Food Rebels is the brain child of Fiona McLoughlin Healy. Food Rebels is asking preschool and crèches to sign up to 4 simple principles of healthy eating designed to fight against the upper trend of childhood obesity.
Food Rebels is the second phase of a crèche healthy eating programme initiated over 2 years ago by Fiona McLoughlin Healy across 3 Newbridge crèches. In developing the programme Fiona’s goal was to address the issue of childhood obesity through the crèche structure. After 2 years of implementation and feedback the most successful and workable parts of the programme form the second phase of the roll- out to crèches nationwide. This newly devised programme, Food Rebels, asks crèches and parents to adhere to 4 main principles in a battle against childhood obesity.
1. White to brown
Offer whole-grain pasta and rice for dinner with whole-grain cereals for breakfast and whole-grain bread where practical; nine times out of ten.
2. Prioritise a wholesome breakfast
Prioritize a varied and wholesome breakfast. Include such options as porridge (with or without jam); wheat biscuits with chopped banana; boiled egg and whole-wheat toast soldiers; cereal flakes with yoghurt and berries.
Breakfast is a vehicle for milk. Breakfast is one of three equally important meals of the day.
3. Add steps to each day
Add five minutes of movement to every hour. Use every opportunity to move (musical chairs, star-jumps, dancing on the spot, walking, playing out doors). The goal is to achieve no less than five thousand steps per child per day.
4. Portion size
Vegetables should make up half the dinner plate. Colour to be a priority (carrots and broccoli, sweet potato and cabbage, corn and peas). Children need to be encouraged to eat from all parts of the plate but not to finish their plate, unless hungry to do so. Fruit to be offered twice daily, at snack time.
Remember 25% of our children are either overweight or obese by the age of 3!
As parents and childcare workers we are rebelling against the onslaught of childhood obesity. The earlier we tackle it, the better chance we have of beating it.
What is healthy food and what is an appropriate food portion isn’t always so obvious. Indeed billions are spent yearly to persuade us that foods that may NOT be healthy are good for us. Food Rebels cut through the plethora of confusing messages to educate childcare workers, parents and children about healthier food choices.
