Melbourne dad calls for death to nuggets in obesity fight

A DAD is waging war on restaurants offering restrictive, unhealthy kids menus by lobbying them to consider healthy ­options in a bid to fight childhood obesity.

• Women’s network aims to improve children’s health in Victoria and worldwide
• Kids’ health crisis: Language disorders as bad as obesity
• The best child-friendly cafes in Melbourne

A MELBOURNE dad is waging war on restaurants offering restrictive, unhealthy kids menus.

Jonathan Pangu, 44, of ­Elsternwick, used to love taking his wife and three children out for meals each week, but he became too annoyed by the unholy trinity of nuggets, spaghetti bolognese and fish and chips.

“Melbourne is a great city for exciting, innovative food, but look at kids’ menus and you have to ask why that creativity is not flowing through to children,” he said.

“Kids love creative food as much as adults — why aren’t we showing them what great food looks like rather than these bland brown and beige things that are high in sugar, salt and fat?”

Mr Pangu loves to engage Noah, 9, Arlo, 7, and Bo, 5, in cooking now he is a stay-at-home dad.

Arlo, 7, Noah, 9, and Bo, 5, with some rainbow pasta. Picture: Ian Currie

Noah, 9, eats some healthy rainbow pasta. Picture: Ian Currie

YOUNGSTERS SPENDING HOURS ON DEVICES AS EXPERTS CALL FOR NEW GUIDELINES ON SCREEN TIME

They make Vietnamese rolls and Chinese dumplings together, but when it comes to dining out, their food ­options are too limited.

He has launched a campaign, Death to Nuggets, lobbying more restaurants and cafes to consider healthy ­options for children, with an aim to fight childhood obesity and improve the relationship kids have with food.

“As a parent, I know how attractive bad food can be to children,” he said.

“Rather than tell kids what to do, Death to Nuggets uses creativity to make heal­thy food choices interesting, not a lecture of a chore.”

Events, known as The Edible Garden, will take place over three months at South Melbourne restaurant My Son, Joy, where chefs will run kids’ activities and talk about the food they have eaten and how it was presented.

The Edible Garden. My Son, Joy, 315 Coventry St, South Melbourne. August 5

[e-mail]