Teacher says Pop Tarts are not a healthy snack
Replies
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Something I haven't seen mentioned is how to help this kid get through the school year without getting in to a pop tart war.
I suggest you agree with your child for this school term at least, the pop tart will be an at-home treat just so there is no more fussing.
When my children were about the same age they came home from school and insisted that a certain word had to be misspelled the way their teacher had shown them. No amount of arguing could get me to convince them otherwise,"But teacher said..." I got my first glimmer of a future where I was not guaranteed that I would be the primary influence in their young lives.
You'll survive. Your child will thrive.
I agree - and I wish parents would stop undermining the educators. No matter what it is. They are breeding, spoiled, argumentative brats, that have no respect for authority. "I can eat what I want, cuz my mom said so...so, back off, teach"!! Can't you see it?3 -
DancesWithDogz wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »cathydubepenner wrote: »@kimny72 ....gladly, he's a link to one of many articles on the subject.......http://livingtraditionally.com/top-5-popular-childrens-snacks-made-with-cancer-causing-petroleum-products/
no references to back up the assertation....woo science
Controversial additive TBHQ in here
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) is an antioxidant used to keep oils from going rancid. It is a petroleum derivative. Yummy.
The food industry pushed the FDA for years to get it approved as a preservative despite the fact that ingestion of large doses (a thirtieth of an ounce) can cause nausea, delirium, and ringing of the ears. (Anyone remember what Jack Nicholson had for lunch in “The Shining”?)
TBHQ cannot exceed 0.02% of the oil and fat content in a food.
So at what dosage is it proven to be harmful?1 -
And when it comes to my child's education I got the teachers backs! When it comes to them calling me over my child refusing to wear a sweater outside(true story), leaving the class before they pee their pants even though the teacher told them to wait, choosing their food items within reason, etc. The child needs to have a say over their own lives. They are not mindless robots. They need to know how to be respectful but beating the choice and the rational thought out of them is not educating them.3
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1/13th of an ounce .. why would you willingly allow a loved one to ingest it. In perfumery, it is used as a fixative to lower the evaporation rate and improve stability. It is used industrially as a stabilizer to inhibit autopolymerization of organic peroxides.PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »DancesWithDogz wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »cathydubepenner wrote: »@kimny72 ....gladly, he's a link to one of many articles on the subject.......http://livingtraditionally.com/top-5-popular-childrens-snacks-made-with-cancer-causing-petroleum-products/
no references to back up the assertation....woo science
Controversial additive TBHQ in here
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) is an antioxidant used to keep oils from going rancid. It is a petroleum derivative. Yummy.
The food industry pushed the FDA for years to get it approved as a preservative despite the fact that ingestion of large doses (a thirtieth of an ounce) can cause nausea, delirium, and ringing of the ears. (Anyone remember what Jack Nicholson had for lunch in “The Shining”?)
TBHQ cannot exceed 0.02% of the oil and fat content in a food.
So at what dosage is it proven to be harmful?
It is used as an antioxidant in biodiesel. and it is also added to varnishes, lacquers, resins, and oil-field additives. Yay.. lets eat it as a snack..1 -
Haven't read through all the comments but pop tarts aren't healthy. I packed fruit and veggies in my kids snack until 2nd grade when she noticed that everyone else is eating chips and candy. Why should she eat carrots when the kid next to her has Doritos. Super frustrating.1
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400 calories probably make up 1\3 of their daily needs depending on their age, and you want that to go to poptarts? What about poptarts aide in a 'balanced' diet?
2 poptarts have a total of 76g of carbs. That's gross.
I agree and it's not a good habit to get into as a kid to eat a whole pack of poptarts every day for a "snack".3 -
cathydubepenner wrote: »What really shocks me is that we're discussing the healthiness of a Pop Tart on a MFP forum. I would assume that people who are concerned for their own health enough to be an active member would already know how unhealthy these are and if not, be more open minded and accepting to admit they could make better choices.
