Antony Worrall Thompson challenges kids to make him the perfect breakfast

As part of Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2010, Antony Worrall Thompson challenges three teams of children to make him the perfect, healthy breakfast. This was in resposse to a survey that found:

• One third of children don’t know that oats make porridge
• 20% of kids think bacon comes from sheep
• 17% thought eggs were the main constituent of bread
• One quarter believe oats grow on trees

So, how can kids eat healthily if they don’t know the basics?

In the following video, Worall Thomspson demonstrates the importance of children knowing where their food comes from and highlights the reasons why breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day.

Vitamin K2 can amerliorate problems of weak bones in dieting teenagers

The risk to dieting teenage girls of weak bones was recently reported in the Daily Mail - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1240859/Size-zero-pressure-girls-leads-weak-bones-say-scientists.html

“Dieting by teenage girls desperate to reach ’size zero’ could be putting their bones at risk, say British researchers. A team from Bristol University looked at more than 4,000 young people aged 15, scanning their bones to calculate their shape and density, as well as how much body fat they had.

Those with higher levels of fat tended to have thicker bones, with the connection being ‘particularly marked’ in girls. As girls tend to have higher levels of fat than boys, even when they are normal weight, the findings suggest fat plays an important role in female bone development.”

However a recent study reported by Dutch scientists in the British Journal of Nutrition , shows that a daily supplement (in children) of vitamin K2 in the menaquinone-7 (MK-7) form improved the levels of osteocalcin, a vitamin K-dependent protein which is essential for the body to use calcium in bone tissue efficiently. Without adequate vitamin K, the osteocalcin remains inactive, and thus not effective.

Paediatric doctor Dr. Marieke van Summeren of Utrecht University and her co-workers recruited 55 healthy children to participate in a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial. Children were randomly assigned to receive either dailyMK-7 supplements (45 micrograms, MenaQ7 provided by NattoPharma, Norway), or placebo for eight weeks.

“The present study is the first one to demonstrate that increased vitamin K intake by supplement improves the osteocalcin activity in children,” said Professor Cees Vermeer spokesperson and expert at the VitaK research centre in Maastricht.

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass, which leads to an increased risk of fractures, especially the hips, spine and wrists. An estimated 75 million people suffer from osteoporosis in Europe, the USA and Japan. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.

Potential reduction of osteoporosis has to date been approached by either attempting to boost bone density in high-risk post-menopausal women by improved diet or supplements, or by maximising the build up of bone during the highly important prepubescent years. About 35 per cent of a mature adult’s peak bone mass is built-up during puberty.

MenaQ-7, a daily supplement from Springfield Nutraceuticals, formulated using natural vitamin K2 (MK-7) derived from Japanese natto a fermented soy product is now available in the UK from Independent Health Food Stores and Pharmacies.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Here is an easy recipe that children can make as a Christmas treat.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Dark chocolate cake is the perfect recipe for any chocoholic to get stuck into. With layers of dark chocolate ganache, this is sure to get your mouth watering, just try and save the chocolate for the cake.

Serves: 8

Ease of preparation: Very Easy

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Sponge Mixture
90g Butter
165g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
40g Self-Raising Flour
115g Plain Flour
½ tsp Bicarbonate Soda
40g Cocoa Powder HC
140ml Buttermilk

Dark Chocolate Ganache
250g Dark 72% Rabot Estate HC
250g Whipping Cream
150g Whipping Cream, Beaten

Equipment
2x Baking Trays
Wooden Spoon
Large Bowl
Whisk
Cooling Rack

Method

1. Start by beating together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
2. Beat the eggs in a cup or basin and add the mixture a little at a time along with the plain flour, self raising flour, icarbonate of soda and cocoa powder, keeping the same smooth consistency.
3. Finish the mixture by adding the buttermilk, making sure the mixture does not get too wet or dry as you go when all the flour and eggs have been used.
4. Divide into two lined, or non-stick sponge tins. Place in the oven at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 20 - 25 minutes; ensure the oven is well heated.
5. While the sponge is cooking, the chocolate ganache can be made. This is made using dark chocolate and 250g of cream.
6. Melt the chocolate and add to the whipped cream. When the mix is luke warm, it is then time to add the beaten whipping cream, put to one side.
7. Once the sponge is cooked, remove from the tins and place on cooling racks.
8. When the sponge has cooled put one upside down on a plate and spread with half the chocolate ganache, place the other piece on top.
9. Finally, finish by spreading the remaining chocolate ganache covering all the cake and it is complete.

