A leading nutritionist has confirmed that animal products such as beef, lamb and dairy, can feature in meals made available to young children, as long as they make up part of a balanced diet.
This is according to director of nutrition at safefood, Dr. Aileen McGloin.
She said: “Plant protein sources must also be included. Young children should be offered a range of protein sources.”
Where potatoes are concerned, Dr. McGloin confirmed that they are not included on the five-a-day list of vegetables that people are advised to eat on a regular basis. Rather, they will continue to be regarded as a source of dietary carbohydrate.
Safefood is an all-island body, established 25 years ago, to provide healthy eating and food safety advice to the public.
The organisation also carries out research into food safety while providing independent assessment of Ireland’s food supply.
Dr. McGloin was in Belfast recently to launch a five-year communications campaign, highlighting the growing change of obesity within children in Ireland.
The event saw a number of experts confirm that lots had been achieved over the past two decades in tackling the issue of poor diet within Irish society.
The introduction of a sugar tax was cited as a case in point, however, the issue of childhood obesity remains a priority, one that must be addressed.
“A total of €600,000 will be spent across the island of Ireland on developing the new campaign in 2024.
“However, manufacturers of crisps, fizzy drinks and chocolate will spend millions of Euros advertising their products during the same period,” the nutritionist added.
With 63% of pre-school children in Northern Ireland alone able to identify unhealthy food brands before they can read and write, one-in-four children are currently living with either overweight or obesity.
Food-related ill-health is the leading cause of preventable illness in the developed world, and children living with overweight or obesity are at a significantly increased risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers in adulthood.
Meanwhile the psychological and social toll on children due to weight stigmatization can be profound.
The new safefood campaign will seek to rally Northern Ireland public opinion to confront the harsh reality of our unhealthy food environment and demand immediate action to safeguard our children’s future.
It will spotlight the urgent need to transform our food landscape, tackling the overwhelming variety and availability of unhealthy options head-on.
It will also highlight the marketing tactics that promote high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods in in children’s everyday lives.
As part of the campaign, safefood will lead a food environment forum, which will comprise the lead health agencies involved in the policy and partnership work in this area and will steer a roadmap for the next five years.
It is anticipated that the demand for change created by the campaign will help advance this work and expedite the changes needed to build a healthier food environment.