Nutripro meals for kids

Food

n° 7

5 / 09

MEALS FoR kIdS ContEntS • Good nutrition early on is a key to health all through life • Which food should you choose?

• Dining out with kids: the current situation • Parents’ insight: what do parents think about kids’ meals?

• Tips for application

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Meals for KiDs e D i To r i a l Dear Reader, Kids need a sufficient amount of nutritious food to grow and develop normally. Such food includes plenty of vegetables, legumes, fruit, cereals and wholegrain products, as well as lean meat, fish and dairy products. However, at the moment only around 55% of parents are relatively satisfied with the kids’ meals they get outside the home. For parents, healthy eating means giving children a good start in life.

Our aim is to help you and to be your partner in providing nutritious food to children. This issue of NutriPro gives you tips and shows you ways to create and prepare healthy and tasty meals for children.

Marc Caira Head of NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL

Dear All, The prevalence of overweight and obese children is a growing problem all over the world. Overweight children have a greater risk of getting diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other diseases. In addition, children who become overweight during childhood and adolescence tend to be overweight during adulthood. We therefore consider it to be our responsibility to work against this trend with our products and nutritional information. One way to do this is to support customers, parents and children to help them choose a wide variety of healthy and nutritious food when they are eating outside the home. With this issue of NutriPro, we hope to offer you some helpful suggestions.

Good nutrition early on is a key to health all through life A healthy diet is important all through life. the right balance of nutrients and energy is the key to optimal growth and development, especially for kids. As their calorie and nutrient requirements increase with age, there are some facts relating to the nutritional intake for kids that are independent of age: • Carbohydrates:

carbohydrates are the foundation of our diet.

Around 55% (USA: 45 – 65%) of the daily energy intake comes from this nutrient.

• Protein: kids need a maximum of 15% of their daily energy intake from protein sources. This means: around 0.9 g / kg / day.

However, protein is available from two main sources – animals and plants. The best path towards a healthy diet for kids is to combine a maximum of 50% of animal protein sources, such as meat and fish, with 50% of plant protein, such as rice and vegetables.

• Fat: only 25 – 35% of the daily energy intake needs to come from fat sources. To reduce the risk of developing high blood cholesterol levels, and, later on, heart disease, a child’s diet should be low in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat. This means: for a diet with 1600 calories, a maximum 18 g of saturated fat and for a diet with 2000 calories, less than 20 g of saturated fat for the whole day.

• Vitamins: vitamins are also an essential part of every child’s diet. If children do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, they run the risk of not getting enough vitamin A and C. Their vitamin D intake may also become deficient if a child’s exposure to the sun is limited or if he or she consumes a vegetarian diet.

• Minerals: there are two minerals whose intake might not always meet recommended daily requirements: calcium and iron. An adequate calcium intake during childhood is essential for developing strong bones and teeth. Iron is required to synthesise haemoglobin, which carries oxygen within the red blood cells from the lungs to all the tissues.

Fruit USA: 1.5 cups D, A, CH*: 200 – 250 g

dairy Sascha Türler-Inderbitzin Nutritionist, NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL NutriPro Food 5 / 09

USA: 2 – 3 cups D, A, CH*: 350 – 420 g

3 Meals for Kids

Which food should you choose?

G o o d t o k n ow Calorie requirements for kids

You should choose the following food to offer a balanced diet that is high in nutritional value: • Frequently

USA

• Occasionally

–– Wholegrain products, e.g. bread, rice, pasta –– Fresh fruit and raw vegetables –– Potatoes / potato products (but not fried) –– Legumes –– Low-fat milk / milk products –– For processing / cooking: only native oils

–– Meat and meat products –– Eggs –– Fish –– Frozen fruit and vegetables

Female Male (in kcal) (in kcal)

4 – 8

1400 – 1600**

1400 – 1600

9 – 13

1600 – 2000

1800 – 2200

1400

1500

7 – 10

1700

1900

10 – 12

2000

2300

D, A, CH* 4 – 7

• Rarely

–– White bread / wheat products –– Sweet desserts –– Fried products –– Canned fruit and vegetables

