tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/childrens-food-64074/articlesChildren's food – The Conversation2021-07-10T21:32:13Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1636462021-07-10T21:32:13Z2021-07-10T21:32:13ZSwap shapes for rice crackers, chips for popcorn… parents can improve their kids’ diet with these healthier lunchbox options<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410275/original/file-20210708-27-qm1z4x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/healthy-lunch-boxes-sandwich-fresh-vegetables-623487920">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601775">Four in five</a> primary school students eat a packed lunch every day, costing parents around <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/25256">A$20 a week</a>. That’s almost <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/education/schools/latest-release">10 million</a> lunchboxes across Australia every week. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/">nine in ten</a> of these contain so-called “<a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices">discretionary foods</a>” such as cake, chips, muesli bars and fruit juice. These foods are not necessary for a healthy diet, and are often high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre. <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019003379">40%</a> of energy in an average lunchbox comes from these discretionary foods.</p>
<p>Busy parents need to find replacements for these discretionary foods, which are not only healthy, but also easy, cheap and tasty. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/25256">Our research</a> shows parents can make healthier swaps, without costing them more. </p>
<h2>What children should be eating</h2>
<p>Healthy lunchboxes can play a big role in positively influencing students <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252059240_What_is_the_relationship_between_child_nutrition_and_school_outcomes">behaviour in the classroom</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252059240_What_is_the_relationship_between_child_nutrition_and_school_outcomes">academic achievement</a>, <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43923">health</a> and <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259349/WHO-NMH-PND-ECHO-17.1-eng.pdf">weight</a>.</p>
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<p>Generally children should have a <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/The%20Guidelines/n55f_children_brochure.pdf">variety of foods</a> from the five core food groups: vegetables and legumes; fruit; grain foods (mostly wholegrain and those high in fibre); lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds; milk, yoghurt and cheese (or alternatives).</p>
<p>Depending on their age and sex, children should consume somewhere between <a href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/dietary-energy">4,500-7,000</a> kilojoules per day. But it’s also important <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/The%20Guidelines/n55f_children_brochure.pdf">where</a> they get that energy from. It’s <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/gug-family-toc%7Egug-family-guidelines">recommended</a> children limit their intake of saturated fat, salt and added sugar.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-food-should-my-child-be-eating-and-how-can-i-get-them-to-eat-more-healthily-130470">How much food should my child be eating? And how can I get them to eat more healthily?</a>
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<p>A healthy lunchbox doesn’t need to be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg98pAJ1AkE&feature=emb_logo">fancy</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTu9NEnhLuQ">expensive</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJppW7w7yL0">time consuming</a>. </p>
<p>A healthy recess would mean, for instance, children eating one serving of fruit or vegetables, some <a href="https://www.goodforkids.nsw.gov.au/primary-schools/swap-it/packing-an-everyday-lunchbox/">yoghurt and a few rice crackers</a>. At lunch, children could eat a simple sandwich, wrap or roll, or leftovers made from <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/The%20Guidelines/n55f_children_brochure.pdf">core food group</a> ingredients such as veggie-loaded wholegrain pasta. </p>
<h2>How to replace junk foods with healthy ones</h2>
<p>Parents have told us they <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.2196/25256">want</a> convenient and cheap foods to pack, that their children want to eat. So, we developed a healthy lunchbox program called <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/25256">SWAP IT</a>. In this program, we provide simple ideas for swapping unhealthy foods kids might like to healthier ones comparable on cost, taste, texture and preparation time.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-diet-is-cheaper-than-junk-food-but-a-good-diet-is-still-too-expensive-for-some-57873">A healthy diet is cheaper than junk food but a good diet is still too expensive for some</a>
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<p>For instance, you could swap</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Shapes for rice crackers. This will mean 159 less kJ, 77% less saturated fat and 39% less sodium</p></li>
<li><p>chips for popcorn. This is 176 less kJ, 57% less saturated fat, 56% less sodium</p></li>