Fussy Eating in Children - Top Tips

It’s an age old problem that has plagued well-meaning parents throughout the ages – how to get the kids to eat up their greens and other healthy foods.

But a snapshot of modern family life shows that the mums and dads of today are losing the mealtime war as kids use a sophisticated mix of old and new tricks either to get out of eating healthy foods they don’t like – or to eat them up at a price!

A nationwide survey of more than 3,000 parents commissioned by sweet corn producer Green Giant – one of the few vegetables that most kids like – has found that one in three children are described as fussy eaters by their parents, while two-thirds of parents insist that kids are more fussy today than when they themselves were youngsters.

According to the findings, more than one in 20 children resorts to hiding the foods they don’t want to eat, with one mother reporting that her six-year-old son is regularly caught flushing peas down the toilet. A mother with a four-year old son, said she has to pretend that his favourite animation character, Buzz Lightyear, is on the phone saying he is having the same thing as him for dinner before he will eat.

A similar proportion of children have been caught sneaking food onto another family member’s plates and to the dog, while good old-fashioned sulks (13%), tantrums (14%) and claiming to be full (34%) are children’s most common forms of defence against eating foods they don’t like.

One in five parents say they let their kids eat dinner in front of the television, while a similar number have resorted to buying special treats for pudding as a reward.

One in 10 parents say to keep the family happy they eat at different times to their kids, and one in five say they have to cook different meals to suit different tastes.

The OnePoll study also shows that one in 10 children regularly use mobile phones or iPods to entertain themselves during mealtimes, while the most frequent mealtime family arguments include having to eat at the table, bad manners and rows over the washing up.

Meanwhile, more than one in five parents say they offer rewards or bribes to make their children eat, while one in six parents are just giving kids what they want to eat.

The study also shows the increasing lengths that both parents and children will go to in their bid to gain an advantage in the mealtime war stakes, with blackmail, tricks and good old-fashioned tantrums all being deployed.

However, three quarters of parents surveyed found modern family mealtimes stressful and compared them with reverse parking, being late for work and a trip to the dentist. Some even admitted parents were to blame, with more than half (55%) saying parents let their kids get away with being fussy, more than four out of 10 (44%) admit to just wanting an easy life, and more than a quarter (26%) saying they don’t have the time or energy to argue.

Perhaps most annoyingly for parents, the survey found that their children’s mealtime behaviour can totally change when a take-away is on offer, or if they are eating out. One in four parents say they children will eat what they are given at a friend’s house, while one in five will clear their plates without argument if out dining at a restaurant or eating a take-away at home.

General Mills nutritionist Vanessa McConkey RNutri says: “These findings reinforce the importance of getting back to the table - sitting down together as a family to enjoy mealtimes, without the many distractions revealed by this survey. Kids can be very fussy and encouraging them to eat a proper, nutritious meal can be difficult for parents”.

“Instilling healthy eating habits early on in life will help ensure children eat a healthy, balanced meal, rich in vegetables and fruit and get more of the nutrients they need. It will also increase the likelihood of these healthy habits being carried on throughout life. Choosing vegetables like canned sweet corn can make it much easier to ensure children get one of their recommended five a day.”

Requiring no cooking or preparation, Green Giant® sweet corn is so versatile – it’s the ultimate store cupboard product. Just 80g of Green Giant sweet corn (approximately three heaped tablespoons) counts towards one of your five-a-day, which makes it one of the most convenient vegetables around. What’s more, because Green Giant cans its sweet corn within 24 hours of picking, it keeps its natural sweetness and crisp texture.

Kid’s Learn New Skills with Fruit Shoot!

Fruit Shoot’s have started a campaign with real kids who’ve ‘got the juice’ (or who’ve got cool new skills to you and me). As the weeks go by you can see them perform their amazing skills (which we call the ‘wow’), and then learn how to do it for themselves (the ‘how’). Watch and listen to our expert kids showcase a range of the coolest skills, then break each skill down into bite-size doable chunks for kids everywhere to learn.

