Roo for all ages

The Australian Dietary Guidelines ^1,2 specifically encourage kids, teens and adults to ‘include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives’. Kangaroo meat is classified as a red meat under these guidelines, with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating ³ recommending that we eat red meat three to four times per week. Kangaroo meat, like other lean red meats, is a valuable source of protein and the best source of readily absorbed iron in the diet.

Kangaroo meat has something to offer people of all ages – from 1 to 100. Let’s take stroll down the aisle of different age groups and stop briefly at key life stages to see what kangaroo meat contributes to a regular, balanced diet.

Infants

Infants are ready for new foods, textures and tastes around 6 months of age ² , as beyond this point, breast milk or formula alone are unable to meet the nutritional needs of a growing, thriving bub. The first solids to introduce include low-allergenic foods, such as single-grain baby cereals. Once this has been mastered, fruits and vegetables can slowly be introduced, followed by meats ² .

To prevent low iron stores, iron-rich foods like iron-fortified baby cereals are recommended as the first foods, followed later by foods containing meats. Kangaroo meat is a rich source of iron, making it a terrific red meat to introduce once your baby is ready for meat. Making it easy to eat and swallow is the key. The ‘Healthy Meal Solutions’ section of this website provides some practical tips on feeding kangaroo meat to your infant.

Toddlers

Toddlers are on the go, go, go and so are their growing bodies. These active little munchkins need optimal nutrition to meet the demands of growth and development, not to mention healing and repair for those endless bumps, bruises and grazed knees!

Kangaroo meat is an excellent addition to a toddler’s weekly diet, thanks largely to the high quality protein, iron, zinc and omega-3 fats that it contains. The table below shows the nutritional goodness that a 60g serve of kangaroo meat provides a typical toddler.

What a 60g serve of kangaroo fillet contributes to the diet of a toddler (1-3 years) 4a, 4b
Protein 5	Iron 5	Zinc 6	Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids 7
94% of daily needs	44% of daily needs	30% of daily needs	Meets daily needs

Children

Kids have growing bodies and active minds to feed. Very importantly, they need protein for growth and repair, and iron for brain development. Research has found having low iron stores in childhood may affect verbal leaning and memory. Having low iron stores is also known to impair immune functions, exposing kids to more infections and illness ⁸ .

The message for all kids is to eat up – kangaroo meat has lots to offer in the nutrition stakes. An 80g serve of kangaroo fillet⁵ provides a child aged 4-8 years with 88% of their daily protein needs^4a, plus valuable sources of iron, zinc and omega-3 fats for active bodies and minds.

Teens

The transition from child to adult creates a period of rapid growth and additional nutritional demands. Most notably, iron requirements jump a mountain in teenage girls and zinc leaps a tall building in teenage boys.

In a recent national nutrition survey carried out with children in Australia, 99% of boys aged 14-16 years met the estimated average requirement for iron, but fewer girls (89%) in this same age bracket met the iron requirement⁹. So listen up girls – ironing clothes may not be cool, but when it comes to your body, ‘ironing up’ certainly is. Research shows low iron stores can lead to weakness and reduce your ability to concentrate and solve problems ⁸ – which can lead to issues with learning at school.

As highlighted in the sections - ‘Amazing Nutrition Facts’ and ’Product Nutrition Information’, Kangaroo meat is winner in the protein, iron, zinc and omaga-3’s department – so go ahead and enjoy!

Adults

With the rising rates of health problems and weight management issues amongst the Aussie adult population, the concept of ‘eating the way we were meant to eat’ has surfaced. In other words, can eating what our hunter gatherer ancestors ate, including plentiful amounts of game meats, be part of the solution to our health woes?

Research conducted by Professor O’Dea with both Aboriginal Australians and Australians of European origin found there were significant improvements in blood flow and certain blood fats (i.e. those linked to heart health) when a diet containing 500g/day of kangaroo meat was consumed. This diet was consistent with the diet consumed traditionally by Aborigines in northern Australia, which was abundant in kangaroo meat and fish, and had a protective effect on the heart ^10,11 .

As highlighted in the section ‘Amazing Nutrition Facts’, kangaroo meat has a wealth of good nutrition on offer. Reaping the benefits is as easy as throwing a kangaroo steak or some low fat kanga bangas (sausages) on the BBQ and serving it with a nice salad or vegetables and some wholegrain bread.

Senior citizens

As we age, our need for energy (kilojoules) decreases, but our need for some nutrients actually increases, especially for protein, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, calcium, Vitamin D and, for some, Vitamin B12 ¹² .

As highlighted in the section on ‘Amazing Nutrition Facts’, kangaroo meat is an excellent source of protein and is commendable in the B-group vitamin stakes. Looking at some of the nutrients in high demand, here you can see what a 150g serve of kangaroo fillet contributes to the diet of senior citizen.

What a 150g serve of kangaroo fillet contributes to the diet of a mature age adult (70+ years) 4b, 4c
Protein 5	Riboflavin 6	Vitamin B6 6	Vitamin B12 6
66% of daily needs	36% of daily needs	80% of daily needs	Meets daily needs

References

_{1.Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults. A Guide to Healthy Eating. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2003.
2.Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia (Including Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers). Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2003.
3.Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 1998.
4a.    ‘RDI for protein’ and ‘AI for Long Chain omega-3 Fatty Acids’ from: Department of Health and Ageing. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Executive Summary. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2006.
4b.    ‘RDI for iron, zinc riboflavin, Vitamin B6 & Vitamin B12’ from: Food Standards Code, Standard 1.1.1 Schedule -  Permitted forms of RDI’s and estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intakes for vitamins & minerals. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Sourced Jan, 2009.
4c.    ‘Protein reference value for percentage Daily Intakes’ from Foods Standards Code 1.2.8. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Sourced Jan, 2009.
5.Macro Meats independent nutritional analysis, performed by AgriQuality, 2006.
6.NUTTAB, 2006.
7.Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. Nutritional Composition of Kangaroo Meat – Fat Content and Lipid Composition, Nov 2008. (RIRDC Publication No. 08/142).
8.Samman S. Iron. Nutrition & Dietetics 2007; 64 (Suppl. 4):S126-S130.
9.Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey – Main Findings. Commonwealth of Australia, 2008.
10.O’Dea K. Marked improvement in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in diabetic Australian aborigines after temporary reversion to traditional lifestyle. Diabetes 1984, 33 (6): 596-603.
11.Sinclair AJ, O’Dea K, Dunstan G, Ireland PD, Niall M. Effects on plasma lipids and fatty acid composition of very low fat diets enriched with fish or kangaroo meat. Lipids 1987 Jul; 22(7): 523-529.
12.Nowson C. Nutritional challenges for the elderly. Nutrition & Dietetics 2007; 64 (Suppl. 4): S150-S155.}