<li><p>cake for pikelets means 464 less kJ and 63% less sugar.</p></li>
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<p>Perhaps one of easiest things you could do is to try ensure your kids stick to drinking water. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A picture showing some of the swaps outlined above." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410282/original/file-20210708-31292-tpm004.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Calculations are made based on the serving sizes. (Shapes 25g, rice crackers 20g, Smith chips 19g, popcorn 13g, slice of cake 75g, 3 pikelets 75g)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Our research found <a href="https://www.goodforkids.nsw.gov.au/primary-schools/swap-it/tips/">SWAP IT</a> supported parents and students to reduce energy from discretionary foods by 600kJ per week. Research suggests a small reduction of <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/25256">600kJ</a> per week is enough to meaningfully impact population levels of obesity. </p>
<h2>It can be rolled out to schools</h2>
<p>Parents <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/kids/mum-receives-warning-note-from-school-over-bad-food-in-lunch-box/news-story/7d2e9af2d84bb403bab7155746c3939e">are sometimes blamed</a> for unhealthy lunchboxes. </p>
<p>But a barrage of unhealthy foods are <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-its-not-just-a-lack-of-control-that-makes-australians-overweight-heres-whats-driving-our-unhealthy-food-habits-162512">promoted</a> to parents and children, often disguised as healthy choices. Parents and children see as many as <a href="https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/news/food-advertising-endangering-kids-health/">ten junk food adverts</a> per hour. And more than half of parents report their child’s “<a href="https://theconversation.com/give-in-to-pester-power-at-the-supermarket-checkout-youre-not-alone-11205">pester power</a>” influences what they pack in their lunchbox.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/give-in-to-pester-power-at-the-supermarket-checkout-youre-not-alone-11205">Give in to pester power at the supermarket checkout? You're not alone</a>
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<p>Parents <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/25256">told us</a> they wanted easy to access information when they were in the supermarket. So we got parents to sign up to SWAP IT via their school’s usual <a href="https://www.moqproducts.com.au/skoolbag/">communication</a> <a href="https://www.flexischools.com.au/">app</a>.
Around <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1002/hpja.57">two-thirds</a> of primary schools used such apps. </p>
<p>We prompted parents with swap ideas each week by sending push notifications to their phones. We <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0812-7">found 84%</a> of parents liked having the messages sent directly to their phones.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two phones side by side. The first phone shows a SWAP IT notification. The second phone shows an example of a swap from muffin bites to scones." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409784/original/file-20210706-23-5c0cju.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Example notification from the SWAP IT school lunchbox program.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Research shows <a href="https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1002/hpja.57">four in five</a> primary school principals agree it is a school’s role to support parents to pack healthy lunchboxes. We found SWAP IT could be rolled-out to schools through their communication apps at a cost of <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.2196/25256">less</a> than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0812-7">A$1,800</a> per school. </p>
<p>Investment in promoting a healthy diet is <a href="https://www.phaa.net.au/documents/item/2870">cost-effective</a>, as less people end up in hospital and productivity is improved.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pg98pAJ1AkE?wmode=transparent&start=59" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Lunchbox swap ideas for Monday to Friday that are cheap, simple, healthy and tasty.</span></figcaption>
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<p><em>Schools across Australia can <a href="https://www.goodforkids.nsw.gov.au/primary-schools/swap-it/express-your-interest/">register their interest</a> in the SWAP IT program. In the future, schools could choose to sign up to SWAP IT, in a similar way to signing up to other programs such as <a href="https://www.crunchandsip.com.au/">Crunch & Sip</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163646/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew 'Tepi' Mclaughlin is affiliated with the International Society for Physical Activity and Health, the Australasian Society for Physical Activity and Newcastle Cycleways Movement.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Wolfenden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, The NIB Foundation and The Heart Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Sutherland receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, NSW Ministry of Health. