The government recently announced that school dinners are to undergo a much needed overhaul. It seems this has come about, at least in part, as a result of Jamie Oliver's efforts to highlight the generally woeful quality of food on offer in UK schools. I welcome any genuine improvements in this area, but was somewhat concerned to read a recent study in the British Medical Journal which suggests that the health of children eating school dinners is no worse, and may even be better, than that of those who bring food in from home.
This week, therefore, my aim is to offer some constructive advice to parents who take their children's school lunch into their own hands. Sandwiches are a stock lunchbox item, but are an option I have at least some resistance to. One reason is that wheat-based breads, even wholemeal varieties, tend to release their sugar relatively quickly into the bloodstream. The resultant surges in blood sugar can lead to peaks in the hormone insulin which, in the long term, is a risk factor for a variety of health issues, including weight gain and diabetes.
The blood sugar- and insulin-stimulating effects of bread are often compounded by other common packed-lunch items, like crisps, biscuits and confectionery. While finding alternatives to sandwiches is not always easy, it can help to include foods that might temper the sugar release from bread. Good options include fresh fruit, such as apples, satsumas and tangerines, as well as sliced veggies, such as carrots, cucumber and celery. Nuts make a good swap for crisps: these slow sugar-releasing and highly nutritious foods have been linked with beneficial effects including relative protection from heart disease. Like nuts, dried versions of fruits such as apricots and apples are very nutritious and, despite their sugary nature, tend to liberate their sugar quite slowly into the bloodstream.
As far as the sandwich itself is concerned, I recommend using 100 per cent wholemeal bread. This is at least more nutritious than its more refined counterparts. Further nutritional value can be added by a wholesome filling, such as chicken, tinned sardines or tinned salmon, with salad. Sardines and salmon represent particularly good choices, as they are rich in omega 3 fats, which have been linked with healthy brain development and function in children. For vegetarian children, I recommend eggs enriched with brain-boosting fats as a sandwich filling, or hard-boiled.
If good nutrition is the aim for your children, it helps to think outside the usual lunchbox.
Dear John
I suffer from recurrent mouth ulcers, for which over-the-counter remedies offer only partial and temporary relief. Can you recommend any natural approaches?
Kevin Cosgrave
One common, unrecognised factor in mouth ulcers is the toothpaste ingredient sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). SLS is a foaming agent, but is thought to erode mucin, which lines and protects the mouth. One study showed those suffering recurrent mouth ulcers found relief by avoiding SLS in toothpaste for three months, so I suggest you try an SLS-free toothpaste from health food stores. Deficiencies in nutrients such as vitamins C and B12, zinc and folic acid could also be to blame, so I advise you to take a multivitamin and mineral each day in the long term. Also try a supplement of deglycyrrhizinated liquorice (DGL), which has soothing properties, is thought to increase mucin production and can reduce the healing time for mouth ulcers. Chew a DGL tablet 20 minutes before meals. Topical relief can also be had from aloe vera gel. Use this as a mouthwash three times a day when you have symptoms.
Nutrition news
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK, and its development may be related to dietary factors. There is evidence that regular alcohol consumption, for instance, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Previous research suggests, however, that increased intake of the nutrient folate might help protect against alcohol's potential to increase breast cancer risk. Recently, researchers in Australia assessed this phenomenon in a group of more than 17,000 women. The diets of these women were monitored for about 10 years. Women with low levels of folate intake and alcohol intakes of 5 units or more per day were found to have significantly increased risk of breast cancer. However, in women with higher intakes of folate, high levels of alcohol intake did not seem to be associated with an increased breast cancer risk. This study, published this month in the British Medical Journal, provides further evidence that folate can mitigate against the tendency for alcohol to increase breast cancer risk. Good sources of folate in the diet include beans, lentils, nuts and green vegetables. In the long term, it may also help to supplement with folic acid at a dose of about 400mcg per day.
