CHILDREN should be given crisps and Mars bars to eat in hospital to encourage them to enjoy their meals, the Government’s adviser on children said yesterday.

Al Aynsley-Green, the Clinical Director for Children, said that attempting to impose a healthy diet on a sick child could be counter-productive.

He was publicising new national standards for children’s hospital services, part of the Government’s National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, which recommend that children in hospital be allowed to snack on their favourite foods “around the clock”.

A proposed NHS children’s snack box would contain a packet of crisps, a Mars bar, chocolate milk, processed cheese, a yoghurt and a banana.

Noting that the nutritional value of food not eaten was nil, Professor Aynsley-Green, who is also director of clinical research and development at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, said there was no point in offering a sick child guacamole because they would probably refuse to eat it. “I make no apology for including Mars bars and crisps, because it’s what children like, while encouraging them to healthy eating at the same time,” he said.

Sarah Schenker, a dietitian at the British Nutrition Foundation, said that although Professor Aynsley-Green’s advice appeared to contravene conventional ideas on children’s diets, it made perfect sense. “With sick children you have to prioritise and if the priority is a high-energy diet, you will find it very difficult to achieve that just by giving them endless oranges and apples,” she said.

“Some children in hospital have no desire to eat and if someone gives them a Mars bar or goes out and gets them a McDonald’s, that’s great.”

The child-friendly approach is reflected throughout the rest of the standards, which aim to ensure that the care offered to children properly reflects the needs of each age group.

The standards recommend separate facilities for young children and adolescents, better child and adolescent mental health services, better education support in hospitals so that children do not fall behind in their schooling and specialist training for staff dealing with children.

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