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison Brown and Jannah Jones do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We developed a healthy lunchbox program. Here, we provide parents with ideas for swapping unhealthy foods kids might like to healthier ones comparable on cost, taste, texture and preparation time.Matthew Mclaughlin, PhD Candidate, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of NewcastleAlison Brown, PhD Candidate, University of NewcastleJannah Jones, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of NewcastleLuke Wolfenden, Professor (Public Health), University of NewcastleRachel Sutherland, Conjoint Lecturer, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1083282019-01-08T19:12:18Z2019-01-08T19:12:18ZLet’s untangle the murky politics around kids and food (and ditch the guilt)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250882/original/file-20181217-185234-njq3jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C1%2C994%2C658&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Brightly coloured, strategically placed. No wonder parents and kids can have a tough time saying "no" to sugary snacks. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of a series focusing on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/the-politics-of-food-64073">politics of food</a> – what we eat, how our views of food are changing and why it matters from a cultural and political standpoint.</em> </p>
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<p>Naturally, parents want the best for their children. While they shouldn’t chastise themselves for offering the occasional treat, what used to be an “occasional” treat is becoming something that’s “every day”, or “several times a day”. </p>
<p>When <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/food-nutrition/nutrition-across-the-life-stages/formats">around one-third</a> of the average child’s energy intake comes from processed junk foods, it’s clearly hard to stick to healthy habits. And with a large proportion of children above a healthy weight (<a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/childrens-headline-indicators/contents/indicator-6">currently 26%</a>) we need to examine the broader social changes at work. </p>
<p>We have more and more packaged products to choose from, <a href="http://www.opc.org.au/media/media-releases/more-than-half-of-foods-aimed-at-kids-unhealthy-research.html">many dressed up as healthy</a>. There’s a high volume of products with cute characters and giveaways on the packaging to appeal to children, coupled with nutrition claims designed to entice parents. Multinational food and drink corporations are also finding <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/322226/Tackling-food-marketing-children-digital-world-trans-disciplinary-perspectives-en.pdf">new and more insidious ways</a> to encourage kids to eat unhealthy food.</p>
<p>With so many external forces influencing what to feed children, how can parents navigate this and make healthy choices?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/give-in-to-pester-power-at-the-supermarket-checkout-youre-not-alone-11205">Give in to pester power at the supermarket checkout? You're not alone</a>
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<h2>Navigating the supermarket shelves</h2>
<p>Most parents don’t set out to feed their kids unhealthy food, but once you move away from whole fruit and veggies, convenience and <a href="https://theconversation.com/junk-food-advertisers-put-profits-before-childrens-health-and-we-let-them-51250">clever marketing</a> become powerful influences. </p>
<p>Trying to find a healthy alternative means relying on the labels on food packaging. When labels boast “99% fruit and veg”, who can blame anyone for choosing these products for their kids?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-get-children-to-eat-a-rainbow-of-fruit-and-vegetables-97546">How to get children to eat a rainbow of fruit and vegetables</a>
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<p>Brands will go to great lengths to give the impression their food is healthy. This is most starkly revealed in the recent Federal Court’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-19/heinz-toddler-food-packaging-deemed-misleading-by-federal-court/9563798">decision about misleading marketing</a> of <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/court-finds-heinz-made-a-misleading-health-claim">Heinz Little Kids Shredz</a>, products that <a href="http://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2018/2018fca0360">were up to 68% sugar</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251673/original/file-20181220-45419-uvjak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Court documents show how there was fruit on the label, but the product contained up to 68% sugar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/court-finds-heinz-made-a-misleading-health-claim">ACCC/Heinz</a></span>
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<p><a href="http://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2018/2018fca0360">Documents revealed</a> in the court case also show evidence the packaging was updated to specifically create an image of a healthy and nutritious snack that would appeal to parents of toddlers.</p>
