Are our children getting a raw deal when we eat out?

As a family of five we used to eat out at least once a week as a way of spending time together as a family as we rarely eat together at home with my husband working different shifts daily but over the last 6 months we have eaten out less and less due to the soaring costs and really poor food, once at a Bella Italia my eldest found cardboard in her fish finger, no not on it but actually INSIDE IT! From then on I've always read the children's menu carefully before choosing to eat out yet its always fallen short and the Organix and the Soil Association reviews of children's menus across the country have only added to my woes when it comes to eating out.

RAW DEAL FOR CHILDREN IN UK RESTAURANTS

Out to Lunch league table exposes the truth about 21 chain restaurants and pubs children’s menus

• Post horsegate, only one chain could reliably tell parents where their meat comes from
• Almost half of restaurants do not offer vegetables or salad with a majority of their children’s main meals
• Only 1 restaurant offers children’s cutlery as standard
• Jamie’s Italian, Wagamama and Wetherspoon’s ranked highest
• Burger King, KFC and Prezzo have scored the least points on a league table

Britain’s leading restaurants and pubs are giving children across the UK a raw deal with children’s menus dominated by the usual suspects, like nuggets, burgers and sausages, few fruit or vegetables, and not even the provision of children’s cutlery, it has been revealed today following new research from the Out to Lunch campaign from the Soil Association and Organix.

Out to Lunch is calling for the restaurant industry to improve standards and make changes to their children’s menus. The investigation shows 66% of parents think the food provision for children in restaurants is not good enough. 21 popular high street restaurants and pubs were surveyed looking at what’s on the menu for children over a three month period, revealing that:

• 12 out of the 21 restaurants and pubs have children’s menus dominated by nuggets, burgers and sausages
• Eight out of 21 chains don’t include vegetables or salad in the majority of their children’s main meals
• 10 don’t include a portion of fruit in any of their children’s puddings
• Only 11 out of 21 chains were willing to tell us if their food was freshly cooked and where it comes from. Of the 11, only 4 were making and cooking the majority of their children’s food in the kitchen: Jamie’s Italian, Wagamama, Carluccios and Café Rouge
• Only one chain (Jamie’s Italian) could reliably tell parents where its meat came from
• Only 1 offers children’s cutlery as standard
• No restaurants have signage welcoming breastfeeding on their premises
• Only 2chains offer a children’s drinks menu free from added sugar and sweeteners

In line with the research, Out to Lunch has today issued a league table ranking the 21 restaurants and pubs to show the industry and consumers what chains are offering children.

Jamie’s Italian, Wagamama and Wetherspoons have come out on top of the league table, while Burger King, KFC and Prezzo scored the least points.  Although average meal price varied from restaurant to restaurant, this did not determine where chains came in the rankings.

Joanna Lewis, Head of Policy at the Soil Association comments: “Our investigation reveals that most high street restaurants are not even meeting the most basic standards families should expect when they eat out. Most are still churning out children’s menus dominated by the usual suspects – burgers, nuggets and pizzas –turning the table into a battlefield for any parents wanting their child to eat well. With 1 in 3 children now overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school, it’s time for these popular chains to use their influence in a positive way.

“Restaurants need to raise the bar and listen to parents who are saying they want fresh food not ready meals for their children, and the same kind of variety you’d expect as an adult. In the wake of horsegate, it also rings alarm bells that only one restaurant knows where its meat comes from.”

The Out to Lunch campaign is calling on all high street restaurants and pubs to:

1.       Offer all young diners the choice of a children’s portion of adult meals

2.        Serve freshly prepared food, not ready meals

3.        Offer free water to families on arrival

4.        Offer children’s cutlery as standard

5.       Make breastfeeding mums feel welcome

Anna Rosier, Managing Director at Organix says: “Four out of 10 parents (40%) told us they eat out once a fortnight or more with their families. If restaurants and pubs want to ensure business stays strong and see customers return, they need to start improving what they’re serving to children.

“We want families – parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles – to help get behind our campaign to see change. Restaurants will only start improving if we start being more vocal about what we’re seeing and vote with our feet.”

Out to Lunch is asking families to carry out four simple steps to back the campaign:

1. To tell restaurants what they think. The Out to Lunch downloadable Campaign Pack includes a review slip to make is easy for families to leave it behind on the table.
2. To be vocal and share feedback with family and friends.
3. To vote with their feet. If a restaurant is not up to scratch, don’t go back.
4. To support by wearing the ‘I support Out to Lunch’ badge on their Facebook and Twitter profiles.

“With the summer holidays upon us, families will be enjoying eating out more often and we want to see thousands of reviews being left behind this summer, not only in chain restaurants, but independents too. If we create enough noise, together we can help make change happen,” continues Anna.

Jamie Oliver, founder of Jamie’s Italian which came first in the league table said; “Since the first Jamie’s Italian opened we’ve always kept things kid-friendly with our funky viewfinder menus and super-tasty food, so to come top of the table is a fantastic achievement, and more importantly, confirmation that we're doing things right. We believe that the quality of the kids’ food should to be right up there on the same level as the main menu, and I truly believe that we have a brilliant offering that both kids love and parents can trust.  