Age

*Germany, Austria, Switzerland **With moderate activity

G o o d t o k n ow The increasing problem: overweight and obesity

Grain USA: 4 – 6 ounces D, A, CH*: 170 – 250 g 1 ounce equals: • 1

slice of bread

• ½

cup of cooked rice or pasta

• ½

cup of oatmeal

The percentage of overweight children worldwide is growing at an alarming rate. For example, in the United States 1 out of 3 children, in Switzerland 1 out of 4 kids and in Australia around 1 out of 5 kids are now considered overweight or obese. The reasons for obesity in children are a combination of unhealthy food choices, lack of physical activity, family food habits and genetic factors. The consequence is that obese children can develop ­serious health problems in later life.

These include: • Type

2 diabetes

• Metabolic • High

syndrome

blood pressure

• Asthma

and other respiratory problems

Vegetables USA: 1.5 – 2.5 cups D, A, CH*: 200 – 250 g

• Sleep

disorders

• Liver

disease

In addition to the health issues, obesity in children can lead to ­social problems, such as low selfesteem and isolation.

Meat, fish and alternatives USA: 3 – 5 ounces D, A, CH*: 90 – 150 g

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Meals for KiDs dining out with kids: the current situation

My favourite burger has tomatoes and lettuce in it; that makes it juicy.

Most restaurants, especially those serving fast food, have “special meals” for kids. Even though many restaurants are adding healthier adult dining options, the meal choices for kids are dominated by the following dishes: • Fried

chicken nuggets or chicken strips served with French fries or cheeseburgers with French fries • Pasta with meatballs and tomato sauce or just with tomato sauce • Macaroni & cheese • Cheese or pepperoni pizza • Breaded (fried) fish, chips and tomato sauce • Hamburgers

Sometimes, but very rarely, the meals include salad or vegetables such as steamed broccoli. On the other hand, the meals are often served with soft drinks or flavoured milk (e.g. chocolate milk) and a dessert, such as ice cream or cookies. Most of these kids’ meals are too high in calories and saturated fat and too low in vitamins and minerals. Here are some examples:

EXAMPLES Chicken nuggets (6 pieces)

285 kcal, 18 g fat, 4 g saturated fat

with French fries (small portion)

271 kcal, 14 g fat, 3 g saturated fat

and 1 soft drink (11 fl oz / 325 ml)

140 kcal

total:

696 kcal, 32 g fat, 7 g saturated fat

based on calories

696 kcal 1 hamburger

280 kcal, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat

with French fries (small portion)

271 kcal, 14 g fat, 3 g saturated fat

1 chocolate milk

157 kcal, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat

and 1 apple sliced

56 kcal

total:

764 kcal, 27 g fat, 9 g saturated fat

1 cheese pizza (6´´ pan pizza)

620 kcal, 26 g fat, 11 g saturated fat

with a side salad (139 g)

50 kcal, 2.5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat

with thousand island dressing (30 g)

120 kcal, 11 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat

with 1 soft drink (11 fl oz / 325 ml)

140 kcal

total:

930 kcal, 39.5 g fat, 14 g saturated fat

Spaghetti with meat sauce

640 kcal, 26 g fat, 7 g saturated fat

764 kcal

930 kcal

with 1 chocolate ice cream (½ cup / 68 g) 143 kcal, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat with 1 soft drink (11 fl oz / 325 ml)

140 kcal

total:

923 kcal, 33 g fat, 11 g saturated fat 923 kcal

NutriPro Food 5 / 09

5 Meals for Kids

Parents’ insight: what do parents think about kids’ meals? only around half of the parents who eat out with children are “quite satisfied” with kids’ meals and more than a third are “dissatisfied” with the offerings. Most parents who are dissatisfied have the following complaints about kids’ meals: • There

are too many deep-fried foods. meals are usually too limited.

• The offerings of fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy drinks are insufficient.

• They do not like separate kids’ meals. They would prefer kids to be able to order small portions of dishes from the “adult menu”.

• The

Furthermore, some parents would like to know more about the ingredients, the type of oil used in kids’ meals, as well as the calorie and fat content.