Here are the first two, relating to basketball skils and skipping skills. We will add more as they get released.

Basketball Skills

Skipping Skills

5 per cent of children eat no fruit and veg all day according to survey

A recently published survey on behalf of Green Giant, the sweet corn brance, has revealed that around 5% of children are eating no fruit and veg at all and that three out of five are eating just three portions a day or less.

British children are falling woefully short of the government’s five-a-day targets on fruit and vegetables, according to new research, with parents failing to encourage good eating habits and often unaware of what constitutes a healthy diet.

The nationwide survey of 1,103 parents with children aged 0-14 found that many parents incorrectly believe that some treat foods, which contain no fruit or vegetables, can contribute towards their children’s five-a-day tally.

According to the government’s Food Standards Agency there is “mounting evidence” that five-a-day is the target to avoid developing chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and some cancers.

However, the new survey found that many children are facing a struggle to meet government targets with as many as one in five parents incorrectly believing that fruit-flavoured sweets, spaghetti hoops and orange squash are covered by the five-a-day scheme. The survey also found that as many as one in 10 parents thinks cola, chips and jaffa cakes can contribute.

By contrast, around one in 20 failed to identify common fruits such as oranges and bananas as counting.

Alarmingly, more than one out of 10 parents doesn’t think it’s their job to teach their kids about healthy eating, instead believing that role is best performed by grandparents, teachers, GPs and even celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver.
And parents claim the biggest barriers to getting children to eat more fruit and vegetables are that their kids don’t like them, there’s too much wastage and because they don’t have the time and cooking skills to prepare healthy meals from scratch.

The survey found that packed lunches fare a little better with seven out of 10 containing fruit.

General Mills nutritionist (registered dietician) Vanessa McConkey RNutri says: “It is both disappointing and concerning to see that the five a day message isn’t getting through clearly enough to parents.

“Good eating habits start at home and British parents need to get their children into the habit of eating more vegetables and fruit. There are many easy ways for parents to get to five-a-day without loads of cooking and preparation. Choosing vegetables like canned sweet corn can make it much easier to get one of your recommended five a day, as well as ensuring that each meal time includes a portion of vegetables or fruit.” Indeed, the survey also shows that most kids have favourite vegetables with carrots, sweet corn, peas and broccoli all scoring highly.

Requiring no cooking or preparation, Green Giant® sweet corn is so versatile - it’s the ultimate store cupboard product. Just 80g of Green Giant sweet corn (approximately three heaped tablespoons) counts towards one of your five-a-day, which makes it one of the most convenient vegetables around. What’s more, because Green Giant cans its sweet corn within 24 hours of picking, it keeps its natural sweetness and crisp texture.

YAZOO milkshakes get a makeover.

YAZOO has just made the nation’s favourite milkshake even healthier and tastier for kids by launching a new and improved recipe containing natural flavours and for the banana and strawberry shakes now containing real fruit juice.

Not only is YAZOO low in fat, it also contains less than 5% added sugar and is free from artificial sweeteners and preservatives. But it’s not just what’s left out that makes YAZOO a healthier alternative to fizzy drinks, it’s packed with calcium and a good source of vitamin B. With three tasty flavours to choose from including strawberry, chocolate and banana, there is something to suit even the fussiest of eaters!

Mums can also rest easy in the knowledge that these great tasting shakes belong to an exclusive selection of drinks that meet current government legislation and can be freely sold in schools.

Why should kids drink milk?

• Milk is one of the best sources of calcium which is vital for healthy growth, strong bones and teeth.
• Children between the ages of 7-10 years should get at least 550mg of calcium each day and a small 200ml bottle of Yazoo provides kids with 30% of their RDA , so there’s no tastier way of getting calcium into their bodies.
• Milk is an excellent source of vitamin B which is good for making red blood cells and the formation of nerves.
• Milk also contains protein which is important for muscles and body strength. A small 200ml bottle of Yazoo contains about 6g of protein and can make a good contribution to the daily protein intake kids need!
• Children who drink milk have comparable or lower BMIs compared to children who don’t drink it.