MANILA, APRIL 8, 2013 – Every mother goes through the dreaded “Diet Shift” phase, a time where the desire to eat unhealthy food heightens at the age of 4-7. Most mothers are at a loss on how to handle this time while making sure that their kids get the nutrients that they need.
Aqiva, a Wyeth Nutrition milk brand, steps in and launched an advocacy food event called “Food Talk”, which helped educate mothers about the threat of the Diet Shift, and provided them with empowering solutions for them to conquer this phase.
Attended by health experts and celebrity mom and TV host Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, the mom-to-mom discussions on parenting concerns enlightened attendees on the difficulties that entail such a phase. Dr. Bernadette Benitez, a Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Specialist, explained reasons behind this phase, stating that unhealthy food appeals most to children because these foods seem to be more fun and exciting to eat, and taste better because of its flavors, colors and textures. Unfortunately, all the nutrients they need cannot be found in these kinds of food.
Cojuanco-Jaworski shared her experience with her children on Diet Shift, saying, “I have three boys, and my youngest, Renzo, is four years old. I noticed that Renzo is starting to prefer unhealthy food staples such as French fries and ice cream. I know people expect me to know how to teach Renzo to eat healthy because I’ve already experienced this with my other two boys. But the truth is, it’s not easy. It’s always a different challenge with each kid when it comes to mealtimes.”
Luz Callanta, nutrition expert and lecturer, discussed the nutrients commonly at-risk during the Diet Shift phase given the child’s poor nutritional intake, and the importance of these nutrients in the child’s growth and development. “Nutrients at risk during this stage include: iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin A,” Callanta said.
In a recent study done by Dr. Emilie Flores on the dietary characteristics of Filipino children, ages 1-6 years old from NCR, it is alarming to know that only 20% consumed fruits & vegetable at least once a day, and meet the minimum acceptable diet standards based on the WHO indicators. Also, only a third received adequate amount of complementary & iron-rich foods. It is very unfortunate that this inadequacy in nutrient intake happens at the crucial age of a child’s development.
During the event, mothers realized that to teach children how to eat healthy, they must understand why the unhealthy food appeal to them in the first place. This is where Celebrity Chef Jackie Laudico of Bistro Filipino helped in teaching guests how to prepare their healthy meals that kids will enjoy. As a mom, she knows the importance of styling healthy food to make it more appealing. She always plays around with three main elements–color, shape and texture– when preparing meals for children. She showcased her techniques, and guests even had a hands-on experience in preparing one of her kid-friendly dishes. “The best way to make children try healthy dishes is to make them interested in it. The food’s visual appeal helps in getting their attention, and eventually they would be willing to taste the healthy snack.” shared Chef Laudico.
Chef Laudico also showed attendees how to prepare healthy yet visually exciting food that children are sure to eat. One of her tried and tested recipes is the Very Berry Pop which is made of chocolate-coated camote cake and berry/blueberry. This is presented as a lollipop cake.
Another recipe that has proved to be a hit with kids is the Veggy Burger where the patty is made out of vegetables instead of meat.
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“Food appealing to kids have a lot of colors and shapes,” said Chef Laudico. One of the activities for the attendees is sandwich-making with a twist. Attendees were provided with wheat bread, a slice of ham, cucumber and tomato slices, and a serving of grated cheese. The challenge was to make the healthy yet boring sandwich interesting through fun-shaped cookie cutters.
At the of the event, AQIVA Senior Product Manager Carlo de la Paz said, “Aqiva proudly takes on the advocacy of raising healthy children through healthy eating habits and proper nutrition. We want to help moms instill the importance and value of healthy eating in their children, and at the same time, we want children to enjoy their healthy meals–to actually like what they eat.”
