Taste preferences and dietary habits formed in the first few years can last a lifetime, so it’s important to sow the seeds of a healthy diet at a young age
The habits we form in childhood are the habits we will carry with us throughout our lifetimes and, as parents, it’s often difficult to negotiate the minefield of dietary choices for our children.
Are crisps food of the devil? Will an occasional McDonald’s result in early-onset diabetes and sure and certain misery? Is it okay to offer your child the odd chocolate bar or fizzy drink, and what if you just can’t get them to eat their greens?
We asked three parents to keep a week-long food diary for their young children.
Then we asked Ruth Charles, consultant dietitian, paediatrics, from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, and nutritionist Paula Mee ( paulamee.com) to take a look at the results.
We asked them what these parents were doing right and what they were doing wrong and, ultimately, how many snack-sized Crunchies are too many?
Maedhbh McCarthy (3)
MONDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Cheese, grapes, bread, water with juice
Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwich, tomatoes, water, Actimel yoghurt
Snack: Apple, Milka chocolate stick
Dinner: Pasta with bolognese sauce, yoghurt, water
Bedtime: Milk
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Salami and cheese sandwich, pineapple, banana, kiwi, glass of water
Lunch: Bread, tomatoes, salmon, blue cheese, peppers, glass of water
Snack: Biscuit, grapes, glass of water
Dinner: Vegetarian risotto, ice-cream, water
Bedtime: Glass of milk
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Weetabix with milk and honey, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Cheese sandwich, mandarin, grapes, glass of water
Lunch: Tomato soup, bread and butter, cheese, tomatoes, grapes
Snack: Grapes, chocolate biscuit
Dinner: Fish with carrots, potatoes and peppers, yoghurt, glass of water
Bedtime: Glass of milk
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, toast, glass of milk
Playschool snack: Cheese and salami sandwich, mandarin and pineapple, glass of water
Lunch: Ham, bread and butter, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber
Snack: Grapes, mandarin
Dinner: Macaroni cheese and tomatoes, yoghurt, glass of water
Bedtime: Glass of milk
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with milk and honey, glass of milk
Snack: Bagel and cream cheese, grapes
Lunch: Crackers, vegetable soup, tomatoes, cheese, salami
Snack: Apple, banana, chocolate
Dinner: Chicken curry with rice, ice-cream, glass of water
Bedtime: Milk
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Pancakes with maple syrup, sausages, glass of milk
Snack: Dried apricots, banana
Lunch: Crackers with cheese and ham, yoghurt
Snack: Grapes, mandarin
Dinner: Noodles with pork and vegetables, cake, glass of water
Bedtime: Milk
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Weetabix with milk and honey, bagel, milk
Snack: Oat and blueberry smoothie, raisins
Lunch: Bread and butter with ham, cheese, tomatoes and cucumber
Snack: Cadbury’s Twirl chocolate
Dinner: Melon, roast beef with carrots, potato and cauliflower, meringue with cream and strawberries, glass of water
Bedtime: Milk
Ruth’s notes:
The routine of Maedhbh’s meals and snacks is consistently good. She has a wholegrain breakfast cereal daily and her fruit and veg sources are varied. The mixture of food variety (sweet/savoury) and texture are good and ensure that her skills of eating, drinking and swallowing are regularly challenged.
Vitamin D needs would be covered by regular inclusion of oily fish, eggs and fortified milk. Try to include wholegrain varieties of pasta and crackers. Try to include a range of different coloured vegetables – red (tomato, peppers), green (broccoli, spinach). The colour gives an indication of vitamins and antioxidants present.
It seems there’s a daily “treat”. Try to keep it to twice a week of “fun” or snack size, and try not to use food as a reward.
Paula’s notes:
Overall, Maedhbh’s diet seems fairly balanced, with regular meals and snacks and a good intake of protein and fibre from her porridge, vegetables and fruit. The fibre in wholemeal bread, if she eats it, will help keep her gut healthy and prevent constipation. However, too many high-fibre foods can, in some cases, fill slight children up very quickly and displace other foods that provide important nutrients.
Many young Irish children are not getting enough calcium in their diet, but Maedhbh is exceeding her calcium requirements. For a child of this age, it is recommended that they should consume three servings of calcium-rich foods a day. One serving is equal to 200ml milk, 25g cheese or a 125g pot of yoghurt and Maedhbh would often have more than three servings. This may mean she is not getting enough of other foods.
I would suggest Maedhbh includes more variety in her lunch and occasional alternatives to cheese in her sandwich, because she is getting sufficient calcium and bone minerals from milk and yoghurt already. Processed meats such as ham, salami and sausages are high in fat and salt so these are not good alternatives. Better sources of protein would be leaner, unprocessed meats such as chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs, tinned tuna and salmon or baked beans.
Substituting these foods for the cheese and ham sandwich would improve the overall quality of Maedhbh’s diet.
