Food for kids. It's changed! Hoteliers and Restauranteurs should know better.......

This blog was inspired by a recent summer holiday experience at a 5-star beach resort with my wife, my 5-year-old and my 2-year-old.

Just two very simple questions:

1. As professional hoteliers and restaurateurs, how can we not cater for the needs of children, now knowing what the dangers and long-term effects are of unhealthy eating?
2. How can so-called professionals serve pizza, chicken nuggets, and a list of deep-fried food to children and assume this is acceptable, whilst food concepts, menus and our understanding of nutrition have evolved so far over the past years?

As a parent, a child's nutritional needs are obviously a priority, and it’s easy to forget about this with our busy schedules and time-poor lifestyles. However, the food children eat in their early years can influence their dietary habits later in life, so it’s essential to instil good habits and a healthy relationship with food from an early age. And as hospitality professionals, we should know this better than most.

Now, before you jump down my throat with: “Kids won’t eat healthy boring food” and “Parents won’t pay those extra prices for organic foods”………. Hold on. A) you don’t have to make healthy food boring. B) It does not have to cost more; if it does, you will be surprised how many people would be willing to pay for this. Just try it.

What we are seeing in hotels are a lot of fried foods, high-sugar beverages, and very few vegetables offered to children when dining out with their parents. Indeed, parents and kids often want a treat when they’re eating out as a family, but that doesn’t mean unhealthy items should be dominating children’s menus. And treats can still be healthy; wait and see the attachment.

Children who are overweight or obese face a greater risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure as they grow older. As a group of professionals, we should be committed to being leaders in responsible eating. Children are our future. Children develop a natural preference for the foods they enjoy, so the challenge is ensuring that their choices at a young age will shape their food preferences into adulthood.?

By turning the traditional kid’s menu on its head and offering healthier choices and less of deep-fried options, chefs, restaurateurs, and hoteliers will be investing in their future customers.