12 Plant-Based

PLACATE PICKY EATERS WITH PLANT-BASED

A plant-based diet is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, making plant-based meals one of the healthiest options for growing Kiwis.

Adiet of processed foods and few fruits and vegetables takes its toll on the body over time. The greatest benefit of a healthy diet is its role in the possible prevention of some diseases, and it establishes lifelong healthy eating habits.

Gone are the days of plant-based options for kids being relegated to highly processed meat and dairy alternatives, innovation in the market means there is now a huge range of nutritious and tasty options to satisfy even the pickiest plant-based eater.

The Plant-Based Market for Kids

Speaking at the recent Food For Kids summit in Chicago, Linkage Research & Consulting founder and president, Michele Dekinder-Smith, said that millennials, specifically millennial parents, are the driving force behind plant-based kid-friendly products.

“What we see are the most popular plant-based categories for kids right now are non-dairy milk alternatives, non-dairy yoghurt, and plant-based snacks and meat alternatives,” noted Dekinder-smith.

Linkage research found that 60 percent of

households with kinds are buying plant-based food alternatives and nearly all of them (over 80 percent) are feeding these foods to their kids.

“By 5–7 years old, most children in households that buy plant-based alternatives are enjoying these foods.”

Why Plant-Based?

The research from Linkage shows that about one-third of parents want to teach their kids how to eat responsibly and are teaching sustainability through their food choices. Providing plant-based meal items within a school lunch menu is the perfect opportunity for this kind of learning.

More and more children are also becoming independently interested in plant-based products chiefly because they are kinder to animals and the environment.

A 2019 poll in the United States, commissioned by Linda McCartney Foods questioned 1,000 children between the ages of 8-16 and found that 70 percent of them want to see more vegan and veggie meals on their school menu.

Additionally, the poll found that 44 percent of school pupils have tried to cut meat from their diet, and 10 percent already live a meat-free lifestyle.

When asked about their motivations for wanting to ditch meat, 44 percent of the children cited being “kinder to animals,” while 31 percent cited the environment. An additional 29 percent said they wanted to be healthier, and 19 percent said they just prefer vegetarian options. H

FEEDING HUNGRY LEARNERS GREAT FOOD

Healthier food options for New Zealand’s hungry learners.

• Top quality, freshly made lunches for learners. • On-site or delivery service, tailored to suit you. • Professionally audited food control plan. • Trained, qualified, local staff. It’s simple: Our professionals feed hungry students, while education professionals feed hungry minds.

A simple way to add plant-based to any menu.

VEGETARIAN CHARGRILLED PIECES SALAD

Add these versatile HARVEST GOURMET Chargrilled Pieces to add delicious plant-based protein to salads, wraps, pizzas and more!

Use the HARVEST GOURMET SensationalTM Burger patty whole or roughly chop it up into a burrito bowl with a salsa mix for a tasty Mexican inspired plant-based dish.

JACKFRUIT CURRY

Add a fragrant vegan curry to your menu using CHEF Vegetable Liquid Concentrate.

WE HAVE GROWN OUR VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN OFFERING SO YOU CAN GROW YOURS TOO!

PLANT-BASED MENU IDEAS TO PLEASE THE KIDS

Plant-based and vegetarian options for school kids don’t have to be boring. With winter on the way this is a great opportunity to experiment with delicious and nutritious vegetable soups, stews and other warming menu items.

MEXICAN-STYLE SOUP

Soups are a winter go-to, and while the traditional flavours like hearty vegetable and potato and leek go down well, it’s sometimes nice to spice things up a little (but only a little).

This is a great recipe for older school kids, giving them a little taste of another culture’s cuisine. This recipe is also one that tastes even better the next day, so it is perfect for preparing in advance.

Warm and delicious, the vegetables, cumin and smoky paprika come together in minutes with a slight heat that won’t be too overwhelming to younger eaters. Plus, the colour is eye-watering.

Serve with natural corn chips or toasted tortilla pieces.

FALAFEL STUFFED PITA POCKETS OR FLATBREAD

Falafel is a great meat alternative and the subtle spices are deliciously warming on wintery days. This is another dish that introduces students to flavours they may not have tried before.

Pita pockets, wraps or flatbread can be stuffed and either served fresh, or toasted to make them even more appealing on those colder days. Traditional dairy ingredients such as cheese and yoghurt sauce can either be swapped for plant-based alternatives, or for creamy guacamole.

While felafel is often traditionally deep-fried, baking felafel into small balls or patties makes for a healthy option.

WINTER ROAST VEGGIE SALAD

There is such a great array of vegetables available at this time of year, and the fantastic mix of vibrant colours created by a roast veggie salad is enough to convert even the most veggie-shy child.

Not all roast vegetables are appealing to children, for younger kids, stick with just two or three different vegetable (potatoes, carrots - great for colour, and kumara, for example)

This dish is great served on its own, but you can also bulk it out with some wholegrain pasta for a larger dish for older students, or use the veggies to stuff a pita or wrap.

Kids, just like the rest of us, eat with their eyes, so making sure lunch menu items are as appealing to look at as they are to eat is important.

HEALTHY SCHOOL LUNCHES IN MINUTES WITH ANGEL BAY

There is something unmistakable about the taste of home cooking. It triggers memories; filling the heart with joy and, when made right, ticking all the boxes on the dietician’s checklist for a healthy, happy human!

A lite option that’s still heavy on the homestyle

Recently, Angel Bay added more lite alternatives to their beef patty lineup. The Angel Bay team wanted to help dieticians enhance menu planning and ease of preparation, helping you meet the special and general needs of children by crafting products that underpin a balanced yet varied weekly menu.

Anyone can cook them

Busy catering facilities need healthy, delicious menu options that anyone can make. That, right there, is the genius behind the Angel Bay brand - making it ‘every day easy’ to achieve high-end results. Finding someone to prepare delicious, nutritious meals is not a problem with Angel Bay patties. They are part-cooked, snap frozen, and packed ready to be removed and heated to >75°C in a hot plate, microwave, oven, BBQ and even air fryer, then eaten.

High nutritional value

Angel Bay is popular because their homestyle beef and lamb products consistently deliver quality, nutritional products that are simply delicious. Each 54-gram patty provides 8.9 grams of protein and only 328 kilojoules per serve. These new lite beef patties are made with reduced-fat and lower sodium, which means they sit within the green catergory in the Ministry of Educations framework. They might be lite in fat and sodium, but they are still soft with a chunky texture and a meaty beef taste.

Multiple menu options

American style or with a little bit of beetroot, - as a cheeseburger or in a pita pocket? What about a simple taco? There are many ways to unpack this staple ingredient, ensuring a varied menu that delivers high nutritional value every day.