Leni Smith (3)
MONDAY
Breakfast: Corn Flakes and All Bran, toast and a glass of milk
Snack: Fruit and sandwich
Lunch: Two lamb chops, one small potato, baby corn, carrots and sugar snap peas
Snack: Two biscuits, a bag of Tayto crisps and a Capri Sun
Supper: Home-made vegetable soup made with carrots, courgette, spinach, tomatoes and mixed beans, two slices of wholegrain bread.
Drinks: Milk, water
Emma’s notes: Leni gets her morning snack in playschool, usually a piece of fruit or sandwich or biscuit, with a glass of milk or water. The children have their dinner at lunchtime, mainly because they tend to fill up on sweets (courtesy of granny and gramps) in the afternoon.
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Corn Flakes and All Bran
Playschool snack
Lunch: Two servings of spaghetti bolognese
Snack: Granola bar
Supper: Fish fingers, wholegrain pasta, raw carrots and broccoli
Drinks: Milk, water.
Emma’s notes: Leni’s not great for eating breakfast. If she could, she’d just have some toast. The habitual “I’m hungry” as an excuse to stay up late leads to a bowl of Rice Krispies at bedtime.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Porridge, raisins and honey with a glass of milk.
Playschool snack
Lunch: Sweet and sour pork with brown rice
Supper: Cracker and cheese with a yoghurt and an apple
Drinks: Milk, water
Emma’s notes: Sweet and sour pork is Leni’s favourite so she had two big bowls. When she likes something she eats a lot of it.
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with raisins and honey. A glass of milk
Playschool snack
Lunch: Salmon, green beans and pesto with brown rice
After-dinner treat courtesy of Granny: Maltesers
Snack: Rice cakes and hummus, treat-sized packet of jellies and a Capri Sun
Supper: Thursday is pizza night
Emma’s notes: I’d love to say Thursday’s pizza was home-made, but it was Goodfellas’ ham and pineapple.
Things start to get junky around Thursdays.
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Yoghurt with strawberries and kiwi, slice of toast and jam, orange juice
Playschool snack
Lunch: McDonald’s happy meal with chicken nuggets, fries and blackcurrant juice
Snack: Lots of sweets
Supper: Nothing due to aforementioned junk fest
Emma’s notes: We go to Carlow some weekends, and if the kids aren’t asleep by the time we’re passing McDonald’s, I usually give in and get a drive-thru. The excitement on their faces beats my guilt, hands down. When we arrive at my mum’s, Dad takes the kids to the local shop where they pick what they want and pig out for the afternoon. Friday night is also movie night, so even though Leni wasn’t hungry for dinner, she didn’t refuse popcorn and jellies.
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Coco Pops, brown bread and jam and a glass of milk
Snack: Oat cakes and banana
Lunch: Chicken fajitas, fruit and jelly, water
Snack: Calippo ice pop
Supper: Omelette with cheese, spinach, garlic and tomatoes Late-night treat: blue MMs
Emma’s notes: We’re suckers for tradition. On Saturday and Sunday mornings the kids pick whatever cereal they like. Usually it’s Coco Pops or Cheerios.
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Brown bread and marmalade, yoghurt, a glass of water
Snack: Bowl of blueberries, strawberries and apple
Lunch: Roast beef, potato, carrots and parsnip, broccoli and lots of gravy
Snack: More sweets (trip to the shop with grandad)
Supper: Egg and toast, cheese and a glass of milk
Emma’s notes: We possibly don’t vary her diet as much as we should. Leni’s brother Fursey is very fussy so we stick with what he likes, to save cooking two dinners. She has asthma so I try to limit her milk intake.
Ruth’s verdict:
The routine of Leni’s meals and snacks is good. Her calcium needs are covered and iron needs are covered by her intake of lamb, pork, bolognese, chicken, fish and dried fruit. Mixing a wholegrain breakfast cereal with another is a good way of getting fibre in. Wholegrain pasta, brown rice and wholemeal breads are other good choices. Try to include oily fish twice a week.
It seems there’s a regular “treat”. Everyone deserves and needs a treat, but because these are usually foods that contain a lot of added saturated fat, sugar and salt it’s best to try to keep these to twice a week of “fun” or snack size.
There is a belief among some people that consuming dairy products increases the production of mucus in the respiratory system. This suspicion has recently been reviewed, by Brunello Wuthrich in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, and the conclusion is that milk consumption does not lead to mucus production or occurrence of asthma.
Paula’s notes:
Taste preferences and dietary habits formed in the first few years can last a lifetime, so it’s important to sow the seeds of a healthy diet at a young age. The challenge is, what snacks do you give them?
Ideally, you want to make the snacks count nutritionally. Leni’s diet contains frequent snacks, but many are high-calorie treats. These can be high in fat, sugar and/or salt, but lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. Eating too many of these foods may contribute to the problem of childhood overweight and may cause health problems later on.
