Northern Ireland hero Marissa Callaghan is encouraging parents to tackle their kids’ unhealthy treats and score the first goal in re-starting healthy habits for their children.

The Northern Ireland captain and mother is supporting the START campaign to launch a new drive to help families give treats a break and encourage replacing treats such as chocolate, biscuits and crisps with healthier snacks.

With a quarter of children in Northern Ireland aged 2-15 years reported as being overweight (17%) or obese (8%), research by safefood has revealed that almost half of local parents (47%) admit their child is eating more unhealthy treats than before the start of the pandemic.

More than half (53%) also say they are struggling to keep their children’s treat food consumption to a minimum, with one in five (22%) saying treat-eating is the behaviour they most want to improve upon.

Even before the start of the pandemic, previous safefood research found that almost a quarter of local children’s daily diet consists of treat foods, which are high in fat, sugar and salt.

Northern Ireland captain, Marissa Callaghan, said: “I’m supporting the START campaign because I believe it’s a practical way of helping us take a break from treat foods such as crisps and chocolate. It’s all about making small changes by cutting back on treats and introducing healthier options to get that right balance for the whole family.

“Lockdown has been so difficult, and it has been extremely challenging for many of us to keep up a healthy family routine, but now that we’re beginning to come out of the lockdown, it’s a good time to re-start healthier habits.

“As a mum, I want to make sure my young son, Quinn, is eating well. The occasional treat is fine for kids, but you can also swap these for healthier options like more fruit and snacks that are low in fat, salt and sugar. Making these changes will be good for the whole family and you can work together as a team to reach your goals.”

The START campaign, by safefood, the Department of Health and the Public Health Agency, supports parents to achieve small daily wins in adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle for their child.

Focusing on the critical moment when a child asks for a treat, the campaign supports parents in taking a stand and saying no, to set their children back on the road to healthier habits.

Joana da Silva, Chief Specialist in Nutrition at safefood says: “This past year has not been easy for parents and has had a significant impact on what we eat and how active we are as families. We know that physical lockdowns, home-schooling and a lack of social contact have all contributed to this situation. But as measures are slowly eased, it brings the hope that we can re-start those healthy habits at home.

“The START campaign is here to support parents. It all starts with a plan, which will be different for every family; for those who might have treats every day, this might mean aiming for a treat-free day; or giving treats a break at one part of the day, for example after school. Once parents have set a goal, they will need to agree this with all the family. Everybody has to be in this together if it’s going to work.”

The START campaign supports parents to achieve small daily wins in adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle for their child. Parents can find practical advice for reducing treats and support and practical tools, including videos from the experts on how to take a break from treats, on the START campaign website www.makeastart.org.

Advice from the START campaign to help parents give treats a break

Avoid the treat aisle in the supermarket when shopping- if they aren’t at home, it reduces temptation.

Get the children involved in planning healthy snacks – start a family challenge – use star charts for all the family to increase their fruit and vegetable intake.
Use non-food treats – like planning a trip to a new playground, the beach or other things your children enjoy.
Make healthy swaps: Offer crackers and cheese instead of chocolate biscuits, choose plain popcorn or breadsticks instead of crisps, offer a low-fat yogurt or fruit straight after school instead of a chocolate bar.
Celebrate success – When you achieve your goal, no matter how big or small, take a moment to appreciate what you have achieved.