More than 1,000 hotels and guesthouses will be asked to make their children's menus healthier in a bid to tackle obesity in young people.
Matthew Ryan
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) will provide chefs with guidelines for preparing healthy food along with a range of family friendly menus.
Independent dietician Margot Brennan helped put together menus that will help hotels to eliminate salt in cooking and to provide alternatives to fizzy drinks and fast food such as chips.
According to the IHF, 40 per cent of Irish children exceed the recommended maximum energy intake from fat. Some 13 per cent of Irish girls and 9.2 per cent of boys aged between five and 12 years are obese.
New IHF president Matthew Ryan announced the initiative to 400 hoteliers gathered for the body's 70th annual conference in Kilkenny.
"With obesity in children rising at alarming rates in Ireland, everyone has a role to play in encouraging and promoting healthy food to assist reduce the prevalence of obesity among young people," he said.
"Healthy eating habits are established early in life, so our aim is to assist parents choose healthier food options for their children."