G o o d t o k n ow How to offer kids’ meals Generally, there are two ways to offer kids’ meals: 1. special kids’ meals: Most parents decline this offer because most of these offers include a lot of fried food. On the other hand, most kids like the special kids’ menu. The solution: offering the different food groups as a “buffet”, from which the children can arrange their own special meal.

This means kids could choose between different kinds of vegetables, grain products, potatoes (not only French fries), meat, fish (not only fried fish but steamed or sautéed fish as well), etc. This solution keeps fried food to a minimum (e.g. only three fried products on the menu) or even eliminates it, and follows the tips for the special food groups above.

2. a half portion: Kids have the opportunity to choose a small portion from the “adults’” menu. Provided, of course, there is no alcohol or any hot spices in the dishes.

It is worth remembering that the portion of meat is only 1 ⁄ 8 of the whole dish, while the portion of vegetables and potatoes / rice / pasta is at least ¾.

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Meals for KiDs i already know what green salad is. Don’t you have any other kind?

tips for application A balanced diet with a high level of nutrition is essential to make kids grow healthy. Several factors should be considered for creating these meals: • All

i just like carrot sticks!

food can be part of a healthy diet. Children do not have to give up food they enjoy – only the portion size and balance are crucial.

• No single food contains all the essential nutrients children need. Important are the right balance and food variety.

• The meal has to appeal to all the senses, especially the eyes.

For example: offer fruit and vegetables in different colours and present them in different shapes.

• Spice with a variety of fresh herbs and be careful with salt.

The typical salt intake of children and teens currently exceeds the recommended amount. A high intake of salt could cause elevated blood pressure later in life.

• For young kids (up to 8 – 9 years of age): – It is necessary to recognise what is on the plate. Kids want to know and see what kind of food they are eating. Most of them don’t like casseroles or similar dishes, where they can’t identify individual food components.

– Children are normally very conservative – they don’t want to try out new dishes, preferring meals they know from home or ones they have seen on television.

– Avoid hot spices such as hot pepper and other strongly flavoured seasonings.

– Children prefer meals named after animals, comic book characters, or characters from their favourite television programme.

• For kids from 10 years of age upwards: – Most kids in this group think they are no longer children. They don’t want to have kids’ meals or meals with special names.

They want to choose from the adults’ menu, but the portion size is normally too big, so smaller portions are appreciated.

G o o d t o k n ow What’s important in fats /oils •

Use – whenever possible – cooking methods that require little or no fat – such as steaming, stewing / braising, sautéing and grilling – or that avoid deep-frying.

•

Use a fat / oil with a high amount of unsaturated fat, such as canola (rapeseed) oil.

•

For salads, use oils that contain more vitamin E, have a satisfying flavour and great taste.

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Grain products and potatoes

i love peas and broccoli even more than pasta.

• This

food group includes bread, all kinds of pasta, noodles, rice, oat products, maize, millet and cornmeal.

• Around a third of a child’s daily food intake should be from this group, so every meal should include at least one item.

• Especially for kids from 10 upwards, offer alternative grain products like bulgur, couscous or barley.

• Mix wholegrain products such as rice or pasta with refined products in a ratio of 2:1 – this enhances the acceptance of wholegrain products.

Pasta • Serve

pasta not only with tomato sauce but, as an alternative, with vegetables or a vegetable sauce (e.g. a sauce with leeks, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms or other seasonal vegetables), or a sauce with red lentils and goat cheese – be creative!

• If you offer pasta with meat balls, mix the meat balls with finely-shredded vegetables e.g. carrots or corn.

• Offer stuffed pasta not just with meat, but with vegetables and a tomato or vegetable sauce as well.

• Offer lasagne not just with meat, but also with vegetables.

Potatoes • Offer

low-fat oven French fries or chips rather than deep-fried

ones.

• Offer

baked potatoes with a low-fat dip with fresh herbs. mashed potatoes: – Use fresh potatoes with low-fat milk and a minimum of butter; mix them with fresh herbs.

– Try new variants: mix the potatoes with mashed vegetables e.g. carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichokes, jam or turnip cabbage in a ratio of 3:1.

