Cute Video - Children Tasting Food for the First Time
Showed at TEDx Sydney April 2013 - a slow motion video of children's faces tasting certain foods for the first time: anchovies, yoghurt, pickles, Vegemite ... by Saatchi. Called The First Taste Read full article
The Family Meal - is Work and Life Stress Affecting It?
Managing work‐life stress has become an increasing challenge for parents. All too often, stress from the work day spills over into family time and this can adversely impact the physical and emotional health of family members. Parents report that not being able to balance work/life stress is a major barrier to shared family dinners or family mealtimes. These simple tips will help parents to create enjoyable family dinners. Read full article
Is Your Child a Picky Eater?
Having a child who is a picky eater or fussy eater has been identified by families as a major barrier to having regular shared family mealtimes. Parents serve as important role models in helping children develop healthy eating habits. This is especially important as food preferences are formed early and remain stable throughout childhood. This article contains great tips and comes from the Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois. Read full article
Australia Gets a B Minus on Report Card - Health and Wellbeing of Young Australians
This morning at Parliament House Canberra, Ms Elaine Henry OAM, Chairperson of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) launched ARACY's second Report Card on the Wellbeing of Young Australians. Describing Australia as "middle of the road" when it comes to children's health and wellbeing in Australia, the Report Card identifies areas of concern in areas such as child poverty, infant mortality, and youth participation in education and employment. Speaking at the launch, Dr Norman Swan, also a board member of ARACY highglighted income inequality and early childhood education as significant areas of deficit in Australia's policy and practice. Read full article
Quick Guide to Tap Water for Children in Australia
Parents are advised to give children water in addition to their usual milk from about 6 months of age. But what type of water is best? Tap water? Cooled, boiled water or filtered water? The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that all water given to infants be boiled ... The two main additives found in Australian tap water are ... Read full article
A Quick Guide to 'Added Fibre' in Food
We’ve all heard about the benefits that wholegrains and fibre have to offer in terms of health and nutrition. But with the recent increase in the use of added fibres like polydextrose, inulin and Hi-maize in grain and dairy based foods; you may want to know a bit more about them and what they do. Read full article
Government, Parents or Advertisers: Who Should Decide What Children Watch and Eat?
A recent complaint to the Advertising Standards Board by the Obesity Policy Coalition about a Smarties online colouring-in competition aimed at three- to ten-year-olds, and a bill introduced by Greens leader Bob Brown to ban junk food advertising to children, has fuelled debate about the ethics of advertising energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods and beverages to kids ... This raises the question of whether television advertising, or rather advertising in general to an audience of children, is responsible in some way for the rates of overweight and obesity we are currently seeing. Read full article
Front of Pack Labeling for Food in Australia - Just Add Education
Opinion: Front of Pack Labelling (FOPL) has been getting more media attention lately; the Federal government is likely to announce its stance on the matter prior to the Federal and State Food Ministers’ meeting in response to a commissioned report. The push for front of pack labelling is driven by the aim to help consumers make an informed decision about a food item based on the amount of sugar, fat or salt it contains ... The Healthy Kids Association recognises that FOPL has the potential to help consumers choose healthy options in the marketplace and can go some way to counter junk food marketing advertisements. Read full article
Grain Foods in Healthy Children's Diets - Ideas for Parents
Grain foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, rice and noodles make up an important part of children’s healthy diets. They are packed full of: Energy - the fuel to keep growing bodies and brains going all through the day; Fibre to help keep the digestive system healthy and regular; B vitamins and minerals to keep the body running smoothly. How Much Grain Food Should be in Healthy Children's Diets? Read full article
Does BPA in Food Packaging Cause Behaviour Problems in Children?
Bisphenol A , also called BPA, is a chemical found in plastics that has been reported as possibly harmful to human health if ingested in large quantities. Parents have been especially interested in this news because BPA has been used in plastic polycarbonate baby bottles and in plastic lined cans for many years. A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics, has brought the topic back into the news. And it’s easy to interpret a headline in, for example, the Washington Post, with some alarm: “Study Links BPA Exposure in Womb to Behavior Problems in Toddler Girls”. Read full article
