Healthy Eating for the *Whole* Family

[Barb135]

I read comments quite often about how hard it is to maintain an eating plan when the kids and/or dad are having their "goodies" and I wonder why it is that we allow our children to eat foods that we know are bad for them. Forget about dad - he's probably set in his ways and will refuse to change.  

If one is letting the children eat candy, cookies, cakes, chips, etc, is it not likely that one day, the children will be struggling just like we are today?  I'm not just referring to weight issues either; I'm talking about any number of other "food related" health issues, such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, intestinal issues, heart disease, depression, etc.

We think we are being "good" to them by letting them have their treats, but I have decided that, for the most part, we really aren't doing them any favors.  Yes, I say "we" because I got caught doing the same things and my children, though now grown, have/had "food related" health issues, other than weight problems.

If I had it to do over again, I would keep a supply of nickels (dimes, quarters, whatever I could afford) on hand and every time they "would" have gotten a sweet treat, I'd hand them a nickel/coin, along with a piece of fruit or some carrot/celery/cheese sticks, etc.  When they saved enough, I'd take them shopping to buy a toy, a book, piece of clothing, etc.  

Just my own thoughts..............

[kittengamer]

I totally agree & have been a lot stricter on my kids than myself up until I decided to lose the weight. It doesn't mean they want the bad stuff any less, but around here it is a treat not the norm & always in small amounts. The biggest problem I have had with the kids eating bad stuff is with the grandparents. No offense to any grandparents on here, but my kids' GPs think that pizza, lunchables, junk food cereal, ice cream, & candy are fine because that's what they want. I was raised in a really healthy household, for which I am now grateful! Unfortunately my parents no longer have those good habits themselves & my in-laws have never had good eating habits.

My son is 8 now & he's very healthy. He's getting old enough now to start to appreciate healthier eating choices. Whether he wants to be a firefighter or a doctor of a super hero (it changes all the time) he really seems to understand that he has to be healthy & eat the right stuff to become strong. He is an extremely picky eater so I give him options & let him pick the ones he likes best. He won't eat broccoli, but he like green peas & bok choy. ^_^ He still ends up with a bratty period after spending a weekend at the grandparents & he grumbles about everything for a few days. I am hoping that my wishes on this end will be more respected now that my husband & I are are really enforcing a healthier life for the whole family.

Oh, one of the fav junk food snacks around here is a graham cracker & fat free cool whip sandwich. They are great. You can make a ton ahead of time & put them in the freezer for an "ice cream" treat. The kids have never complained. You can even add thin slices of fruit.

Now if I had only been so tough on myself I wouldn't be needing to lose weight. Though of course my kids are eating even better than before!

Whatawoman - I know what you mean by the social alienation due to food. I actually went through a lot of that as a kid because of my lunches & the fact that nobody wanted my mom to give them treats. But think about it this way, the social alienation & low self-esteem that comes with being overweight is much, much worse. That is what my sister went through. I wasn't overweight until I had kids, but due to divorce my sister grew up in a very different house than I did & has been overweight her whole life. She has had a very hard time fitting in here in the land of the California beach bunnies.

[Whatawoman72]

Very wise words -  I think it is because as a society we think it is nice and right to give kids treats that are chocolate, candy, crisps/chip, fizzy stuff... because teh addiction to sugar, sweet stuff is so strong as a child - they automatically love the stuff and not giving it to them would seem cruel and unfair when all their friends are having it and it being a social part of life.... health implications are right but because they are not immediate they are not taken into account -  I know my daughter wold not understand if I took away her goodies and I think if she was to grow up and eveyr time she was offered sweets or chocolate or was with friends eating it -  it would issolate her more and cause another reason of 'she is different' and make her a target for bullying -

I think it is about teaching them moderation - something I never had mastered till now - Most of us avoid 'naughty food' cause we over indulge init when we have it.