<p>Food manufacturers know that people associate the word “fruit” with good health. So many take advantage of this, plastering it over the packaging, especially for kids’ food. The reality is that a lot of these products actually contain sticky, sugary paste extracted from fruit; essentially a mouthful of concentrated sugar, minus the fibre.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if it’s sugar from fruit concentrate, honey, sugar cane, or the other names manufacturers use to conceal it – sugar is sugar. Parents deserve to know what’s really in the products they’re feeding their kids. Currently, that is hard to do as added sugars are not grouped together on the ingredients list, or listed separately on the nutrition information panel.</p>
<p>Ministers continue to avoid making added sugar labelling on products mandatory; the most recent meeting of ministers <a href="http://foodregulation.gov.au/internet/fr/publishing.nsf/Content/ministerial-forum-communiques">again deferred a decision</a>. Yet there are ways to cut through marketing spin and choose the healthiest option.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sweet-power-the-politics-of-sugar-sugary-drinks-and-poor-nutrition-in-australia-95873">Sweet power: the politics of sugar, sugary drinks and poor nutrition in Australia</a>
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<p>Always look past the flashy promises of real fruit ingredients and make sure to read the label. Start with the ingredients list. Sugar could be hiding behind another name. As a general rule, anything with the words “paste”, “juice”, “syrup”, “cane” or, of course, “sugar” should raise a red flag. </p>
<p>Check the nutrition information panel to compare sugar content in products, against the “Avg per 100g” panel. Avoid anything containing more than 15g of sugar per 100g.</p>
<h2>What should we feed children?</h2>
<p>There’s more information than ever about what parents should be feeding children. This is leaving parents feeling not only <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/polls/kids-and-food-challenges-families-face/">confused, but often guilty</a> about their children’s diets.</p>
<p>Despite the growing online literature and debate on what we should be feeding our children, the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/The%20Guidelines/n55f_children_brochure.pdf">2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines for children</a> are pretty clear.</p>
<p>Children should enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five groups every day. Resources also point out what to leave off the plate, or out of the lunchbox. But with little funding to educate the public about the guidelines, the information isn’t reaching parents.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251411/original/file-20181219-27773-1mvvd70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">So many food labels are hard to understand. No wonder parents find it tough working out what’s best for their kids.</span>
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<p>But it can’t all be simply down to parents to steer children onto a healthier path. </p>
<p>We need leadership and <a href="http://www.opc.org.au/downloads/tipping-the-scales/tipping-the-scales.pdf">action from government</a> to encourage families to have healthier diets: better food labelling, investment in public education campaigns and tougher restrictions around junk food marketing are a start.</p>
<h2>From the supermarket to the schoolyard</h2>
<p>In term time, around one-third of children’s daily food intake occurs at school. So it’s vital schools follow <a href="https://healthy-kids.com.au/school-canteens/canteen-guidelines/">nutrition guidelines</a> and parents are supported to pack their kids off to school with the right sort of food.</p>
<p>Sorting out a child’s lunchbox shouldn’t be a soul-destroying, anxiety-inducing exercise. You don’t have to be a Masterchef to provide your child with a healthy lunch you know they’ll actually eat. Keep it simple. It doesn’t have to be a healthy muffin you spent half the night baking; a simple sandwich and some fruit will do the trick.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-how-to-get-kids-to-eat-healthy-food-37045">Health Check: how to get kids to eat healthy food</a>
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<p>Schools need consistent guidelines and policies that support children and parents in making healthy choices. With a lack of consistent messaging and leadership, it’s no wonder there is confusion about what is healthy.</p>
<p>Children are exposed to pervasive and persistent junk food marketing through TV, social media or on their way to school. Then at school, there are mixed messages about what they should eat – some schools enforce no lolly policies, yet use lollies in school fundraisers. </p>
<p>Parents continue to face an uphill battle against the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666312001511">industry’s tactics</a> to build brand awareness and encourage pester power among children. If we’re going to build a healthier world for the next generation, we need to do this through education, not guilt. </p>
