‘Healthy Eating for Primary Schoolchildren’Talk for Parents

Central Health Education UnitDepartment of Health

PurposeTo enhance parents’ knowledge and skills of

dietary nutrition for helping and encouraging children to foster

good eating habits.

Here you’re about to… Have a very precious lesson in life

to understand the importance of healthy eating

Be at the forefront of time to know about the latest nutritional

guidelines on lunch and snacks Be smarter parents

to learn more practical skills of encouraging and educating children about choosing healthy lunch and snacks

What is your idea about healthy children?

Like this?

Pictures source: Mingpao and Metropolis Daily

Or this?

News clips on obesity of schoolchildren

Stroke: Rising Children Killer Over 60 cases of stroke with patients under 16 years old are recorded on average every year. The figures show a rising trend. （ News quoted from sina.com , 03/05/2006, translated. ）

Obesity Killed Kid of 286 lbs, Aged 9

Ventilation Dysfunction Complex Makes Doctors Clueless

（ Sing Pao Daily News, 20/05/2005, translated.)

News clips on obesity of schoolchildren

Children with obesity possess risks of obstructive sleep apnoea 10 times higher than their normally weighed counterparts.(CUHK press release, 31/03/2005, translated)

Latest situation in Hong Kong Primary schoolchildren’s

obesity rate rose from 16.4% in 1997/98 to 18.7% in 2003/04

In 2005, chronic illnesses counted 57% of the local death toll

Why is my child getting fatter and fatter?

Energy imbalance

Hypertension

Arthritis

Stroke

Diabetes

Heart diseases

Kcal Output ＜ Kcal Input Main cause: Obesity

Reasons for having too much calories…

Eating too much a quantity

Sitting much, moving less

Eating too much junk food

Potato chips / Shrimp crackers

Ice block / Ice cream

Candies / Chocolate

What one have to pay for poor eating habit…

It affects learning ability It increases the chance for

illnesses: obesity, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancer

It undermines children’s confidence, ruins their self-esteem and affects mental health: anorexia, bulimia

It causes extra burden to the medical expenses of the community

Picture source: www.fathersforlife.org

EatSmart@school.hk

Healthy eating starts with you!

EatSmart@school.hk Campaign

Purpose To facilitate the establishment of healthy eating

habit among local primary students

Objectives To enhance schoolchildren’s and their parents’

knowledge of healthy eating To create a healthy eating environment in school To boost and improve schoolchildren’s knowledge,

belief and behaviour regarding healthy eating

The latest guidelines produced by the Department of Health

With the guidelines, we hope students can…

Achieve energy balance Increase fruit and vegetables

intake Reduce total intake of fat Reduce intake of sugar Reduce intake of salt

How much food do children have to eat for a day?

Food Pyramid for Children

Lunch should…

provide 　　　　 of the nutrients that children need every day

one-third

Tips on healthy lunch box

Grains and cereals, vegetables and meat should be in the ratio of

: 　 :3 2 1

Recommended quantity for junior and senior primary schoolchildren

Food category Recommended quantity for P1 to

P3 students

Recommended quantity for P4 to

P6 studentsGrains and cereals Minimum 4

servingsMinimum 5

servingsVegetables Minimum 1 serving Minimum 1 serving

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes

1 to 2 servings 1 ½ to 2 ½ servings

Fruit Minimum ½ serving

Minimum ½ serving

Fats and oil Maximum 2 servings

Maximum 2 servings

What is ‘portion’? Portion = serving The common unit of recommended

food intake It helps maintain a balanced diet It is used for describing the

recommended quantity of food needed daily from the 5 food groups for adequate nutritional intake

Food category Recommended quantity for P1 to

P3 students

Recommended quantity for P4 to

P6 students

Grains and cereals Minimum 4 servings

Minimum 5 servings

Vegetables Minimum 1 serving

Minimum 1 serving

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes

1 to 2 servings 1 ½　to 2 ½　servings

Fruit Minimum ½ serving

Minimum ½ serving

Fat and oil Maximum 2 servings

Maximum 2 servings

Grains and Cereals

~ 1/5 bowl of plain cooked rice / rice noodles (40g) ~ 1/4 bowl of egg noodles (40g) ~ 1/3 bowl of cooked spaghetti or macaroni (50g) ~ 1/2 slice of bread without crust (20g) ~ 1 egg-sized potato (40g)