Agreed. Yes once in awhile for a treat they are okay... but surely not the best choice to feed a young child every day1 -
I'm mean, pop tarts certainly are empty calories but you're absolutely right that there are granola bars that are exactly the same nutritionally. I get why you're upset though- I wouldn't want a teacher telling my child what they could or couldn't eat based on arbitrary ideas of what Is healthy or not.1
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I think I'd be more annoyed that the teacher threw it out over anything else. Unless you plan on reimbursing my family's grocery bills, you have no right to throw out food I bought (obviously if the food is rotten throw it out).5
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Packerjohn wrote: »
400 calories probably make up 1\3 of their daily needs depending on their age, and you want that to go to poptarts? What about poptarts aide in a 'balanced' diet?
2 poptarts have a total of 76g of carbs. That's gross.
Lots of people only eat one pop tart, I believe OP said she gave him one. A 200 calorie sweet treat fits quite nicely into an otherwise nutritious and balanced diet.
76 grams of carbs is "gross"?
Yes 76 grams of carbs from a trash source like Pop Tarts is gross, especially for a young child.
IMO borderline child abuse if done on a regular basis.
The last sentence is a ridiculous assertion barring cases of morbid obesity. Check out documented cases of some actual child abuse (beatings, sexual abuse, locked in closets for days, etc) and then hopefully come to the realization that your comment was grossly out of line.7 -
deannalfisher wrote: »cathydubepenner wrote: »@kimny72 ....gladly, he's a link to one of many articles on the subject.......http://livingtraditionally.com/top-5-popular-childrens-snacks-made-with-cancer-causing-petroleum-products/
no references to back up the assertation....woo science
I personally do noit need science to realize that a processed food is not as good for you as fruit & Veg....all these pro "Pop snackers" here are on MFP for a reason....because they arent happy or werent happy with the way they were.
We are counting cals, training...trying to get back on track and be healthy and we are sending our kids to school with a bunch of processed crap to eat.......
Are you here for the same reason, because you aren't or weren't happy?
Broad strokes are fun! But ultimately useless.4 -
DancesWithDogz wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »cathydubepenner wrote: »@kimny72 ....gladly, he's a link to one of many articles on the subject.......http://livingtraditionally.com/top-5-popular-childrens-snacks-made-with-cancer-causing-petroleum-products/
no references to back up the assertation....woo science
Controversial additive TBHQ in here
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) is an antioxidant used to keep oils from going rancid. It is a petroleum derivative. Yummy.
The food industry pushed the FDA for years to get it approved as a preservative despite the fact that ingestion of large doses (a thirtieth of an ounce) can cause nausea, delirium, and ringing of the ears. (Anyone remember what Jack Nicholson had for lunch in “The Shining”?)
TBHQ cannot exceed 0.02% of the oil and fat content in a food.
Ingestion of large doses of water can cause death.
Everything is a poison at the right quantities. Now go forth with this new perspective and stop being duped by the seedy side of Internet nutrition.6 -
ummijaaz560 wrote: »
Are Pop tarts the devil?
Pop Tarts are not healthy and it's a pretty poor choice of snack to send your kid to school with. Granted, granola isn't really a winner either. Food is fuel, and just like with gas you put in a car there is poor fuel and optimal fuel. A Pop Tart is like that watered down crap you get at cheap gas stations that make your car run like junk. I think the issue is that you're confusing no such thing as bad calories vs. good calories with this mentality that there is no such thing as "bad food". There is, obviously, food that is less than optimal for fueling the body. It is sad your child was too afraid to eat, but just make an effort to play by the school's policy.2 -
I'm with the teacher on this - because a Pop Tart isn't food. Any food-like substance that is not only completely nutritionally worthless but also actively dangerous shouldn't be given to children - and children should know this!6
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I'm with the teacher on this - because a Pop Tart isn't food. Any food-like substance that is not only completely nutritionally worthless but also actively dangerous shouldn't be given to children - and children should know this!
Food-like substance... That's a new one.
They are not "completely nutritionally worthless". A quick glance at the nutrition label debunks that bunk pretty quickly.