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<p><em>Read other articles in the politics of food series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/the-politics-of-food-64073">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108328/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jane Martin receives funding from Cancer Council Victoria, Diabetes Victoria, VicHealth, BUPA Foundation, TAPPC, NHMRC, Caledonia Foundation. She is affiliated with the Obesity Policy Coalition, Alcohol Policy Coalition, National Alliance for Action on Alcohol, Public Health Association of Australia, Australia New Zealand Obesity Society.</span></em></p>The mixed messages around children, food and weight - not to mention sophisticated marketing - can leave parents perplexed. But there are ways to wade through it all and find healthy choices.Jane Martin, Executive Manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition; Senior Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1093382019-01-04T14:32:22Z2019-01-04T14:32:22ZFast-food chains use cute animal toys to market meat to children – new vegan ranges pose a dilemma<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/252470/original/file-20190104-32154-1ifqypq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">TY Lim via Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Being vegan appears to be all the rage in Britain. The news that McDonald’s <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/consumer/mcdonalds-vegetarian-happy-meal-vegan/">has launched</a> a new plant-based “Happy Meal” for children based on a vegan “wrap” would seem to bear this idea out. McDonald’s new offering is the latest in a wave of vegetarian or vegan product launches, including <a href="https://www.greggs.co.uk/bakes/vegan-sausage-roll">Gregg’s vegan sausage rolls</a>, a new Marks & Spencer <a href="https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/food-to-order/adventures-in-food/plant-kitchen">vegan range</a>, and <a href="https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/waitrose-launches-major-new-vegan-range">Waitrose’s</a> expansion of its plant-based product line.</p>
<p>The Happy Meal however, is especially interesting – meaty fast-food tie-ins aimed at children, unlike most mainstream food products, combine the consumption of food and the sympathetic engagement with animals. Until now, Happy Meals have diverted children’s affections towards those characters and away from the unhappy truth of the mass exploitation of animals, whose bodies are packaged in the meal box. </p>
<p>By making a point that one of the Happy Meal options is now meat-free, will children’s attention be drawn to the reality that there are dead animals in the other options? And as children are encouraged to care about certain animals – while still learning the social norms of which ones we love and which we use – how might they respond?</p>
<p>Tie-ins promote one product using the imagery of another, for example by giving away a figurine or toy relating to a popular movie with an otherwise unconnected food product. Tie-ins aimed at children often involve toys based on animals from current popular children’s culture that capitalise on children’s love of the film, TV show or game they represent. They’re given away free with boxed meals typically consisting of a burger or nuggets, fries and a soft drink.</p>
<p>According to food writer <a href="http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/chewonthis/">Eric Schlosser</a>, McDonald’s sells or gives away over 1.5 billion toys a year, accounting for almost a third of all new toys given to American children. </p>
<p>There’s an irony at work here – using a toy animal as a promotion for a meat-based meal distracts children from the dead animals whose body parts are in the box. The aim is to direct a child’s attention to the anthropomorphised toy and distract them from the idea of the actual flesh of exploited animals that is actually being consumed. Children are thereby socialised to distinguish some animals – these characters which have names – as appropriate for emotional engagement, from others that have been reduced to objects for consumption.</p>
<h2>Chicken Run and other stories</h2>
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<p>In 2000, Burger King marketed a <a href="https://youtu.be/LMc9z_7SEns">Kids’ Club Meal</a> tie-in with the animated movie Chicken Run. The film follows a group of chickens trying to escape from a chicken farm producing chicken pies. The farmers are the baddies and the viewer is invited to side with the chickens as they resist their fate. Chicken Run seems to challenge the exploitation of chickens as food – so how did Burger King Burger promote sympathy for anthropomorphised chicken characters alongside promoting consumption of real chicken’s bodies?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175174409X456746">Our research</a> suggests that toys are stylised in ways that minimise the connection between toy characters and the real animals presented as food. The Chicken Run toys, for example, minimise the characters “animalness” – the toys combine as a set to build an aircraft, so the chicken characters become a machine when assembled. So the child’s attention is directed at building a toy machine rather than thinking about animals.</p>
<p>In contrast, films such as Lion King (1994) or <a href="https://youtu.be/GLquzio9k2M">101 Dalmations (1996)</a> feature animal characters whose real-life counterparts are not, at least in dominant Western culture, seen as sources of food. The toys that appeared in promotional fast-food tie-ins for these films were more anatomically accurate and individual. Some <a href="https://youtu.be/M9vGSRm231A">Lion King toys</a> – characters from the film have been used by various fast-food retailers to promote their offerings – had moving limbs, which resulted in a degree of interactivity between the child and the toy. But considering the animalness of the toy did not pose a threat to the animalness of the meal.</p>