Snacks should be nutritious and just filling enough to help your child hold out for a few hours before dinner or lunch. Instead Leni’s appetite for dinner is occasionally spoiled by less nutritious snacks. Alternative choices could be chopped fruit or a wholemeal scone, a yoghurt, a cracker with sliced cheese and grapes, or a fruit smoothie.
Leni, like other children, loves fast food, but it can be a fast way to weight gain. If their favourite food or snack isn’t very nutritious, keep it for a treat or special occasion. Instead of rewarding children with food, why not treat them to a swim or a trip to the zoo or park?
Yasmin Murphy (2)
MONDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with ground chia seeds, plain natural yoghurt, strawberries and fresh orange juice
Snack: A green smoothie made with berries, spinach, Udo’s oils, rice milk and a drop of maple syrup
Lunch: A mini pizza made with vegetables, pesto and buffalo mozzarella on spelt bread
Snack: Fruit salad with chopped apple, peach, kiwi and raspberries with plain goat’s yoghurt; rice cakes
Dinner: Salmon, sweet potato, steamed veg
Snack: A few strawberries
Drinks throughout the day: Water, goat’s milk
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Oats with chia seeds, fruit salad and plain natural yoghurt
Snack: Rice cake, strawberries, banana
Lunch: Frittata made with leek, carrot, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach and pesto
Snack: Rice cake with raw chocolate mousse made with avocado, raw cacao and agave
Dinner: Leftovers from lunch
Evening munchies: A few Gourmet Raw beetroot crisps, goat’s yoghurt
Drinks: Water, goat’s milk, coconut water
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with peach raisins
Snack: Blueberries, green smoothie
Lunch: Salmon, broccoli and soda bread (at Mamo’s)
Snack: Rice cakes with almond butter
Dinner: Channa masala with brown rice
Snack: Goat’s yoghurt
Drinks: Goat’s milk, water
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Berries, natural yoghurt, a slice of spelt toast, fresh orange juice
Lunch: Leftovers from yesterday’s channa masala
Snack: Raisins in the car
Dinner: Sushi at Yo! Sushi
Snack: Figs
Drinks: Goat’s milk, coconut water
Tina’s notes: I took her to Yo! Sushi today.
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Berries, yoghurt, spelt toast
Snacks: Figs
Lunch: Cheese on toast (spelt bread with buffalo mozzarella)
Snack: Rice cakes, berries
Dinner: Quorn stir-fried in satay sauce, noodles
Drinks: Water, goat’s milk
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Porridge
Snacks: Apple slices dipped in almond butter
Lunch: Scrambled eggs with spelt bread
Snack: Green smoothie
Dinner: Spelt pasta and meatballs (made with organic beef mince), steamed peas
Snack: Almond biscuit (sugar- and wheat-free, made with almond butter, ground almonds and agave syrup)
Drinks: Water, goat’s milk
Tina’s notes: The only meat Yasmin will eat is these meatballs, so I try to make them regularly to give her extra iron.
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Porridge with natural yoghurt
Lunch: Pancakes and blueberries – we went for brunch in Herbstreet
Snack: Goat’s yoghurt, raspberries
Dinner: Leftover meatballs and spelt pasta
Drinks: Water, goat’s milk, coconut water
Ruth’s notes:
The routine of meals and snacks is consistently good. Calcium needs are covered by her intake of mozzarella, goat’s yoghurt and milk and Vitamin D needs are covered by her intake of salmon and eggs.
Iron needs are covered by her intake of beef, salmon, seeds and dried fruit. Wholegrain sources are included regularly (oats and seeds) and fruit and veg sources are varied and multicoloured. She gets good omega fats from salmon.
It is vital, if any food is removed from a child’s diet for whatever reason, that it is replaced with another of equal nutritional value. Serious nutritional issues can result otherwise. (Yasmin is eating cows’ milk protein via mozzarella, gluten via oats and spelt, tree nuts via almond butter and peanuts via satay sauce.)
However, rice milk as a main drink is not recommended for children under four and a half years due to the risk of arsenic contamination.
Paula’s notes:
When I first read this, I thought I was reading the food diary of an adult. Not many children get exposed to these foods. There’s fantastic variety. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from non-meat foods, so it would be a good idea for Yasmin to take a glass of unsweetened orange juice once a day.
If young children don’t like meat the first time they taste it, that’s okay. Children learn to like new foods and exposure is important. You can try serving it with other food that they like and praise them for trying. It’s fantastic to see that Yasmin loves fish. By including salmon in her diet, she is getting some omega 3 fatty acids which are important for the development of a child’s brain and nervous system and in the prevention of chronic diseases.
Unless Yasmin suffers from allergy, intolerance or gastrointestinal symptoms, there’s no nutritional benefit in avoiding cow’s milk. If she prefers non-dairy alternatives, I would make sure they have been fortified with calcium – 120mg per 100ml.
