Chicken nuggets, pizza and fries make up the children’s menu options in just about any restaurant in Bermuda. It’s enough to make a health savvy mom weep.Nutritionist and mother of two, Catherine Burns, decided to do something about it, by helping popular family eatery La Trattoria Restaurant in Hamilton to introduce a healthy child menu.“It’s still going to feel like a very familiar experience to the kids,” said Mrs Burns. “They are not going to sit down and see food they have never seen before at La Trattoria. But what we have done is change a lot of the familiar favourites.”She chose La Trattoria because she often takes her two small daughters there and finds the staff to be very accommodating.At first, La Trattoria managers were interested but wanted Mrs Burns to prove that there was a market for such a programme. She sent out a survey to local families and received back 280 responses from parents who wanted to see healthier options for children on the menu.“It has to make economical sense to the restaurant at the end of the day,” she said. “I am hoping it is a win win for everyone. It should bring them some more revenue and give parents a comfortable, easy place to take their children to eat.”Now parents can choose whole wheat spaghetti and pizza crust options. They can also choose La Trattoria’s new ‘special sauce’ which is code for ‘hidden vegetables’. The secret vegetable may include puréed butternut squash, broccoli, onions or carrots.“The idea is to relax and know your kids are being nourished without having to nag them to eat their vegetables too,” said Mrs Burns. “If they like chicken tenders, all the chicken and beef at La Trattoria is now hormone free. A lot of parents are worried about growth hormones in meat. And the chicken tenders are now made on site.”If you have allergy concerns, the staff at La Trattoria have also received allergy awareness training. They should now know the difference between an anaphylactic reaction (a serious medical emergency) and a food intolerance. They have also learned a bit about celiacs disease.“They are better equipped to answer allergy questions,” said Mrs Burns, “and they know when to say they don’t know the answer, they’ll ask the chef.”For dessert children can order fruit, or a brownie containing hidden vegetables. Parents also have the option of asking for one or two scoops of ice cream instead of the usual three scoops.“If a portion comes too big, just ask to take part of it home,” said Mrs Burns. “You could add them to a frittata the next day or a casserole.She said parents are doing their children no favours if they reward them with junk food every time they go out to eat.“If we choose to treat our children with junk food, as they get bigger and are able to make their own decisions they will treat themselves with junk food,” she said. “One of the best things we can do for our children is to not use food as a reward, if we can possibly help it.”For parents who are looking for more ways to improve their child’s diet, or who are dealing with fussy eaters, Mrs Burns has just launched the Natural Kids Class that starts next month.“It is a whole course about helping your kids to eat healthy,” she said. “First of all it is about understanding why they need to eat healthy, and understanding what a healthy children’s diet looks like. We will be looking at how to help fussy eaters to try more food. We will be looking at how to hide veggies or protein. I feel so passionately that nourishing your kids is one of the most important gifts you can give the child.”The first course is full, but she is taking names for her next one at www.natural.bm. Click on the kids tab.