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<p>More recently, children’s fast-food meals have not featured as many movie tie-ins as they once did. McDonald’s current <a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/latest/happy-meal.html">Happy Meal promotion</a>, which accompanies its new vegetarian meal, is the multimedia fictional creature franchise Pokemon – which features living characters that are not based on animals. </p>
<p>Other recent promotions have featured <a href="https://youtu.be/Kmkc-GyD3Go">Animal Jam</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/g2FSu2kAqOI">Angry Birds</a> characters. Both of these are online animal-themed games for children that feature highly stylised animal characters. So the risk of connection between toy, food and real animal lives that are worth protecting is minimised by the increased distance between the toy characters and real, identifiable, species.</p>
<h2>Love and loyalty</h2>
<p>McDonald’s has always depended on securing the loyalty of child consumers and its Happy Meals have been a very successful way of attracting them in while diverting their attention from the fact that what they are eating is the flesh of animals they would most likely care deeply about if they encountered them in real life.</p>
<p>But now the fast-food giant – as well as many other food retailers – is realising the growing strength of the vegetarian/vegan pound. So it’s going to be interesting to watch how these companies continue to encourage their young customers to love some animals while hoping they’ll continue to enthusiastically eat other creatures.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109338/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Stewart is a Life Member of the Vegan Society.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Cole is a Life Member of the Vegan Society. </span></em></p>As more and more children embrace meat-free diets, using ‘Chicken Run’ to promote burgers may no longer work for fast food chains.Kate Stewart, Principal Lecturer in Sociology, Nottingham Trent UniversityMatthew Cole, Lecturer in Sociology, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/643972016-08-28T18:07:59Z2016-08-28T18:07:59ZChildren must be protected from robust marketing if they’re going to eat well<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/135518/original/image-20160825-6618-1dsubhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For the sake of future generations, it is critical that we teach our children to eat well: lots of fruit and vegetables, less salt, less sugar and fewer processed carbohydrates. </p>
<p>This sounds simple. But the context in which such education needs to take place is one of multiple conflicts of interest. </p>
<p>Children need to be protected from marketing efforts. At the same time parents need to – with support – exercise authority, monitor their children’s eating patterns and ensure a balanced diet that has less processed and sugar filled food. </p>
<p>This protection and support is vital to prevent illness. It will save unnecessary spending on health care, but also ensure that populations are healthy to enable <a href="https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/ifwedp/200940.html">maximum contribution</a> <a href="http://www.who.int/hdp/atmgh13.pdf?ua=1">to development</a>.</p>
<h2>Children are vulnerable</h2>
<p>There are three main reasons that companies and brands direct their marketing at children.</p>
<p>The first is the “pester power” that children have. They are encouraged to buy various brands of food – usually processed and high in sugar – by nagging their parents. Numerous marketing ploys are built around this, especially the free toys and collectable items that accompany branded products. In a <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6698-pester-power-purchasing-decisions-201602292247">survey in Australia</a> more than 40% of purchases related to breakfast cereals and other foods were decided by children.</p>
<p>The second is that children themselves often have some income and can easily purchase these foods for themselves as they are cheaper and seem more appetising and tasty than healthier alternatives.</p>
<p>The third is the long term loyalty children will have to a brand that they come to know and love. They are bound to buy it in the future for themselves and their children and this affects their lifelong eating patterns.</p>
<p>The food that is advertised is not fruit and vegetables, which have been shown internationally to save lives. Nor is it food that is non-processed or healthy. Children are exposed to food that is high in sugar and crave this far more than they do healthy food.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/resource/marketing-children-overview">campaign for a commercial-free childhood</a>, marketing exploits children’s developmental vulnerabilities. </p>
<p>Their research shows that <a href="http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/resource/marketing-children-overview">very young children</a> can’t distinguish between commercials and programme content. Even older children sometimes fail to recognise product placement as advertising. Until the age of eight, children do not understand <a href="http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/resource/marketing-children-overview">advertising’s persuasive</a> intent.</p>
