Do you give your child a packet of crisps, packet of sweets and a bar of chocolate as a daily treat?
Most parents do but too many treat foods are putting Northern Ireland children at risk of overweight and obesity.
“Say no to sweets, biscuits and crisps everyday” is the message from safefood today as they urge parents to cut down on the amount of treat foods their children are eating.
It is estimated that on average, a child in Northern Ireland consumes over 16kgs of treat foods per year – the equivalent of approximately 140 small chocolate bars, 105 tubes of sweets, 36 packets of jam filled biscuits and 118 bags of crisps. This doesn’t include foods like ice cream, cakes, pastries, buns and puddings that a child would typically eat.
With one in four primary school children here now overweight or obese, safefood is emphasising the importance of reducing the availability of treat foods at home and offering healthier snacks instead.
The campaign will feature on television and poster advertising and will also be supported on the safefood website www.safefood.eu, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #letssayno.
The website also offers practical tips, advice and support for parents who want to start saying no to treats more often, and advice from health experts on healthy eating and how to be more active.
Top Tips for cutting down on treat foods
1. Cut down on treat foods, but don’t ban them. Banning them can make them more appealing.
2. When shopping is – just buy treats sometimes and don’t have a supply at home. If they’re not in the house, they can’t be eaten.
3. Keep the sweets’ cupboard or cookie jar out of sight – and out of mind.
4. Tell family and friends you’re making changes so they know about the new routine – try and make sure grannies aren’t handing out treats when babysitting.
5. When you have sugary foods, try to eat them with a meal. It’s better for their teeth and means they won’t fill up on treats between meals.
6. Say the kitchen is closed when mealtimes are over, but allow them access to fruit, chopped vegetables and water and then send them off to play.
7. In the long run, it’s kinder to say no – don’t be afraid to say it!
8. Praise them and offer non-food treats, like a game of football, a trip to the playground or something to do or play at home.
9. Limit the amount of treats by:
a. Getting into the habit of having them occasionally
b. Keeping portions small – choose mini or snack versions
c. Offering healthy alternatives, such as water instead of sugary drinks or juice and fruit instead of sweets or chocolate.
Healthier Alternatives
· A slice of toast with a sliced/mashed banana on top
· Homemade, microwave popcorn – usually has less salt than the bagged version and you can bring it with you if you’re out and about. For smaller children, put it in a little container for them to eat from
· Chopped fruit like banana or apple or a Satsuma which is easy to peel
· Toast topped with sliced tomato and grilled cheese
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