTICLES Offshore Lantau life in Other topics by arounddb Local environmental activist, 10-year DB… Tricks of the trade in Lifestyle by Jane Clyde January 2015 You can learn a lot from viewing a designer’s own… iwant.com in Talking Points by Kate Whitehead January 2015 With iwant.com, Tung Chung-based pilot Satya… Imagine Peace in Profile by Elizabeth Kerr January 2015 Elizabeth Kerr talks to Pui O resident Kay… Peter Sherwood's January column in Out there by Peter Sherwood January 2015 To kick off 2015, our resident satirist Peter… FACEBOOK IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FAroundDB&width=270&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_faces=true&h eader=false&stream=false&show_border=false&appId=191891405087 Advertisement DMR BALLET Name________________ E-mail______________ Subscribe Stay Tuned with our news MAGAZINE * About the Magazine * Media Kit * Distribution * Our team * Contact Us WEBSITE * About the website * Media Kit * Terms of Use * Privacy Policy * Terms and Conditions * Login BUSINESSES * Discovery Bay directory * Tung Chung directory * South Lantau directory * Add your property * Add your business FOLLOW US * Facebook * twitter * you tube All rights reserved © 2014 AroundDB - Our address: 7E Glamour Court, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong Phone: (852) 2987 0577 Fax: (852) 2987 0533 Email: info@arounddb.com