“Over the years, I’ve learnt that if you give kids a bit of ownership over their food, they’ll really embrace it, so that's exactly what we’ve done with our “shake me” salads. Every dish on the kid's menu comes with one and it counts as one of a child’s five a day. I’ve seen parents completely amazed that their kids are eating salad, and that's down to the fact that they’ve been involved and had fun putting it together.”

For a more detailed insight into the Out to Lunch league table visit www.soilassociation.org/outtolunch.

Restaurants can find out how they size up, and get support and advice on the small steps, and bigger steps, they need to make by downloading the Out to Lunch toolkit.

League Table:

A truly shocking discovery on all fronts, with your help to spread the word hopefully something will be finally done to change these statistics!

L x

Cook with Organix Challenge

With having 3 young( ish) children and it only seeming like five minutes ago i was weening my now 9 year old I'd like to think I have a fair grasp on the 'baby food' market, or not.
When these amazing base's where offered to us to trial I couldn't say yes fast enough. They sounded like an amazing idea, they give you the oppertunity to make quick and nutritious meals for the little folk, introducing them to new tastes and knowing they are good for their tiny insides too.
We have bought and enjoyed Organix goodies before, they haven't always gone down well, like most children we have some things they are really picky about and the 3 year old is currently on a chicken binge which means she refuses to eat anything that doesn't look like garlic bread or clucks!
We are still very much in 'trial mode' and are experimenting with the stuff we received, also whilst trying to find the time to get them involved in the cooking process and making them aware of where their food comes from and how other children in different countries eat or don't as the case may be.
We tried the Mexican rice and sweetcorn the other night with tea, I was stuck for something to give them as i was sick of offering the same thing over and over all because we have a fussy eater *glares at the 3 yr old*.

It smelt delicious whilst whizzing around the microwave, and i have to hold my hands up to having a crafty taste before dishing up and surprisingly , YUM! , I was slightly envious I wasn't getting it for tea!
It was a massive hit with Emma, our 6 yr old, she didn't leave a scrap on her plate, Zoe our 'I'm allergic to anything that isn't chicken' 3 yr old refused bluntly to even give it a taste but as she is open to pasta from time to time I'm hoping the Herby Vegetable Pasta will go down well with her, the ' I was once as picky as Zoe' 9 yr old ate about half then made up some elaborate tale of how she didn't like it because.... I zoned out at this point.
This was no surprise to me to be honest as it was in a mild Mexican sauce, she doesn't eat anything in sauce (rolls eyes) and contained veg (also something she seems suddenly allergic to) but she gave it a try and a good one at that so that's a start.
The portions where definitely generous, the pots say 2 portions and it was still more than enough for the 2 of them, I could of easily made it go an extra meal with no problems at all.
I did nothing fancy with it this time, just some cooked chicken, and it made a lovely healthy meal for them.
I am now writing the bases into a couple of recipes for our meal planner for next week to give them a good old try out, when I'm a little less pulled thin with garden laying and school work!
I will admit though that they make a great addition to the kitchen cupboard when you know you are in a rush but still want to provide a healthy and very tasty meal with little fuss and a lot less time!
Have a pop on over to the Organix website and check out their list of recipe's you can try and not just with their bases, there are also hits and tips on feeding advice, a meal planner and an online shop so you don't even have to change out of your PJ's to give them a try!!! (in fact why didn't I think of this??!)
I'd love to know what you think about organix bases, baby weening and I'd love to see your pics of your creations, send in a pic of your tiny folk enjoying your creations and you could win a sample pot of Organix base to try yourself, send your pics to lizipants@yahoo.co.uk and I'll add a showcase of all your tiny folk, right here.
If you have been knee deep in dirty nappies or just reaching weening age and havent heard about Organix and what they do, here's a little background for you straight from the horses mouth..

Organix, number one in Organic babyfood*, today launches Cook with Organix, a new home cooking range set to revolutionise the babyfood aisle.

Cook with Organix has been developed to help meet the growing desire amongst parents to cook their children’s food from scratch. Cook with Organix Recipe Bases provide the starting point for a meal, to which you can simply add the finishing touches and Cook with Organix Paste Pots allow you to create a meal from your own choice of ingredients, using a wide range of available recipes.

Recipe Bases and Paste Pots have been created in the Organix kitchen to give parents a helping hand to create a variety of nutritious and healthy dishes at home that will help develop their baby’s taste for real, good food.

Lucy Jackson at Organix comments: “Cooking from scratch means different things to different people, from preparing beans on toast, to cooking entirely from fresh ingredients. At Organix we understand that parents want to be able to create their little one’s meals at home using fresh ingredients, because they believe that home-cooking is best for their baby. We also understand that time can be tight and it’s not always easy to come up with different recipes every night – not to mention feeling confident in what is suitable for young children.”

For those tight on time, Recipe Bases (RRP £2.49, 200g) allow parents to add their choice of finishing touches to the recipe and cook in just 5 minutes. With a choice of Tomatoey Spaghetti, Herby Vegetable Pasta and Mexican Rice and Sweetcorn, Recipe Bases are suitable from 10 months to 3 years plus and contain two portions per tray, so parents can cook for two children, or store a portion to create a totally different meal another day.

