Time for dads to step up
New research has found working mums feel stressed about preparing healthy meals and nutritional guidelines can place ‘‘an additional burden’’.
The small study from South Australia’s Flinders University surveyed 22 working mothers and found, even when stressed, they didn’t turn to national nutrition guidelines for help.
Dr Sarah Gerritsen, a research fellow at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, says the findings may resonate with New Zealand mums. However, she disagrees that nutrition guidelines are part of the problem.
‘‘Nutrition guidelines are a summary of the best available evidence on what is a healthy diet and I think the public deserve to know the information from a credible source so they can make informed healthy decisions,’’ she says. ‘‘That evidence on what a healthy diet is for growth and development of children is critical to get right.’’
Gerritsen, who is leading a Ministry of Health-contracted review and update of the Infant and Toddler Dietary Guidelines, acknowledges it’s not always easy for working mums to make healthy choices.
‘‘Our food environment is overwhelmingly unhealthy, particularly when it comes to food to eat or prepare when you’re in a hurry,’’ she says.
A recent School of Population Health report of packaged food sold in New Zealand supermarkets confirms that
69 per cent of packaged foods were considered ‘‘ultraprocessed’’ – that is ready-to-eat or drink items based on refined substances often with added sugar, salt, fat and additives. And these items often provide an attractive solution for busy working mothers.
According to a 2017 Household Labour Force survey by Statistics New Zealand, the country has 352,700 working mothers. This represents around
28.5 per cent of all working women, many shouldering the lion’s share of the household and parenting duties.
Gerritsen says getting dads more involved would take the pressure off.
‘‘The responsibility of feeding children has traditionally fallen on mothers, but there is no reason for this. Everyone should be prioritising their own and their children’s nutrition.
‘‘When children are toddlers, fathers should also be starting to plan and prepare healthy snacks and meals and sit with their children to eat. I’m a mother of two girls and it’s really easy to kind of take over, but we need to allow and expect men to step up and take a role in parenting.’’
Australian dad George Georgievski, creator of Instagram account School Lunch Box and author of book Lunchbox Express, first noticed his wife needed help preparing breakfast and lunch for his two
daughters when he had a day off work sick.
The account executive used to leave for work before anyone else in the household was awake, but once he saw how hectic it was in the morning for his wife, he asked what he could do to help.
‘‘She said, ‘if you could do lunches, I’d be grateful’,’’ he says.
So Georgievski got up earlier to make lunch for his two girls (now 7 and 9) and started posting photos of his colourful, but simple creations along the way. His Instagram now has 86.5 thousand followers, 95 per cent of whom are women.
‘‘When I took over the lunches, I was stressed with the guidelines, so I tried to simplify them,’’ he says. ‘‘I do a simple formula – I just remember the number five. If you put three veges and two fruits into lunches every day they’re going to get the nutritional requirements they need. I avoid wrappers and packages – and I don’t put sugary food in there.’’
He agrees that some husbands and partners need to step up.
‘‘Since I’ve become a more hands-on dad at home my outlook has changed completely.’’
Gerritsen also says offering healthy food at daycares and
schools would help working mothers and parents.
‘‘To know they’ve had one great meal a day takes the pressure off,’’ she says. ‘‘The lunchbox is such a drag for every parent, but if you know they’re getting healthy food at school [which the New Zealand Government has indicated it wants to move towards] that’s a great start.’’
A Ministry of Education regulation states food provided somewhere such as a childcare facility must meet the nutritional needs of each child and be ‘‘of sufficient variety, quantity and quality’’ to meet those needs.
Ultimately, Gerritsen believes feeding babies and children should be valued more.
‘‘Longer paid parental leave, flexible working hours and a government nutrition policy that improves the food environment, including healthy food in early childhood education and schools, would all help to support parents.’’