Do you count Calories for your kids?

dwyler21

How counts calories for their kids?

I don't personally but i have been considering it. I have been trying to teach them about healthy food choices though..the problem with counting calories is kids grow so fast and need to eat when they need to eat haha Also its hard ot put your kids on a "diet"

maggs155

I think thats something u should ask their DR. I have a daughter that is overweight but i watch what she eats but im thinking to take her to the DR and find out what i can and can not do because there needs will be very different then us adults.

AliciaC81

I don't, but I do sometimes talk about calories and such from time to time...especially "empty calories". I don't want to give them a complex, but at the same time I think that children need to get an idea about what calories are and what food does for them. For example...a 500 calorie balanced meal is not the same as a 500 calorie giant bowl of ice cream. A 500 calorie meal is great since it will give them energy and help them to grow...where as that 500 calorie ice cream is not going to do anything for them and is a waste. So..I talk about having smaller portions of that since it's ok to have treats and sweets...just on a smaller scale. I try to bring it back around to just healthy/not healthy but I do mention calories as a way of explaining why a little bit of sweets is ok but not a huge amount.

tatd_820

Um, no! Kids will grow up with a complex if they start counting calories, IMO. I try to limit my own talk of "dieting" around them because they hear and digest every single word they hear. I talk about junk food and healthy food and how they affect our bodies.

Is your child really overweight? How old?

dwyler21

My kids? no they aren't overweight, I was just thinking as a teaching experience. Same as you might teach a 6 year old about spending and saving and giving money they receive as allowance for chores .

Brads2ndLife

My kids are grown up and working on kids of their own now. But I think I'd shudder at the numbers if I could do a calorie count on what we fed them knowing what I know now. And we tried to eat healthy quite seriously at home.

But, none of my 4 grew up with any sort of weight problem.

We did try to show them how to make the right choices, well their mother showed them and me.

So I think you are the right track with the teaching them how to choose well for themselves rather than do cal counts. My kids must have eaten bloody thousands upon thousands of calories a day I suspect.

dwyler21

@Opti_Onai yeah same here. Until i started eating healthy myself, i didn't even consider what they ate. I feel a little guilty for not paying attention better. But that has changed. I cant eat healthy and then allow them to eat unhealthy.

i did read kids need a ton of calories a day anyways. 1700 a day for my 6 year old

OneTrackMind7

This is my personal opinion...and I understand everyone has their own views and beliefs...but from my personal view I am against counting calories for children...Children are growing each and every day...They are the ones more then ever that need to make sure that they are getting every vitamin and mineral for their growth...Do I think that we need to be aware and allow our children to learn whats healthy foods and which are "unhealthy" foods yes...do I think and believe that we should teach and guide our children to what a portion size is yes...the world today children or adults we have lost that...I think it is a great tool and good to help our children learn about foods but....I do not...repeat...do not think we should be counting calories for our children...not only are they constantly growing and needing more of each vitamin and mineral daily but by us counting their calories what are we teaching them? sure we are teaching about what our body needs and showing them healthy foods but subconciously we are teaching them and guiding them to a life of restriction....to many of us adults get caught up in the numbers and we are mature grown minds...our children are just beginning I do not think its right to make them THAT aware...

tatd_820

I think teaching them about food is one thing. What is healthy, what is not and that our bodies thrive on healthy and crash on junk is great for them to know. Calorie counting is another story. I know my oldest, who is 7, worries a lot about everything and if I told her about calories she would worry to death about everything she eats. Not healthy for a young girl...or boy to worry about at such a young age. She knows our bodies run on food and we need to feed it well. She knows that milk, protein, fruits, veggies and natural foods are best and we can not eat a lot of junk food.

peckish_pomegranate

I think that's potentially really damaging. It's not hard to make and eat healthier, you don't have to be counting calories to do it. Kids, especially little girls, are already under pressure about their bodies and weight. I don't think counting calories will teach them about health, it's just going to give them a complex and possibly spark and eating disorder.

Children are also growing constantly, and unless you're doing this very closely monitored under your pediatrician's instruction, you're not going to know how many calories they need. I worry about a pediatrician who would O.K. having kids count calories.

dwyler21

yeah i agree i wasn't really considering limiting their calories, i was just interested in sitting with them to show what they ate, and how much calories went into each item and weather its bad or good intake.

gr8xpectationz

No way. You don't want them to think of food as "good" or "bad". And you don't want them to feel like they "can't" have what they want, or that you're controlling everything. If you turn food into a battle of wills, you won't win in the long run. And you may set your kid up for body image problems or eating disorders.

Instead, empower your kids with knowledge. Talk to them about nutrition in a way that is age appropriate. For the little ones, it's about "anytime foods" or "sometimes foods". For older kids, talk to them about calories and nutrients, and the difference between nourishing calories and empty calories. Help them identify when they're choosing empty calories without associating this with shame or rebellion or obedience or whatever.

And encourage active play, fitness, active family games, sports, bike rides, Wii fit, zumba, swimming....whatever active stuff they'll have fun with.

clarkeje1

I don't have any kids, but I don't think you should count calories for your kids or talk about counting calories around your kids. If you are feeding them enough fruits/veggies/etc and limiting junky snacks then I think that should be good enough. As long as you are teaching them how to eat a balanced diet with enough nutrients then I think it should be good.

