GO EASY ON TREATS Let’s go easy on the treats – try to give them to children less often and in small amounts
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hildren are having more treat foods such as crisps, sugar and biscuits than the recommended amount to keep them healthy. Latest research on treats for the START campaign found that parents and guardians believe that giving them in smaller amounts and less often should help families to cut back and replace them with healthier snacks. Sarah O’Brien, HSE national lead for the Healthy Eating and Active Living programme, explained that the health advice is to limit treat foods to small amounts once or twice a week for
The START campaign is brought to you from safefood, the HSE and Healthy Ireland. The campaign encourages families to take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle for their children by supporting them with one daily win and to persist with the changes, no matter how difficult they become.
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children over five and no more than once a week for children under five. “This is so far from the norm in our society and the marketing of these products is so widespread that parents struggle to achieve it,” she said. “Children, and particularly small children, often need healthy snacks between meals to provide all the nutrients they need for their growing bodies. Simple options such as yoghurt, fruit, popcorn, cheese or peanut butter and crackers are all good choices. Getting children involved in preparing food, organising a healthy eating family challenge
or using star charts for younger kids are ways of introducing healthier snacks.” Parents and guardians also said that by having a discussion with children on the health benefits of cutting back on treats should help them understand and accept having less. This is preferable to just saying no outright. They asked for advice on how to have such discussions with children. Parenting expert and child & adolescent psychotherapist Colman Noctor gave some advice on how to navigate those tricky conversations: Tip one ‘No’ can be a tough word at any age for a child. Small amounts of treats and a few times a week is ok, but it’s important to agree this. By knowing how much and when they can have a treat, you can minimise meltdowns and can give children a feeling of control. Remember, being a parent often involves giving a child what they need as opposed to what they want. Tip two To avoid bargaining in the sweet aisles, agree if you will buy a treat and if so, what type of treat before you go to the shop. It can reduce the ask and help you control the shopping trips. Tip three Children have to learn to regulate their desire as they develop, but they need help with this. Remind yourself that limiting treats is teaching a necessary life skill that will help your child to know when to cut back. Dr Aileen McGloin, nutritionist with safefood added, “Parents are aware that they need to say no to treats more often but they believe that encouraging treats in moderation feels much more achievable and realistic for them. While healthy eating guidelines don’t include treats as being necessary for good health, if children are eating them, the rule of thumb is ‘small amounts and not every day’.”
Further help and resources VIEW videos with HSE parenting experts, recipes and healthy snack options on www.makeastart.ie. Order hard copies of START publications by searching “Start publications” on www.hse.ie FOLLOW START on Facebook www.facebook.com/safefood.net and Twitter @safefood_net #makeastart