Children should not be taught any of the above unless the goal is to increase ignorance.5 -
The more I think about this, the more it angers me on behalf of all of my teacher friends who work in a thankless profession. If your biggest problem in life is that the teacher pointed out your lazy parenting choices, then count yourself blessed. Some people actually have legitimate problems.6
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I've read some replies that really give me a bad feeling about how people view health. Let me start off by saying that what that teacher said is horseshit. You should be able to feed the kid however you want, the teacher didn't birth the child. However pop tarts are horrible for your body, even the "Fruit" ones. Lets just look at some actual evidence of this using the nutritional info posted on the pop-tarts website. I chose to use "Strawberry" as my example but this will more or less apply to all of them. First checking the ingredients list we find the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup respectively. We do find dried fruit in the list but when we look up at the nutrition facts the fruit doesn't seem to carry any weight. A single pastry contains less than 1 gram of fiber but 16 grams of sugar, 170 mg of sodium, and 8% of your daily saturated fat. All of the vitamins and nutrients found in this snack are added in by enriched foods. And those stats are for 1 single pastry however they do come in packs of two so you do have to double those stats resulting in an outstanding 36 grams of sugar. To put that into perspective your child will be eating 9 teaspoons of sugar. If you believe refined sugar isn't unhealthy I feel sorry for you. There is absolute proof that it leads to things such as diabetes, decreased cognitive function, obesity and the list goes on. I don't care what you put in your child's mouth because that is your child. But be honest with yourself when you make these decisions. Think about seeing your kid in 20 years, what will his eating habits be like? I'm not meaning to imply that you don't take care of him, my only agenda is to make sure that you are aware of the full realm of possibilities with a child.4
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Stripedtriangle1 wrote: »I've read some replies that really give me a bad feeling about how people view health. Let me start off by saying that what that teacher said is horseshit. You should be able to feed the kid however you want, the teacher didn't birth the child. However pop tarts are horrible for your body, even the "Fruit" ones. Lets just look at some actual evidence of this using the nutritional info posted on the pop-tarts website. I chose to use "Strawberry" as my example but this will more or less apply to all of them. First checking the ingredients list we find the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup respectively. We do find dried fruit in the list but when we look up at the nutrition facts the fruit doesn't seem to carry any weight. A single pastry contains less than 1 gram of fiber but 16 grams of sugar, 170 mg of sodium, and 8% of your daily saturated fat. All of the vitamins and nutrients found in this snack are added in by enriched foods. And those stats are for 1 single pastry however they do come in packs of two so you do have to double those stats resulting in an outstanding 36 grams of sugar. To put that into perspective your child will be eating 9 teaspoons of sugar. If you believe refined sugar isn't unhealthy I feel sorry for you. There is absolute proof that it leads to things such as diabetes, decreased cognitive function, obesity and the list goes on. I don't care what you put in your child's mouth because that is your child. But be honest with yourself when you make these decisions. Think about seeing your kid in 20 years, what will his eating habits be like? I'm not meaning to imply that you don't take care of him, my only agenda is to make sure that you are aware of the full realm of possibilities with a child.
So a child should never have a sweet treat that has a low nutrition profile?
How about this. Teach your kid about the difference between nutrient dense food and nutrient sparse ones. Then teach your kid that moderating the nutrient poor ones is very important and that the vast majority of the diet should consist of the nutrient dense food.
There. Educated kid. Win.8 -
Packerjohn wrote: »
400 calories probably make up 1\3 of their daily needs depending on their age, and you want that to go to poptarts? What about poptarts aide in a 'balanced' diet?
2 poptarts have a total of 76g of carbs. That's gross.
Lots of people only eat one pop tart, I believe OP said she gave him one. A 200 calorie sweet treat fits quite nicely into an otherwise nutritious and balanced diet.
76 grams of carbs is "gross"?
Yes 76 grams of carbs from a trash source like Pop Tarts is gross, especially for a young child.
IMO borderline child abuse if done on a regular basis.
