Using a food scale in front of your kids

haibu

just looking for some opinions/thoughts here (particularly from mothers of daughters). I've been thinking about getting a food scale to help me with this last stretch (the vanity pounds).

That said, I'm currently at a healthy weight and size. And, well, I'm kind of hesitant about using a food scale in front of my kids and having to explain why...does that make sense? Like, my body is a healthy weight and, at this point, I'm just working on composition and, well, looks/vanity. Do I really want to get into that with my kids? I guess I'm afraid I'll project some unhealthy ideas about food and body image.

jaga13

I view it the same way as using measuring cups to follow a recipe.

I_Will_End_You

I use mine in front of my 13 year old daughter. I just told her I like to be aware of what I'm consuming, so I know I'm getting the proper amount of food for my body.

wizzybeth

It's a tool to ensure you're not overeating or undereating.

It's not as if it's some x rated toy...

My food scale is out on the counter in plain sight and I use it like any other kitchen gadget.

I fail to see the issue here.

DemoraFairy

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

Ninkyou

My 6 year old asked me once a while back about it. I just told her I use a food scale to make sure I'm using the right amounts for things.

Recipe idea is a good place to start too.

nickycat73

I use it in front of my girls 14 and 16. They know why I use it. I never want my girls to struggle with weight issues. Fitness and healthy eating is very prominent at my house.

AngryViking1970

I find it useful to show my son what an actual serving size looks like.

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I_Will_End_You

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

fish2find

I agree with the "recipe" comparison. 35 plus years ago I worked at a Hagaan Das (sp) and Round Table and we measured everything. RT just wanted consistent pies and HD it was a budget deal. I think many weigh for many reasons and your kids see it everywhere. I think these are the habits our kids see that are really good for them to see. (IMO)

DeguelloTex

What's the unhealthy idea involved in knowing how much you're eating?

nickycat73

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

I totally agree!

jaga13

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

I agree with you.

BeesmaMFP

I have raised five girls, and sometimes I wish I could go back and deal better with body issues. I've never been verbal about the issues I have with my body, but they pick things up nonetheless. I understand your concerns, but I think using a food scale is a positive thing--it's an opportunity to show them that it's important to fuel your body with the proper amount of nutrition. If they ask about it, you don't have to say it's so you can lose vanity weight (though that could be handled in a way so as not to make a negative impact). Like pretty much everything else, it's all about how you handle it and explain it and your attitude about it.

haibu

Thanks for the advice, I think the recipe advice is a good one.

I guess I've just spent so much time stressing how much I love my body and how important it is to love your body and feel confident in it, that I feel, I don't know, like I'd have to admit that I'm not as happy with it as I've been saying. Does that make sense?

fish2find

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

I wish we would have done this, I grew up thinking "diet" was a punishment and avoided any nutritional teaching. It should have never been something to be scared of. It only took me 46 years to learn on my own, 25 of those as a nurse too. (oh well). LOL

TiffanyR71

I wouldn't get into the "vanity" with them... "Accuracy with recipes" is close enough. "Ensuring proper nutrition" is another good one.

Or, you could just do what you've been doing to get to a healthy weight to begin with...

lthames0810

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

I_Will_End_You

haibu wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I think the recipe advice is a good one.

I guess I've just spent so much time stressing how much I love my body and how important it is to love your body and feel confident in it, that I feel, I don't know, like I'd have to admit that I'm not as happy with it as I've been saying. Does that make sense?

You could tell them you're using it to make sure you're hitting your macros. I actually bought a food scale for the purpose of accurately tracking my protein intake.

BeesmaMFP

haibu wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I think the recipe advice is a good one.

I guess I've just spent so much time stressing how much I love my body and how important it is to love your body and feel confident in it, that I feel, I don't know, like I'd have to admit that I'm not as happy with it as I've been saying. Does that make sense?

You can be totally confident in your body and still want it to look better. I don't think that's a negative message. If it came up, I'd just say something like, "I'm at a healthy weight and I feel great, so now I'm going to work on toning my muscles (or whatever your focus is)." That's not a negative message.

TaurianDoll

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

I don't think this is a bad idea. It's a healthy and responsible way of teaching children about proper nutrition and the science of the human body and how we fuel it.

DeguelloTex

lthames0810 wrote: »

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

You're using the wrong recipes.

Need2Exerc1se

haibu wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I think the recipe advice is a good one.

I guess I've just spent so much time stressing how much I love my body and how important it is to love your body and feel confident in it, that I feel, I don't know, like I'd have to admit that I'm not as happy with it as I've been saying. Does that make sense?

Yes. Having raised children myself and talked to them about this as adults, I can tell you that it's more what you do and your attitude than what you say. I think most people would say I did a lot of things wrong. I constantly called myself fat, even though I was far from being overweight. I called cookies and ice cream and chips and other food "junk" and "bad", even though we still ate it as treats.

None of my kids were ever overweight or underweight or had/have any eating disorders. They exercise and eat right and enjoy treats. Because that's what I did. That's what I taught by example. I may have done a lot of things wrong, but I raised successful healthy decent adults.

Unknown

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wizzybeth

DeguelloTex wrote: »

lthames0810 wrote: »

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

You're using the wrong recipes.

Nearly every cookbook and recipe I've come across..uses measuring cups and spoons, here in the US.

wizzybeth

asflatasapancake wrote: »

Yeah, I was wondering how to approach that with my 5 year old daughter. She asked me why I was doing what I was doing. I said, 'It's something that daddy does'.

Good heavens, the way some people go about this make it seem naughty in some way.

What's wrong with just saying the truth: "I weigh my food so I make sure I eat the right amount to be healthy?"

*shakes head*

DeguelloTex

wizzybeth wrote: »

DeguelloTex wrote: »

lthames0810 wrote: »

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

You're using the wrong recipes.

Nearly every cookbook and recipe I've come across..uses measuring cups and spoons, here in the US.

Many of Alton Brown's and others use weight and they're easy enough to convert.

TimothyFish

wizzybeth wrote: »

DeguelloTex wrote: »

lthames0810 wrote: »

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

You're using the wrong recipes.

Nearly every cookbook and recipe I've come across..uses measuring cups and spoons, here in the US.

And that's only because the publishers force them to put quantities on stuff.

ckspores1018

lthames0810 wrote: »

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

While I agree it isn't as common to see weights in US recipes as in the UK and Europe, the idea that American kitchens don't have scales and using them for proper portion control is viewed as disordered eating is ridiculous.

BeesmaMFP

ckspores1018 wrote: »

lthames0810 wrote: »

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

While I agree it isn't as common to see weights in US recipes as in the UK and Europe, the idea that American kitchens don't have scales and using them for proper portion control is viewed as disordered eating is ridiculous.

I agree. I've never even heard of someone in the U.S. thinking it odd to have a scale. That said, I grew up with a scale in the kitchen. We didn't use it for a lot, but we had one in case we needed it.