Education is the Key to Healthy Eating

Education is the Key to Healthy Eating

New Zealand gourmet pie company Jesters NZ Ltd today responded to the unveiling of a strategy within the National Administration Guidelines, which will require schools to sell only 'healthy' foods in tuck shops from June next year. Jesters Pies Director of Sales and Marketing, Mark Gumbrell, believes the guidelines will be ineffective in changing children's dietary choices, saying that education is the key to New Zealanders adopting healthy lifestyles, rather than a 'rulebook' solution.

"In order for children to develop lifelong healthy eating habits, they need education about the nutrition value of foods, not simply a list of which foods to eat, and which to restrict."

"The guidelines include a component to 'promote healthy food and nutrition for all students', but it is important that this does not translate in to children memorising a list of foods that they should or shouldn't eat, or having certain foods restricted by schools, or eliminated altogether. Rather, we should teach children to understand the nutrition content of the food they eat, and how to choose a healthy, balanced diet," said Gumbrell.

Jesters Pies produces nine pie varieties that carry the Heart Foundation tick. For the past two years, Jesters has supplied these healthier option pies to schools through the Jesters Healthier Schools Programme.

"Nine of the pies in our range meet the National Heart Foundations' strict criteria for saturated fat, trans fat and sodium. Jesters has been committed to providing New Zealander's with the healthiest and highest quality pies possible since its first New Zealand store opened in 2002," said Gumbrell.

"As a food manufacturer, Jesters acknowledges our responsibility to play our part in the obesity epidemic that is becoming a growing concern. Our pies are not oven baked like the traditional pie but cooked in our unique pie makers using ultra-thin light puff pastry and the finest quality natural ingredients. Fresh vegetables, lean meats and the home-made recipes are used, and as a new pie is developed it is tested for nutritional, salt and fat contents."

Gumbrell recommends a collaborative, education-focused approach as an alternative to the new guidelines.

"A joint approach between industry, Government, schools and parents should be agreed on and adopted to educate children about food choices, eating a balanced diet and leading an active lifestyle incorporating plenty of physical activity. From our perspective, we will continue to take a leadership position in the fight to reduce obesity levels by producing low fat, nutritious pie offerings," said Gumbrell.

ENDS

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