The last sentence is a ridiculous assertion barring cases of morbid obesity. Check out documented cases of some actual child abuse (beatings, sexual abuse, locked in closets for days, etc) and then hopefully come to the realization that your comment was grossly out of line.
I have a close friend who is a long time investigator for children and family services so I have heard many terrible stores.
Feeding a child a poor diet (especially when the family can afford better) but chooses not to puts the child on a road to lifelong health issues.
IMHO, providing a child with a poor diet is a form of abuse.1 -
I also think pop tarts are the devil. (I mean, not really, but they are not something I would look at as a healthy snack...) As a Health Education teacher, I too have a healthy snack policy. It makes sense considering we actually study the MyPlate, food groups, and targets and limits. Limits are sugar, sodium, fat. Targets are nutrient rich foods, vitamins, minerals, nutrients. Selecting healthier versions of each type of food group and learning how to read a food label is part of what my students learn. In addition to this, the USDA has now created Smart Snack Standards. Not only do they have a calculator that you can type in information about your snack, it gives guidelines. It is also a federal law that no foods are sold in school that do not meet the smart snack standards. Now this does not mean you have to have a healthy snack policy, however, due to the continuing growth of obesity, childhood diabetes, and a ton of other diet related illnesses, many health organizations are really trying to make changes that can possibly, finally, begin to curb the enormous health crises that we are facing. One of the things that I've read over and over again, is that we are all in this together. Family. Schools. Community. All of us. No school or teacher wants to upset a parent. It is probaby why many schools have not begun to become proactive with this issue. In fact, many schools still pass out candy as a reward, celebrate EVERYTHING with junk food, and though they all are also federally mandated to have Wellness policies, they do not follow them. : (. Some groups are even pushing that more extreme measures be taken, like taxing sugary beverages like soda and many other "extreme" measures. Unless we see a change in policy, a change in our belief system, or I don't know, some type of change, things will continue as they are. I can see both points of view, but have to give a bravo to the school for trying to make a difference.5
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So a child should never have a sweet treat that has a low nutrition profile?
How about this. Teach your kid about the difference between nutrient dense food and nutrient sparse ones. Then teach your kid that moderating the nutrient poor ones is very important and that the vast majority of the diet should consist of the nutrient dense food.
There. Educated kid. Win.
I didn't say that. I was only stating the facts because people on here are saying pop-tarts aren't unhealthy. "You should be able to feed your kid whatever you want" and notice how at the end I didn't tell her she HAD to avoid anything unhealthy, I was only informing these people of the possibilities assuming a diet is full of those foods. Glad you responded though because people might have gotten that confused0 -
I also think pop tarts are the devil. (I mean, not really, but they are not something I would look at as a healthy snack...) As a Health Education teacher, I too have a healthy snack policy. It makes sense considering we actually study the MyPlate, food groups, and targets and limits. Limits are sugar, sodium, fat. Targets are nutrient rich foods, vitamins, minerals, nutrients. Selecting healthier versions of each type of food group and learning how to read a food label is part of what my students learn. In addition to this, the USDA has now created Smart Snack Standards. Not only do they have a calculator that you can type in information about your snack, it gives guidelines. It is also a federal law that no foods are sold in school that do not meet the smart snack standards. Now this does not mean you have to have a healthy snack policy, however, due to the continuing growth of obesity, childhood diabetes, and a ton of other diet related illnesses, many health organizations are really trying to make changes that can possibly, finally, begin to curb the enormous health crises that we are facing. One of the things that I've read over and over again, is that we are all in this together. Family. Schools. Community. All of us. No school or teacher wants to upset a parent. It is probaby why many schools have not begun to become proactive with this issue. In fact, many schools still pass out candy as a reward, celebrate EVERYTHING with junk food, and though they all are also federally mandated to have Wellness policies, they do not follow them. : (. Some groups are even pushing that more extreme measures be taken, like taxing sugary beverages like soda and many other "extreme" measures. Unless we see a change in policy, a change in our belief system, or I don't know, some type of change, things will continue as they are. I can see both points of view, but have to give a bravo to the school for trying to make a difference.
