Are lunch boxes filled with processed foods and packet of crisps giving your child an upset tummy? Do they spend more time at the clinic than at the park?
Helping Dubai parents take the stress out of packing a healthy, school lunch box, Michelin-starred chef Gary Rhodes has designed a healthy and holistic experience to lunchtime.
"We need to serve children wholesome food with fresh ingredients ... also introduce them to experience a wide variety of new tastes but learn etiquette, manners and practice the art of conversation at the dining table," said Rhodes.
The British chef spoke to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the official opening ceremony of the Dubai British School- Jumeirah Park (DBSJP) on Sunday, November 15.
A strict advocate against the use of technology at the dining table, Rhodes said that children must be trained not to use iPads and mobile phones while having a meal. He said this habit is currently lacking among children and adults across the world and must be reintroduced.
"Children need to be reintroduced to healthy food and while they are eating, they must be able to hold a conversation with people without looking at their devices," said Rhodes.
Working parents have it tough. From having to prepare themselves for the long workday, parents also have to cook breakfast and lunch and pack a nutritious, healthy lunch box for their kids.
Ideally, every parent would want their child to have the best and healthiest foods. However, sometimes due to time constraints, parents skimp on serving children nutritious, healthy food, and instead pack their lunch boxes with a packet of crisps, cookies, and treats loaded with sugar and carbohydrates.
A recent study in the United States Medical Journal of Pediatrics examined the condition of 700 lunch boxes an hour and a half before lunchtime.
"Researchers who examined the lunch boxes found that the vast majority of their contents had become so warm that they posed a potential health hazard." Research said that 97 per cent of meats, 99 per cent of dairy and 99 per cent of vegetables were stored at unsafe temperatures.
Although nearly half of the lunches included an ice pack and 12 per cent were in fridges, of the 1,361, perishable foods tested, only 22 were still at temperatures considered safe. They were shocked to find that 97 per cent of meats, 99 per cent of dairy and 99 per cent of vegetables were stored at unsafe temperatures.
"When you consider the extreme temperatures that we experience in the UAE, I encourage parents to consider carefully what they pack into their child's lunchbox," said Clive Pierrepont, Director of Communications, Taaleem Group of Schools. A very vocal advocate against unhealthy food in the lunch box, Pierrepont stated that children can be taught to change the practice of eating unhealthy food and told to follow simple table manners.
"We need to educate parents that even though they may take extreme care with packing a nutritious and healthy lunchbox, an hour after leaving home it can be dangerous and is often the culprit for all manner of upset tummies and even worse," said Pierrepont.
The Dubai British School Jumeirah Park enlisted the help of Rhodes to design a lunch box that is packed in nutritional value and is fun to eat.
Rhodes has worked with several schools in the UK and the UAE and said the response from parents towards this initiative has been phenomenal.
At the DBSJP, the children are served a different menu five days a week. "For example, the meal typically consists of a snack and beverage like Banana bread and banana chips and full cream milk or Hummus with vegetable soldier and Ceres apple juice/no sugar. After which they are given soup (Cauliflower and potato) and a main meal like roast beef and gravy, and aubergine steak with tomatoes," said Rhodes.
Though the cuisine is predominantly British, children are also given the option to choose and change their choice of foods. As sides the children are also served Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and carrots, cabbage. For dessert, the child is given apple crumble, custard, chocolate mousse, and strawberry mousse for example.
Rhodes, however, insisted that all ingredients used in preparing the food will be healthy and will not consist of any additives.
By Dhanusha Gokulan
Editor’s note: This article has been edited from the source material
