FOOD & DRINK
the needs for others increases dramatically. This, when combined with digestive problems, often leads to fatigue, depression, a weakened immune system, anaemia, as well as lung and heart problems. Saturated fats are a no-go, as it clogs the arteries which affects the flow of blood to the heart (eventually leading to a heart attack) or the brain (leading to a stroke). Therefore, a diet consisting of good fats such as nuts, avocado, salmon and olive oil is vital. The fat from these sources can protect the body.
In 2012 the estimated
expenditure of malnutrition was £19.6bn per year.
At the other end of the spectrum are children. Remarkably, by the age of three a child’s brain has developed to 90 per cent of its adult size. Cognitively, in school, children’s food is all about sustaining functions such as memory, concentration and focus. Proteins and omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to develop neurotransmitters or ‘chemical messengers’ to this end, and vitamins – which play a part in improving memory. Colourful fruit, vegetables, meat and eggs are the name of the game.
The current obesity issues are caused by children satisfying their hunger with calorie-rich and nutritionally lacking food. The tendency to indulge in sugary, highly- caffeinated snacks and drinks massively impacts children’s productivity levels and is a big issue for the education system – with an increase in teachers quitting the profession due to erratic and often aggressive behaviour in the classroom. To tackle this, vending machines were banned in schools in 2006. Unfortunately, this does not prevent children purchasing these products when they are
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off school grounds, and recently there have been calls to the government to add an age restriction to products such as energy drinks.
What can contract caterers do? I believe the key is to change the discourse on the topic, and make nutrition accessible to all. Getting your ‘five-a- day’ was an attempt at this, though it’s a fairly arbitrary guideline. In the media, so-called healthy products have been ousted as unhealthy – low-fat yoghurts, for example, tend to contain high amounts of sugar. Radish has a full- time qualified nutritionist that we can call on at any given time to discuss the food we are serving. All of these factors are a recipe for confusion, and it’s no surprise that the population choose to detach or disassociate from the topic.
In schools, we’ve moved away from the traditional school lunch. Instead, children prefer grazing throughout the day. Eating smaller portions more frequently is healthier (so long as they’re eating the right things). ‘Nudge’ methods such as placing salads and healthy snacks near the cash registrar, presenting and packaging the food in an attractive way, and even designing the canteen with certain colours and attractive, graphic menus have all come into play.
Something that is too frequently overlooked is human interaction. When catering staff take time to communicate with people on a first-name basis, chat with them about the food on offer, this lends itself to healthy eating. In school – as children respond to adults that care about what they eat. Whereas in care homes, taking the time to gauge what the individual likes, minimising distractions during mealtimes, specialist cutlery that are easy to hold, and encouraging staff to get involved in the preparation of food, will encourage residents to not only eat, but eat well.
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