Thank you for the nice summary from a professional viewpoint. You have a difficult job, but applaud your efforts.0 -
Can't we all get along?
How about this:
Regular Pop Tarts Good !
Frosted Pop Tarts Bad !
Teacher Good !
Parent Bad !
( Parent Bad... but not as bad as the Frosted Pop Tart; they are Satan.)3 -
ummijaaz560 wrote: »I went to my kids school this morning, to speak with his first grade teacher.
He came home yesterday saying he couldn"t bring his Pop tart for their morning snack, because they can only have "healthy snacks".
I was upset. I still am even after speaking with the teacher this morning.
I teach my child that there are no good or bad foods, unless you have a allergy or ethically cant eat it.
He has been sitting there afraid to pull out his "unhealthy snack" because its not "fruit, or granola bar, or yogurt"(healthy snacks").
I often send those as well.
I told her not to teach my child about foods being good or bad, because I dont subscribe to that.
Teacher: "So you're ok with him having a sugary Pop Tart in the morning"?
Me: Yes, I if send it its good enough for him to have. Just so you know there are granola bars with just as much or more sugar in them as Pop Tarts.
Teacher: blank stare.
Do teachers have the right to teach children sugary snacks are unhealthy?
Are Pop tarts the devil?
Well done! 13 pages!
What that what you were hoping for?
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Regular Pop Tarts Good !
They're very slightly better than frosted. Still nothing close to good for health.1 -
Of course, the only information we have is what the OP chose to tell us. We don't know what really happened.
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So someone who lets their child eat a Pop Tart as an occasional treat is a lazy and ignorant child abuser and Pop Tarts are dangerous petroleum pucks of cancer. And you should go aling with whatever your child's teacher says and not get upset or your child will become an obese spoiled brat.
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ummijaaz560 wrote: »I went to my kids school this morning, to speak with his first grade teacher.
He came home yesterday saying he couldn"t bring his Pop tart for their morning snack, because they can only have "healthy snacks".
I was upset. I still am even after speaking with the teacher this morning.
I teach my child that there are no good or bad foods, unless you have a allergy or ethically cant eat it.
He has been sitting there afraid to pull out his "unhealthy snack" because its not "fruit, or granola bar, or yogurt"(healthy snacks").
I often send those as well.
I told her not to teach my child about foods being good or bad, because I dont subscribe to that.
Teacher: "So you're ok with him having a sugary Pop Tart in the morning"?
Me: Yes, I if send it its good enough for him to have. Just so you know there are granola bars with just as much or more sugar in them as Pop Tarts.
Teacher: blank stare.
Do teachers have the right to teach children sugary snacks are unhealthy?
Are Pop tarts the devil?
Well done! 13 pages!
What that what you were hoping for?
To be fair - it's not her fault that there are 13 pages of replies!
She asked: do teachers have the right to teach children about nutrition ? Well yes - as long as they're qualified to do so.
She also asked: are pop tarts the devil? Well no.
To those saying she's a bad/lazy parent: she says she also sends her child in with fruit,granola bars and yoghurt- so the pop tart is an occasional snack by the looks of it.
My understanding is that she was upset because the teacher wouldn't allow her child to eat his snack. It wasn't about the actual pop tart.1 -
So someone who lets their child eat a Pop Tart as an occasional treat is a lazy and ignorant child abuser and Pop Tarts are dangerous petroleum pucks of cancer. And you should go aling with whatever your child's teacher says and not get upset or your child will become an obese spoiled brat.
TL:DR right here, folks!1 -
The issue isn't giving your kid a Pop Tart once in awhile. The OP is sending a packet of them with her kid to school, for a snack, on the regular and claiming there is no such thing as an unhealthy food. We're not talking about the woo of there being such a thing a "bad calories", but the assertion that there is no such thing as unhealthy food is on a level of ignorance that would make Honey BooBoo's mom proud.5
This discussion has been closed.
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