The Children's Food AwardsThe majority of parents on The Parents Jury voted for particular nurseries, schools or playgroups that had a healthy-eating policy for breaks and lunchtimes. These were generally for children in the in the younger age groups - toddler groups and primary schools. Parents of older children at secondary school were more likely to report that junky foods were on sale in their children's schools. Many parents said that they were not aware of any schemes or activities promoting fruit and vegetables to children, but said that they would very much like there to be something of the kind in their area. Typical comments from the members of The Parents Jury follow: |
 |
At
snack time the children are offered bananas, raisins and grapes instead of biscuits,
etc. This is a small but popular playgroup and the parents are very pleased
with what the children are given.
mother of two, from Ingatestone in Essex
My
daughter's playschool always serves an apple or banana as their mid-session
snack.
mother of two, from Liverpool
My
children are both in playgroup, which now asks parents to provide a healthy
snack to replace the traditional biscuits.
mother of two, from York
Kingsway
Primary School, Leamington Spa has provided toast and fruit in the tuck shop
and other healthy eating tactics very successfully in a deprived ward.
mother of three, from Leamington Spa in the West Midlands
Crofton
Anne Dale Infant School only allows fruit and/or raw vegetables to be eaten
at play time. EXCELLENT! Three years without crisps or chocolate at the start
of their school career!
mother of two, from Fareham in Hampshire
The
primary school my child goes to - Menston Primary School in West Yorkshire -
doesn't allow fizzy drinks or sweets in lunchboxes.
mother of three, from Menston in West Yorkshire
The High Five Award was jointly awarded to eighteen nursery and primary schools around the UK that promote fruit and vegetables to children through healthy eating policies, fruit and vegetables available at snack time, or guidance to parents on the kinds of food suitable for lunchboxes.
The winners are listed in alphabetical order.
The following projects that promote fruit and vegetables to children all receive a commendation from The Parents Jury. They are listed in alphabetical order.
It is now well-recognised that fruit and vegetables have a protective effect against some of the wide range of chronic diseases affecting our society. Experts around the world recommend that eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day promotes good health and helps to prevent cancer, coronary heart disease and other diseases.
Many of the processes linked with the development of cardiovascular disease begin in childhood and the early stages of cancer development may be initiated many years before there are any detectable signs.
Young children
need adequate nutrients for growth and development and nutritional experts have
found that, relative to body weight, their nutrient requirements are higher
than adults. But their calorie requirements are lower so they need to eat foods
which provide a lot of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) for their calories.
Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and can improve the nutrient
density of the diet.
Asthma and Wheezing
Asthma now affects one in seven school children in the United Kingdom, and research indicates that rates among under five year olds has almost doubled in less than a decade. Researchers have found that eating fruit and vegetables seems to improve lung function and reduces the symptoms of asthma and bronchitis among children as well as adults.
A study in Italy among children has found that even low intakes of fruit, for example, eating citrus or kiwi fruit several times a week, can reduce wheezing and the symptoms of asthma. The effects are most noticeable in children with a history of respiratory problems.
back
to top
How
much fruit and vegetables do children eat?
According to the government’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, among four to six year olds, in a typical week:
Overall, the survey
found that among four to 18 year olds, one in five eat no fruit at all in a
week. Even those who do eat fruit and vegetables eat less than one portion of
fruit and one portion of vegetables, on average, each day.
Lifelong eating habits
Research has found
that health-related behaviour patterns and attitudes towards food can be acquired
during childhood. One study found that one of the strongest determinants of
fruit and vegetable consumption in adults was whether they had been in the habit
of eating many fruit and vegetables in childhood.
Information from
the Department of Health - http://www.doh.gov.uk/schoolfruitscheme/
It has long been known that fruit and vegetables contain vitamin C, but fruit and vegetables also contain more than 100 beneficial compounds which may protect against certain cancers, coronary heart disease and other chronic diseases. These include antioxidants such as the vitamins C and E, carotenoids and flavonoids, dietary fibre, folic acid, phytoestrogens and other phytochemicals, potassium, magnesium and many others.
It appears that the protective effect of fruit and vegetables is due to this wide range of compounds working together rather than any single compound on its own. Eating processed foods with added vitamins or taking dietary supplements containing just one of these compounds will not be as effective. There's no substitute for real fruit and vegetables!
The Children's Food Awards 2002
The Children's Food Awards 2003
| Not in my Lunchbox! | The Tooth Rot Award | Additive Nightmare! | The Pester Power Award |
| More in my Lunchbox! | Happy Gnashers! | The Honest Food Award | The High Five Award |