“Nine times out of ten, you can predict what’s on a children’s menu before you even see it. Nuggets and chips, fish and chips and spag bols,” says Jonathan Pangu, father of three.
Last year, Pangu started , a series of events aimed at making good food interesting to children. Since the beginning of 2018, he’s also been working with cafes, restaurants and parents on a .
While Pangu knows a good diet starts at home, he believes that the hospitality industry can help Australian children towards better health.
This dad is changing the way your kid eats out. Source: Death to Nuggets
Saying yes to #betterkidsmenus
Pangu says that it hasn’t been a priority for cafes and restaurants to develop good kids’ menus, and parents have grown to just accept it: “I want to hit a reset button on that. If it's not on the menu, I want parents to ask eateries for the food they’d like their children to eat.”
To get things started, Death to Nuggets worked with cafe on a special kids’ menu for an event earlier this year. Since then, the Richmond venue added a chia pudding, porridge and a macro bowl to its kids’ menu. “People are ready for better choices with kids’ menus. We’re incorporating more healthy options for kids on a permanent basis,” .
In South Melbourne, is also offering a , including dishes like The Incredible Hulk (avocado, broad bean and edamame smashed with whipped feta on sourdough), and The Protein Pancake Party (banana and almond pancake topped with yoghurt, blueberries and honey).
My dad is Indian, from Malaysia... so I had this whole side of my family cooking.
Pangu wants the conversation between parents, restaurants owners, and chefs to be positive. “I’d like the hospitality industry - chefs, restaurants, cafes - to see that they have a positive role to play in the fight against obesity. To see that their talent, energy and creativity can make a small contribution,” he says.
A message that stands out
Pangu grew up in the south of England. Food was mostly seen as fuel in his family, but he was still exposed to a bigger variety of flavours than most. “My dad is Indian, from Malaysia, but from Indian ethnicity," he says. "So I had this whole side of my family cooking - beautiful curries and gorgeous spicy food.”
But it was not until he met his wife and moved to Melbourne three years ago that he developed a strong interest in food. “It’s infectious, the passion and enthusiasm for food here,” he says.
Pangu’s background is in advertising and marketing, which came in handy when he created Death to Nuggets. “Lots of people push for better food and a better diet," he explains. "But the problem with most of it is that the message can’t compete with the other messages around, trying to grab our attention. You have to make your message interesting.”
His hook was to turn the beloved chicken nugget into a villain; a strategy catching the attention of both parents and kids.
Death to Nuggets aims to help kids make healthier choices. Source: Death to Nuggets
Tips for parents
To encourage children to eat healthy and varied foods - both at home and in restaurants - Pangu shares his best tips with SBS Food.
- You need to demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in your kids. Parents are extremely influential in shaping their kids' relationship with food.
- Put emphasis and focus on the food at mealtimes. Try not to have the TV on or screens around when you eat. Sit down and eat together, with at least one adult present where possible, and talk about the food you’re eating.
- Be patient. Kids may have to try certain foods up to 12 times before they like it. Be persistent, take a break and come back to it.
- Try not to get into arguments with kids about food.
- It's best not to equate sweet things with treats or fruits and veggies with chores. The more we can do to escape these associations, the better.
- Pangu also says his kids like the ability to control things around the dinner table. Sometimes, he’ll offer lots of different things at the table and let the kids pick what they want and graze.
You can find out more about Death to Nuggets , or by looking up the hashtags #betterkidsmenus and #deathtonuggets on social media.
Images by Death to Nuggets (Jonathan Pangu)