• Serve potatoes as a potato pizza: make the base from mashed potatoes with eggs and some grated low-fat cheese with toppings using different kinds of vegetables.

• Serve potatoes as waffles with a tomato sauce or salad.

• For

Rice, wraps, sandwiches • Offer

rice not just separately, but also in the form of risotto with small pieces of different kinds of vegetables e.g. peas, red or yellow peppers, and zucchini.

• For wraps: try replacing half the white flour with wholegrain flour.

• For sandwiches: use different kinds of bread – one wholegrain and one white – for the same sandwich.

NutriPro Food 5 / 09 – NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL Nutrition Magazine

Meals for Kids

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Meals for KiDs Vegetables and fruits Children must eat at least 5 (or more) servings of fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, dried, or canned) every day. So every lunch or dinner, whether served hot or cold, should contain a minimum of two child-sized portions from this group.

Vegetables • Let

G o o d t o k n ow Breakfast is brain food Breakfast is a very important meal of the day. Research studies have found that those who eat breakfast perform better on achievement tests and have fewer behavioural problems at school. Breakfast eaters are also more likely to meet their nutritional needs than those who skip it. A good breakfast should provide a quarter to a third of the day’s nutritional needs.

Some examples: • A bowl of oatmeal with low-fat milk and fresh fruits, and a glass of fresh orange juice.

•

1 – 2 slices of wholesome bread with cream cheese, cucumbers and a glass of milk or cocoa.

•

150 g of yogurt with one diced fresh fruit and a glass of fruit juice.

•

2 – 4 tablespoons of cereal with fresh fruit and low-fat milk.

kids choose their vegetables from a variety of fresh and seasonal vegetables for every meal.

• Serve more dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, bok choy or romaine lettuce.

• Use fresh vegetables and pulses as ingredients for fresh soups.

• Vegetables with a high amount of starch, like carrots, parsnips, celery and pumpkin, are good for preparing soups and sauces.

• Light / white vegetables are good for preparing cream sauces.

• Look for a new way to offer vegetables: – Serve crepes (substitute wholegrain flour for half of the white flour) filled with spinach and cheese.

– Bake pieces of pumpkin or other kinds of vegetables in the oven and serve them with a low-fat yogurt dip with fresh herbs like basil.

– A goulash made only with vegetables: cut the different vegetables in pieces, so kids can see which kind of vegetables they are eating.

– Bread-pizza au gratin with vegetables.

– Grill vegetable sticks and offer them with different kinds of dips.

• Steam the vegetables or heat them in a microwave.

• Sometimes stir-frying is possible, but use oil sparingly.

• Use only oil with a high amount of unsaturated fat, like canola or rapeseed oil.

• Cook the vegetables until just tender, not more.

9 Meals for Kids

• If

you use canned vegetables: heat them in the microwave – warm up the liquid first, then add the vegetables • If you use frozen vegetables: don’t thaw them before cooking.

The best way to heat them is in the microwave.

• For young children: – They prefer raw or cold vegetables, e.g. cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots.

– They may find vegetables easier to eat if served cut up into small portions, e.g. as finger food. Serve them with a low-fat yogurt dip.

Fruits • Offer

fruit-based desserts such as fresh fruit sticks, fruit salad, fruit crumble, fruit jelly or fruit pie.

• Especially in the summer, kids like cold dishes made with fruits: frozen pieces of fresh fruits (e.g. berry fruits, plums, apricots, pineapple, lychee) mixed together with some juice and served with one scoop of ice cream or with a sauce based on low-fat milk or dairy products.

• Use fruit as well for vegetable salads, e.g. mix pears with dark green leafy vegetables.

G o o d to R E M E M B E R Don’t forget the beverage Drinking enough throughout the day is very important, especially for young kids. The recommended intake for beverages is around 1.0 – 1.5 l per day. This needs to be increased when the environmental temperature is high or activity causes fluids to be lost through perspiration. The problem is that most of the soft drinks that kids consume are high in calories and low in nutrients. In any case, children must drink a beverage at every meal. The solution is to offer things like: •

Water, flat or sparkling

•

A mix of water and fresh juice in a ratio of 4:1

•

Smoothies (see above)

•

Different kinds of non-alcoholic cocktails with a lot of crushed ice

•

Low-calorie drinks for kids

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Meals for KiDs Mmh – desserts with milk are so yummy!