<p>They have also found that marketers often <a href="http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/resource/marketing-children-overview">denigrate adults</a> and exploit older children’s desires to fit in with their peers and rebel against authority figures as a selling point for their products.</p>
<h2>Why does this matter</h2>
<p>The rise of non-communicable diseases – particularly diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases – has highlighted how important it is to intervene against this marketing.</p>
<p>Cardiovascular disease is strongly linked to high blood pressure, obesity and a lack of exercise. Prevention is critical to controlling obesity as well as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.</p>
<p>In the developing world, these chronic diseases have been <a href="http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/research-outputs/view/6493">skyrocketing</a> and interventions have become more urgent. The challenge is that such countries now face a <a href="http://www.hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/3893/NCDs%20STRAT%20PLAN%20%20CONTENT%208%20april%20proof.pdf">double burden</a> of both HIV and non-communicable diseases.</p>
<p>South Africa is doing particularly poorly in treating chronic diseases. Prevalence, awareness, treatment and the control of high blood pressure are all problem areas. Fewer than 10% of people identified as suffering from high blood pressure have it under <a href="http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/media-briefs/population-health/results-sanhanes1">control</a>. </p>
<p>And in the last 10 years, the number of <a href="http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/media-briefs/population-health/results-sanhanes1">overweight children</a> has increased, from 10.6% to 18.2%. Obesity sits at <a href="http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/media-briefs/population-health/results-sanhanes1">4.7%</a>.</p>
<p>South Africa cannot afford to allow food companies to advertise to children if it’s serious about curbing childhood obesity and the lifestyle disease epidemic among the general population. If such marketing and advertising isn’t tackled, the country will sit with a situation in which future generations will be obese; will have increasing levels of hypertension and diabetes and will struggle more with heart disease.</p>
<h2>Aggressive campaigns</h2>
<p>Many countries have voluntary codes that the food industry is supposed to follow, such as not advertising when more than 30% of the audience is children. This is often not successful.</p>
<p>In the US, the food and beverage industry <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/07/P064504foodmktingreport.pdf">spends</a> about US $2 billion per year marketing to children. The fast food industry <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/07/P064504foodmktingreport.pdf">spends</a> more than US $5 million every day marketing unhealthy foods to children.</p>
<p>Research shows that children <a href="http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=72665">watch</a> an average of more than ten food-related ads every day. This amounts to nearly 4,000 adverts a year. About 98% of these <a href="http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2011/08/trends-in-the-nutritional-content-of-television-food-advertiseme.html">food advertisements</a> are for products that are high in fat, sugar or sodium and around 79% percent are low in fibre.</p>
<p>The evidence also notes that children who identify with brands become more obese. And those exposed to advertising become obese even when viewing time and eating in front of the TV is controlled. </p>
<p>This is not just a phenomenon in the USA. A <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0559.htm">study in Soweto</a>, one of Africa’s largest urban settlements, showed that advertisements of sugar sweetened beverages were relatively close to schools and that half the schools in the area had branded advertising of these beverages on their properties.</p>
<p>These campaigns run despite South Africa’s <a href="https://www.ifballiance.org/sites/default/files/South_african_marketing_to_children_pledge.pdf">voluntary marketing pledge</a> under which the food and beverage industry has promised not to advertise unhealthy products to children under the age of 12. </p>
<p>Children sporting events have also been targeted by <a href="http://www.sport24.co.za/cricket/bakers-to-quit-sa-cricket-20100317">sweet biscuit</a> producers and <a href="http://www.kfcminicricket.co.za/">fast food chains</a>. </p>
<h2>Turning the tide</h2>
<p>Often parents don’t know the high sugar, salt and fat content of foods. Many products such as have a lot of sugar but parents regard as healthy. But the reality is that children’s diets directly affects their risk of diabetes, and it also impacts on their levels of obesity. </p>
<p>As with all other complex issues, banning advertising to children in only one part of the equation. </p>
<p>Other interventions include better food labelling, increased access to safe exercise facilities, increased education about what healthy eating means and finally, making sure that the most unhealthy foods, such as sugar sweetened beverages are taxed so that they cost more than the healthy foods.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Goldstein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Marketers take advantage of the fact that children sometimes can’t recognise the difference between product placement and advertising.Susan Goldstein, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.