Paste Pots (RRP £2.49, 2x48g) are a creative cooking aid for parents who have a little more time. Each pack has two different Paste Pots (each making 3-5 portions) and two simple recipes to follow, which use ingredients easily available in supermarkets. A wide range of Cook with Organix recipes are also available on the Organix website, each taking around 30 minutes to cook. Suitable from 7 months to 3 years plus, Paste Pots are available in Mild Green & Red Thai Curry, Mild Tikka & Korma and Tomatoey Red & Herby Green.

Lucy Jackson continues: “Meals for little ones should help inspire a lifelong love of good food and here at Organix we always strive to innovate and set new standards in baby food. In contrast to the limited range of a few stir-in pasta sauces usually available in supermarkets, our Cook with Organix Recipe Bases and Paste Pots offer parents more freedom and confidence to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with their little one’s cooking, as well as giving them the reassurance that they are providing the very best nutrition for their child.”

The Cook with Organix range is available in selected Tesco stores across the UK and is coming soon to other major retailers.

Thanks for stopping by..

L x

Organix Goodies - A Review

Last week we received this lovely box filled with Organix Goodies. I had thought we had seen the last of 'baby' food and snacks as our youngest is now 2.5, but how how very wrong was I?! These fab goodies are suitable for right up to 3 years + and are perfect when out and about, you have a picky eater that likes small meals or just when you have had the day from hell and the thought of cooking another box of fish fingers puts the fear of god in you.

A few words from the people at Goodies.

Goodies Welcomes Two New Tasty Snacks for Toddlers.
Veg and Oat Bars and Mini Cheese Crackers join Goodies Savouries Range

 Toddling or crawling around all day, exploring and learning new things can use up a lot of energy, so it’s important to keep your little one’s energy levels topped up with regular snacks in-between meals.

Sweetness is one of the major factors putting Mums off toddler snacks in the supermarket but the two newest additions to the Organix Goodies Savouries range are a fab healthy alternative!

Organix Goodies Veg and Oat Bars and Organix Goodies Mini Cheese Crackers will keep hunger in check and help provide your toddler with the energy and nutrition they need.

Goodies Tomato & Carrot Veg and Oat Bars are made with organic dried tomato and carrot juice concentrate with all the goodness of wholegrain oats. The bars are gently baked for a soft savoury taste.
RRP £2.49, weight 6x25g

Goodies Mini Cheese Crackers are oven baked, bite-size savoury cheese crackers made with real organic cheese, organic wheat and rice flours, and contain absolutely nothing unnecessary. They are yummy on their own but why not try a little dip on top if your toddler is an adventurous eater?
RRP £1.99, weight 4x20g

The Savouries range is proving a popular addition to the award winning Organix Goodies brand and is loved by Mums wanting a savoury snack alternative. Jane, Mum to Isabelle, aged 13 months says: “The range is a great way to introduce more adventurous savoury flavours for my toddler”.

All Organix Goodies Savouries come with Organix’s No Junk Promise - which means there are no hidden nasties, just yummy ingredients!

Look out for a brand new flavour – coming soon!


We all like to feed our children the very best and making sure you get the 5 a day and all the other vitamins/minerals/and all the other things you need to eat or you will grow an extra head stuff can be a right battle, and with kids its all about how it looks! There's nothing truer than the saying ' you eat with your eyes' where children are concerned. If it resembles a vegetable or its something that hasn't been deep fried you will hear a chorus of "EEEWWWW" emanating from the kitchen.
However i have found that these Organix Goodies have been great from snacks and good for them too! We don't tend to have shop bought cake and biscuits and the only crisps i let in the house are pom bears so our quick snacks tend to be buckets of fruit so it was a welcome break for the kids to try something that they wouldn't normally have.

Zoe ate the gingerbread men like they where going out of fashion (as you can see from this very fetching photo!), and from the pickiest eater i know this is a massive compliment.
Emma chose the dried fruit and she gave the 'mmmmmmm' nod of satisfaction, and she has become quite the connoisseur of dried fruit lately!
Elissa chose the mighty meal one night for tea, shes the eldest and the most picky about how things taste, she ate half of it before complaining it didn't taste like mummy's stew and dumplings but I wouldnt class that as a complete failure. It looked great when i dished it up, with mini dumplings and veg and it smelt like 'real' food.
We have saved the last few bits for day trips and when i cant cope with the constant "I'm hungrrryyyy" whining between meals!
All in all I'd be happy to recommend the Organix Goodies range to anyone with little ones, they are a brand i trust and the food resembles real food not something you would feed your dog. The packaging is lovely and bright and really catches the kids eyes which in most cases is the kiss of death but with these you know the kids are getting some goodness. I'll be buying some of their snacks again, especially the biscuits and the dried fruit.
To find out more about Organix and there wonderful ranges of baby food and toddler snacks check them out here http://www.organix.com/
There are recipes, an online shop and a meal planner, its a site not to be missed!

Until next time...

L x