Smart Food for Healthy Children - a presentation
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Transcript of Smart Food for Healthy Children - a presentation
Smart Foodlfor Healthy Children
ABOUT US
Anda Avramescu, MD works as a
physician specialising in diabe-
tes, nutrition and metabolic dis-
eases at the “Paulescu” Institute
for Diabetes and Nutrition in Bu-
charest.
She also works with private
clinic Medicover, offering nutri-
tion counseling, healthy lifestyle
counseling and family practice
consultations.
Cornelia Marin is a nutrition con-
sultant and trained economist
who has been working in the food-
service industry for 12 years. As a
healthy eating devotee for 22
years, she is one of the owners of
the first healthy food restaurant in
Romania. She promotes a healthy
lifestyle, permanently creating
new menus tailored for people
who want to lose weight and eat
healthily.
ANDA AVRAMESCU CORNELIA MARIN
The School for Health Association was created by Daciana Sarbu
MEP, together with Anda Avramescu, MD and Cornelia Marin
(nutrition consultant) with the purpose of helping Romanian
parents in their efforts to learn the principles of healthy nutri-
tion, for the benefit of raising healthy children.
SCHOOL FOR HEALTH ASSOCIATION
DACIANA SARBU
Daciana Sarbu is a Member of the European Parliament for Romania. She sits
on the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health
and Food Safety, as well as the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Develop-
ment. She studied law in Timisoara, and has a master’s degree in Commercial
Law, as well as Political Management. She is a Social Democrat. She has a long-
time involvement in environmental issues, as well as a keen interest in the de-
velopment of organic and small-scale farming in Romania.
Her interest in nutrition inspired her to pressure the EU institutions to
strengthen their programs promoting healthy eating to parents, to toughen the
rules of advertising aimed at children, and to create healthy lifestyle guidelines.
The School for Health Association is her initiative designed to directly help par-
ents learn about their choices regarding food for children.
SMART FOOD FOR HEALTHY CHILDREN
OUR PROJECT
P h o t o H e a d i n g
The project is a national tour of di-
rect meetings with parents of pre-
school children (2-6 years old).
Each event consists of presenta-
tions of the principles of healthy
eating, as well as detailed explana-
tions of nutritious ingredients, “bad
foods”, and recommended cooking
techniques. Illustrative cooking
demonstrations are also included.
10 LESSONS
ABOUT CHILDREN’S
HEALTHY EATING
All those participating in the meetings receive a
brochure - written and printed by the Association -
containing vital information to help them prepare
the daily menu for their children.
They also receive a guide of the recommended food
groups and portions for pre-school children.
IASI
THE STORY SO FAR
The kindergarten teachers wel-
comed the initiative and ex-
pressed their great interest in
the project, remarking on their
lack of information and guid-
ance regarding healthy eating.
MEETING THE TEACHERS
The project was announced in October at a press confer-
ence in Iasi (one of Romania’s largest cities), followed by
a visit to a local kindergarten in order to gauge the
teachers’ reaction.
MEETING THE PARENTS
The parents expressed their awareness of the impor-
tance of nutrition, but also their confusion regarding
what was best for their kids. They had a long list of
questions and were deeply involved in the dialogue
that followed. They remarked on the need for medi-
cal information, and also for learning creative tips
and tricks devised to convince children to eat vegeta-
bles or to give up sugary snacks.
PLOIESTI
THE STORY SO FAR
P h o t o H e a d i n g
The founders of the Association focused
their presentations around 10 “lessons”
containing the most important information
needed in order to feed children the right
way. These lessons included details about
the “good” and the “bad” fats, the damaging
effect of sugar, the importance of getting
kids involved in food preparation, and the
significance of personal example.
The parents were taught to read and in-
terpret labels: first they were presented
with the information they should look
out for on a label and the recommended
amounts for various ingredients. Then
the labels of a few common products for
children were analyzed and interpreted
from a nutritional viewpoint.
THE LESSONS THE LABEL-READING
The first actual event took place in Ploiesti (another of Ro-
mania’s largest cities), where the three founders of the As-
sociation invited the parents to learn, ask questions and…
taste their cooking!
THE COOKING
After the theory came the practice. Trying to prove the point that
healthy food is not only nutritious, but also tasty and easy to make, Daci-
ana prepared a colorful salad of various vegetables with a flavorful gar-
lic-and-nuts dressing.
The guests were able to taste it, along with freshly-baked bread pre-
pared in front of them by a guest from the organic farmers’ association.
The special treat was banana cake baked the previous night by Daciana
and her 2 year old daughter, Irina - a convincing demonstration of the
benefits of getting children interested in the cooking process.
PLOIESTI
THE STORY SO FAR
P h o t o H e a d i n g
The parents (and grandpar-
ents!) present had a variety
of questions and were es-
pecially keen to learn about
replacing standard ingredi-
ents in their kitchen with
nutritionally-richer alter-
natives.
THE LESSONS
ENTHUSIASM & RECEPTIVENESS
Thus may be summarised the participants’ atti-
tude towards the event. They were eager to learn
all the varied new things, such as the benefits of
using millet in cookies, how much sugar was in a
can of carbonated drink, why bread should be
wholegrain, or how to turn simple vegetables into
funny-looking spaghetti.
INSPIRING OTHERS
P h o t o H e a d i n g
A few days after the launch of the Smart
Food for Healthy Children initiative, the
idea gained new supporters and the Asso-
ciation was invited to judge a children’s
painting competition. The subject? Healthy
food!
PAINTING THE PICTURE
OF HEALTHY FOOD Bucharest
LITTLE CHEFS Petrosani, Hunedoara
Inspired by the campaign and the Association’s
brochure, a school from Petrosani put together a
healthy recipes competition for children. The
inventive cooks created savory treats in original
shapes and combinations and the Association
rewarded them with adequate prizes: lots of
fresh fruit.
Contact us by e-mail:
Visit our Facebook page
“I know that many families have been badly hit by the crisis, and parents are struggling to put any food on their kids’ tables. But I’m also well aware of the fact that, unless we learn to feed our kids healthily,
we will witness sick generations grow-
ing up. Many parents are confused by advertis-ing claims and contradicting information. That is why, together with a physician and a nutrition consultant, I’ve initiated these meetings. We want to show them
that you don’t need lots of money or lots of time to feed your kids the right way: all you need is to learn a few basic
principles and to choose carefully what you put on your child’s plate”
Daciana Sarbu
Smart Foodl for Healthy Children