Objective: To compare the intake of key indicator foods at age 12 months and 18 months between infants of Pakistani and White British origin. Design: Logistic regression was used to model associations between ethnicity and consumption of key indicator foods defined by high or low energy density using an FFQ at age 12 and 18 months. Setting: Born in Bradford 1000 study, Bradford, UK. Subjects: Infants (n 1259; 38 % White British, 49 % Pakistani), mean age 12·7 (SD 1·0) months and toddlers (n 1257; 37 % White British, 49 % Pakistani), mean age 18·7 (SD1·0) months. Results: At 12 months, Pakistani infants consumed more commercial sweet baby meals than White British infants, with greater odds for being above average consumers (adjusted OR (AOR) = 1·90; 95 % CI 1·40, 2·56), more chips/roast potatoes (AOR = 2·75; 95 % CI 2·09, 3·62), less processed meat products (AOR = 0·11; 95 % CI 0·08, 0·15), more fruit (AOR = 2·20; 95 % CI 1·70, 2·85) and more sugar-sweetened drinks (AOR = 1·68; 95 % CI 1·29, 2·18). At 18 months these differences persisted, with Pakistani infants consuming more commercial sweet baby meals (AOR = 4·57; 95 % CI 2·49, 8·39), more chips/roast potato shapes (AOR = 2·26; 95 % CI 1·50, 3·43), more fruit (AOR = 1·40; 95 % CI 1·08, 1·81), more sugar-sweetened drinks (AOR = 2·03; 95 % CI 1·53, 2·70), more pure fruit juice (AOR = 1·82; 95 % CI 1·40, 2·35), more water (AOR = 3·24; 95 % CI 2·46, 4·25) and less processed meat (AOR = 0·10; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·15) than White British infants. Conclusions: Dietary intake during infancy and the early toddlerhood period is associated with ethnicity, suggesting the importance of early and culturally adapted interventions aimed at establishing healthy eating behaviours. Keywords Diet Infant Ethnicity ObesityChildhood obesity is a growing problem internationally (1,2) . Within the UK, over a fifth of children starting school are overweight or obese and it is estimated that by 2020, 20 % of all boys and 33 % of all girls will be obese (3) . Although recent indications are that prevalence is levelling off in 4-to 5-year-olds in the UK, it still remains high and of concern across other ages and certain ethnic groups (4) . The prevalence of obesity is significantly higher in children of South Asian origin in the UK compared with White British children (4,5) and people of South Asian origin are also at greater risk of obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension (6) .Early childhood provides a unique opportunity to promote health and prevent obesity (7) . It has been suggested that dietary patterns emerge early (8) and track through infancy (9) into later childhood (10) and from childhood to adulthood (11) . The diet of infants and toddlers has shortand long-term implications for health and development (12) . It is therefore important to be able to characterize early-life dietary intake, including understanding the influence of ethnicity on early diet, in order to examine how early diet influences later health outcomes including weight in childhoo...

There is concern over the lack of cooking skills among young people in the UK. Studies suggest that teaching young people cooking skills can help to improve dietary quality. In light of this evidence, in 2009 Cooking Communities piloted a series of multicultural after-school cooking clubs at secondary schools in Leeds, UK. These clubs aimed to develop young people's food preparation and cooking skills as well as to enhance their understanding of different cultures. Ten 1.5 h cooking clubs were delivered over a 10-week period. Each session concentrated on a recipe linked to a different cultural event, such as bread for harvest festival and honey cake to celebrate Jewish Rosh Hashanah. Pupils completed questionnaires both before and after attending the cooking clubs to assess their cooking abilities and multicultural understanding. These clubs lead to significant improvements in skills such as meal preparation and pupils' ability to cook healthy foods/meals. Pupils' cultural awareness increased significantly after participation in the cooking clubs. Multicultural after-school cooking clubs are an ideal way for young people to enhance not only their cooking skills but also citizenship skills and an understanding of different cultures. This model of multicultural after-school cooking clubs could be adopted by other schools and youth settings in the future to help to promote cooking skills, healthy eating, and respect across different cultural groups.

Although Hull's school meals aimed to provide children with adequate nutritional intake, findings demonstrate that, on average, children are served and consume inadequate levels of many nutrients.

SummaryIn April 2004 Hull City Council introduced free healthy school meals for all primary and special schools in an attempt to reduce health inequalities. This pilot study aimed to compare nutritional intake between those children consuming a free healthy school meal and those consuming a packed lunch brought from home. The study compared two schools from different socio-economic areas and considered the impact of lunch on total daily food and nutrient intakes in these children.Fieldwork was undertaken over five consecutive days in each school. Seven hundred and thirty-five lunches were weighed and photographed before and after consumption to assess actual food intake vs. wastage. One hundred and forty-seven children aged 8-to-11-years participated from two primary schools. Five-day food diaries were completed by a small number of participants (n = 20) receiving school meals (n = 10) and packed lunches (n = 10) from the two schools selected.While the lunches provided at the two schools met the majority of the nutritional guidelines for school meals, children ate only a small amount, often leaving the potatoes and vegetables behind; therefore, their intakes were below recommended levels. Children from both schools who opted for packed lunch consumed significantly more energy, fat, sugar and sodium but with this more micronutrients than children who had a free healthy school meal. Statistical differences (P < 0.01) were found between the two schools, with children from the less affluent school consuming less food from the school meal and therefore obtaining a lower nutrient intake from lunch than children from the more affluent school. Findings from a small number of food diaries suggest that the differences in intakes between those having a school meal and those having a packed lunch were compensated for by other food consumed during the day, such that daily nutrient intakes were not significantly different.This study suggests that many children may not be consuming sufficient amounts of the food provided in schools. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that the provision of school meals that conform to the School Food Trust guidelines will be of nutritional benefit to all children concerned. Bearing this in mind, more needs to be done to provide menus that are both healthy and enjoyable for children, so that they will want to consume the foods provided. Parents also need more advice regarding how they can provide their children with a healthy packed lunch, possibly via the

Background: Only 1% of mothers in the UK meet the World Health Organization recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. Understanding what helps UK mothers to commit to exclusive breastfeeding could help shape the promotion and support of breastfeeding. Objective: To investigate the experiences of mothers who are fulfilling this recommendation, by considering their initial motivations, the barriers they faced and effective coping strategies. Design: Seven mothers (average age 30.2 years) were recruited through a breastfeeding support group. A 30-minute semi-structured face-to-face interview allowed the mothers to provide elaborate personal accounts of their experiences. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The coded data were organised by clustering statements into common themes to finalise the general dimensions. Categories were separated into time frames—feeding intentions, breastfeeding duration and commitment to breastfeeding—and then organised with sub-headings. Setting: Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, UK. Subjects: White British mothers who were exclusively breastfeeding a child aged 4–12 months. Results: Threats to breastfeeding duration include pain and the notion of negative support. Commitment to breastfeeding is aided by peer support, perceived convenience and personal determination. Implications for wider research include the compatibility and effectiveness of support programmes both pre- and postnatal, inclusion of the wider family and methods for promoting and tailoring messages to nursing mothers. Conclusions: The data from this pilot study will inform the design of larger research across the UK.