One serving of grains and cereals is

contain carbohydrates, which is a good source of energy

VegetablesFood category Recommended

quantity for P1 to P3 students

Recommended quantity for P4 to

P6 students

Grains and cereals Minimum 4 servings

Minimum 5 servings

Vegetables Minimum 1 serving

Minimum 1 serving

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes

1 to 2 servings 1 ½　to 2 ½　servings

Fruit Minimum ½ serving

Minimum ½ serving

Fat and oil Maximum 2 servings

Maximum 2 servings

One serving of vegetables 1 bowl of uncooked leafy vegetables 1/2 bowl of cooked leafy vegetables / gourds /

mushrooms

rich in dietary fibres, which can help improve intestinal health, blood sugar and cholesterol

level, etc.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs and Legumes

Food category Recommended quantity for P1 to

P3 students

Recommended quantity for P4 to

P6 students

Grains and cereals Minimum 4 servings

Minimum 5 servings

Vegetables Minimum 1 serving

Minimum 1 serving

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes

1 to 2 servings 1 ½ to 2 ½ servings

Fruit Minimum ½ serving

Minimum ½ serving

Fats and oil Maximum 2 servings

Maximum 2 servings

One serving of meat, legumes, eggs 4 slices of cooked meat (as big as a mahjong tile) 1/2 bowl of cooked legumes (board beans, kidney

beans) 1/3 bowl of hard bean curd 1 egg

They are the primary sources of fat and protein, providing calories and essential elements for growth

and development

40g of meat & fish

1 egg 3-4 pcs of bean curd

90g of beans

FruitFood category Recommended

quantity for P1 to P3 students

Recommended quantity for P4 to

P6 students

Grains and cereals Minimum 4 servings

Minimum 5 servings

Vegetables Minimum 1 serving

Minimum 1 serving

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes

1 to 2 servings 1 ½　to 2 ½　servings

Fruit Minimum ½ serving

Minimum ½ serving

Fats and oil Maximum 2 servings

Maximum 2 servings

One serving of fruit 1 medium-sized (as big as a fist) fruit (e.g.

orange, apple) 1/2 piece of large-sized banana 1 handful of grapes (~ 10 grapes) 1 cup (150ml) of freshly blended fruit juice 1/2 box of unsweetened dried fruit

They are rich in dietary fibres and vitamins

Orange Mango Mandarin Grapefruit Pomelo Strawberry

Fats and oilFood category Recommended

quantity for P1 to P3 students

Recommended quantity for P4 to

P6 students

Grains and cereals Minimum 4 servings

Minimum 5 servings

Vegetables Minimum 1 serving

Minimum 1 serving

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes

1 to 2 servings 1 ½　to 2 ½　servings

Fruit Minimum ½ serving

Minimum ½ serving

Fats and oil Maximum 2 servings

Maximum 2 servings

One serving of fats and oil

1 tsp of plant oil

1 tbsp of salad dressing

How to choose healthy food for children?

About the ‘Quality’… 3 lows, 1 high:

Low in fat, low in sugar, low in salt and high in fibre

Types of food in lunch:

Encouraged Food Items

Limited Food Items

Strongly Discouraged Food Items

Encourage Food Items

Whole grains or high fibre grains/cereals

Low-fat dairy products or other calcium-rich food

Limited Food Items Grains and cereals with added fat or oil and sauce

e.g. fried rice, fried noodles, baked rice with sauce

Fatty cut of meat and poultry with skine.g. chicken wings, spare ribs, chicken legs, fatty

minced meat cake

Whole-fat dairy productse.g. full-cream milk, regular cheese, whole-fat yoghurt

Processed or preserved meat, eggs and vegetablese.g. sausages, ham, roasted pork, preserved mustard green

High-salt or high-fat sauce or gravy*Remark: It is recommended that sauce or gravy with high salt or fat content should be served sparingly and separately.

Strongly Discouraged Food Items Deep-fried food items Food items with added animal fat, plant sources

of saturated fat and hydrogenated-fate.g. lard, chicken oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil, margarine

Desserts or beverages with more than 10g or 2 tsp of added sugar in each serving

Items with very high salt contente.g. preserved meat sausages, salted fish, salted eggs, etc.

Quick quiz…

1. What should be the ratio for grains and cereals (such as rice / noodles),

vegetables and meat?

3 ： 2 ： 1

Quick quiz…

2. 　 What kinds of food should be included in each lunch?

Vegetables and fruit

Quick quiz…

3. 　 How many servings of vegetables and fruit should a child eat on

average in each lunch?