Milk and dairy products • This

food group includes milk, yogurt, and hard & fresh cheese.

Calcium-fortified soy products can also be included as an alternative to milk.

• These foods are important as a source of calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin D and zinc.

• Children should eat around 2 – 3 servings of milk and dairy products a day.

A serving is: – For milk: around one 200 ml glass – For yogurt: around 150 g – For cheese: around 30 g

dessert • Choose

low-fat milk, e.g. partly skimmed or skimmed milk as a base for different kinds of desserts, e.g. rice pudding with fresh fruits, or pancakes.

• Serve yogurt with cubed fresh fruits and shredded chocolate.

• Arrange

in a glass in layers: low-fat yogurt and a puree of fresh fruits (e.g. apricot, peaches, plums) sweetened with some honey.

• Mix yogurt and cottage cheese in a ratio of 1:1. Then add shredded fresh fruit, let the dessert freeze and serve it frozen.

• Serve waffles with lightly frozen yogurt and fresh fruits, such as slices of strawberry, bananas or apricot.

• Serve yogurt or low-fat milk as a beverage, e.g.

– as a shake: mix a puree of fresh fruits and berries with some low-fat milk and a little bit of honey – or as a smoothie: make a puree of bananas and apples and mix it with low-fat yogurt.

• Serve reduced-fat cheeses as part of a salad, as a filling for sandwiches and baked potatoes, or sprinkled on top of pasta or rice dishes.

NutriPro Food 5 / 09

11 Meals for Kids

Meat, fish and alternatives • This

group includes all meat, poultry, fish, eggs and alternatives like nuts, tofu and beans.

• These foods provide protein, iron, B-vitamins (especially vitamin B12), vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids (from fish).

• Children require 3 – 5 ounces (around 84 – 140 g) a day of these foods.

Meat • Cut

visible fat, including skin, from meat and poultry and drain away fat after cooking.

• Offer meat with a lot of fresh vegetables.

• Try to grill or roast meat (and fish) rather than frying it.

• Reduce your offerings of meat products such as hot dogs, sausages and chicken nuggets. They are mostly high in fat and sodium.

Fish • Offer

more fish, especially oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, and herring).

• Make fish fingers / sticks from scratch and serve them with a low-fat yogurt dip with fresh herbs.

• Serve small cuts of salmon with pasta and a cream sauce.

• Offer sandwiches and wraps with tuna salad.

nuts* • Nuts

should not be given whole to very young kids (up to the age of 5), because of the risk of choking.

• Serve nuts as a topping for salads.

• Make a paste of nuts and add it to a cream sauce for pasta, e.g. spaghetti. *Please note that nuts are allergens. They can cause severe allergies, so inform parents or highlight them on the menu.

Beans • Make

“hamburger” from a bean paste (together with fresh herbs) and fill patties with cheese and corn.

• Serve beans not just as a side dish, but with a salad as well.

• Some kinds of beans are very sweet – offer cooked beans together with crushed ice as a dessert.

QUIZ 1. which minerals are generally not consumed by children in sufficient quantities?

J Magnesium and copper k Calcium and iron L Calcium and zinc 2. which food should be chosen only occasionally?

I Eggs A Wholegrain products E Sweet desserts 3. How many calories does a meal of chicken nuggets, French fries and a soft drink have?

B Around 500 kcal C Around 600 kcal d Around 700 kcal 4. Could a single food contain all the essential nutrient a child needs? t Yes S No 5. How much of the daily food intake has to come from grain products and potatoes? n Around a quarter M Around a third o Around half 6. How many servings of fruits and vegetables do children have to eat every day?

A At least 3 I At least 4 E At least 5 7. why are milk and dairy products important for kids?

A They are good sources of calcium t They are good sources of iron R They are good sources of sugar 8. which fat is better for preparing a meal for children?

A Shortening L Canola oil

1 2 3 4

5 6

Answer: kids’ meal NutriPro Food 5 / 09 – NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL Nutrition Magazine

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