1 serving of vegetables and ½ serving of fruit

Quick quiz…

4. 　 What would be the healthy choice of meat?

Lean meat, seafood, fish, eggs, skinned

poultry

Quick quiz…

5. 　 What should be done to the meat before cooking?

Remove visible fat or skin and extra oil

Quick quiz…

6. 　 What would be the healthier kinds of cooking oil?

Plant oil such as olive oil, canola oil, corn oil,

peanut oil

Quick quiz…

7. What are the low-fat ways of cooking?

Boiling, baking, steaming, quick sauté

with less oil

Quick quiz…

8. 　 How to reduce the intake of salt?

Avoid using processed meat and preserved food, and take other

seasonings as alternatives of salt

Quick quiz…

9. 　 What could be used to make food more delicious if not using salt?

Use more natural seasonings like lemon juice, pepper, black pepper,

ginger, garlic, star anise, etc.

Quick quiz…

10. How should gravy or sauce

be provided?

Sauce and food should be served separately. High-fat and high-salt gravy / sauce should be avoided.

Quick quiz…

11. 　 What kind of physical problem would a salty diet bring

about?

Hypertension. In serious cases, cardiovascular diseases and renal

dysfunction may be caused.

3 2 1 Healthy Lunch Suitable for Everyone

Children love snacks. Yet how much do their parents

know about healthy snacks?

What is snack?

‘Snack’ means the small quantity of food to be eaten between two main meals.

Do children need snacks?Snacks can be provided in appropriate serving size to

children on condition that their appetite for the main meals are not affected because they usually:

have a small stomach that could only hold a small quantity of food every time

physically active and have high energy output might not get enough nutrients from the 3 meals of

the day

Suitable time for snacks…

There should be at least

between snacks and main mealsto avoid spoiling children’s appetite for the

next meal

1.5 - 2 hours

Appropriate serving size for snacks

e.g. : 1 slice of wheat bread + 1

glass of low-fat milk 1 apple + 1 glass of water 2-3 plain biscuits + 1 glass

of pure fruit juice

It is usually smaller than that for a main meal, and it does not mean to replace the main one.

How to choose healthy snacks?

Snacks to Choose More Snacks to Choose in Moderation Snacks to Choose Less

Snacks to Choose More

Criteria for selection:

Rich in one of more of nutrients (e.g. dietary fibre, protein, calcium), and

‘3 lows, 1 high’ principle

Low fat

Low sugar

Low salt

High fibre

Bread and grains and cereals that are low fat, low salt / sugar

Snacks to Choose More

Fresh vegetables and fruit, and unsweetened dried fruit

Snacks to Choose More

Snacks to Choose More

Low-fat dairy products

Low-fat yoghurt

Low-fat milk

Snacks to Choose in Moderation

contain one or more major nutrients (e.g. calcium and dietary fibre)

but also contain fat and added sugar or salt

Snacks to Choose in Moderation Bread and cereals with added fat, sugar or salt Processed and preserved vegetables Fruit with added sugar Whole-fat dairy products Fat, processed or preserved meat and its

alternatives Beverages with added sugar but contain

nutritional value

Snacks to Choose in Moderation

Snacks to Choose Less

Food or beverages low in nutritional value or high in fat, added sugar and salt

Frequent consumption of these snacks may increase the risk of the following diseases:• Obesity• Heart disease• Diabetes• High blood pressure

Snacks to Choose Less

Snacks high in fat, sugar and salt

About beverages

Choose more WaterPure fruit juiceLow-fat milk

Choose in moderation

Sweetened fruit juicesSweetened soy milk, whole-fat milk, chocolate milk drink

Choose less Soft drink, sweetened boxed drink, cordials, black tea, coffee

‘1 High, 3 Lows’ Snacks

Healthy and Tasty

How would you deal with children eating issues?

Parents’ role… Be role models to guide children patiently Prepare healthy lunch and snacks for

children in appropriate serving size Teach children with correct perspectives

about eating and the way to choose healthy lunch and snacks

Work with school and tuck shop operators to support ‘EatSmart@school.hk’

You can help prohibit the following promotional activities for unhealthy food: Promotional activities organised by food companies Sponsorship of school materials achieving an

indirect advertising intention Verbal encouragement of consumption of certain

food items Placing of food items/promotional messages/brand

names and logos at prominent locations Selling the food items in vending machines Using the food items as awards or prizes

What can you do for children include: Be a role model Prepare healthy lunch and snacks of

love and care Provide a variety of healthy food Encourage children to exercise more

and sit less Care more about children’s needs

and avoid rewarding with snacks

You are cordially invited…

To work together with us and give our next generation a healthy eating environment!

For updated guidelines and other health information, please visit the

website of of the Department of Health at

www.eatsmart.gov.hk

～ Thank You ～