Elleinnz

No no no - please do not do that - teach your kids to make healthy choices, and hopefully they will never have to count calories......
I am sorry, but to me it sounds like a recipe for encouraging a eating disorder in their teens.....there are already to much pressure on young people to fit into a certain size without still putting the onus of counting calories on them

BAD IDEA!!

dwyler21

well at 6 years old i dont think they are under any pressure besides passing the first grade.

crazyeaCHANGED

My 2 boys were pretty chubby two years ago. I put them in soccer. Started cutting back on the junk.

They have not gained a single lb in two years and are slimming down. I never once put them in a positioon to feel bad or tell thenm not to eat something.

My point is its a little bit concerning when they get that way, but the best thing you can do is make sure they eat better by buying better food and getting them to do some kind of physical fitness.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

I think teaching them about food is one thing. What is healthy, what is not and that our bodies thrive on healthy and crash on junk is great for them to know. Calorie counting is another story. I know my oldest, who is 7, worries a lot about everything and if I told her about calories she would worry to death about everything she eats. Not healthy for a young girl...or boy to worry about at such a young age. She knows our bodies run on food and we need to feed it well. She knows that milk, protein, fruits, veggies and natural foods are best and we can not eat a lot of junk food.

Agreed.

Teaching your kids about nutrition and exercise is one thing. Telling them they need to be aware of how many calories they eat because if they eat too many, they will get fat is asking for trouble. Like you said yourself, OP kids are complex because they are growing. I would never think to monitor my daughter's calories unless her doctor suggested that needed to be done. We just keep mostly healthy food in the house.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

well at 6 years old i dont think they are under any pressure besides passing the first grade.

You are terribly mistaken. I was aware of my weight at 5 years old when I started kindergarten.

SideSteel

I don't.

I think that this is a horrible idea.

dwyler21

I just think that with the child obesity problem in America kids need way way more education about healthy eating. I was not suggesting limiting or stressing them about calories, but just informing and allowing them to see what was healthy and not. I wont always be there to help they make a healthy choice. I want my kids to be aware that between a yogurt and ice cream yogurt is more healthy and better calories.

dwyler21

well at 6 years old i dont think they are under any pressure besides passing the first grade.

You are terribly mistaken. I was aware of my weight at 5 years old when I started kindergarten.

well MY 6 year old is not worried about her weight

Shadowknight137

well at 6 years old i dont think they are under any pressure besides passing the first grade.

You are terribly mistaken. I was aware of my weight at 5 years old when I started kindergarten.

well MY 6 year old is not worried about her weight

So how about you make her?

Seriously. This is a ridiculously bad idea.

Crankstr

I just think that with the child obesity problem in America kids need way way more education about healthy eating. I was not suggesting limiting or stressing them about calories, but just informing and allowing them to see what was healthy and not. I wont always be there to help they make a healthy choice. I want my kids to be aware that between a yogurt and ice cream yogurt is more healthy and better calories.

no

there is always room for ice cream,

please dont label food as good or bad.

But do teach them about balance.... treats are good, but so is making sure you get protein, fruits and vegetables,etc.

dwyler21

well at 6 years old i dont think they are under any pressure besides passing the first grade.

You are terribly mistaken. I was aware of my weight at 5 years old when I started kindergarten.

well MY 6 year old is not worried about her weight

So how about you make her?

Seriously. This is a ridiculously bad idea.

what is bad idea, are you even reading this topic? Teaching kids about healthy food and calories is bad?

gr8xpectationz

Me too. I always knew what size i was compared to other kids from a pretty young age, even before I grew "chunkier". It took a few years before I learned to be self-conscious about it, but I was always aware. If my parents had been counting my calories, I would have learned guilt and shame and poor body image. As it was, I didn't get chunky until junior high, which is when I started playing sports which helped. And by high school, I knew how to count calories on my own.

TakinSexyBack

I think as long as you are feeding them plenty of veggies, fruits and whole food in general they should be fine!! Just keep the processed, sugary and unhealthy food to a minimum. I don't give mine kool-aid or anything like that. My 11 year old drinks soda, but I only let him have 1 a day, other than that he actually usually chooses water! My kids LOVE veggies and altho they love burgers and fries too, they never complain about what I cook at home! If I don't have anything cooked and my son wants something, he will usually grab a can of beans or tonight......he opened up a can of collard greens to eat! lol I always rinse canned veggies to cut back on the sodium.

I should add, of course my kids get treats and do not eat healthy ALL the time but I try to keep it like I am going to start doing for myself........80% whole foods, 20% fun foods!

dwyler21

i didnt say there wasnt room for ice cream, im just wanting them to know the better choice.

dwyler21

I think as long as you are feeding them plenty of veggies, fruits and whole food in general they should be fine!! Just keep the processed, sugary and unhealthy food to a minimum. I don't give mine kool-aid or anything like that. My 11 year old drinks soda, but I only let him have 1 a day, other than that he actually usually chooses water! My kids LOVE veggies and altho they love burgers and fries too, they never complain about what I cook at home! If I don't have anything cooked and my son wants something, he will usually grab a can of beans or tonight......he opened up a can of collard greens to eat! lol I always rinse canned veggies to cut back on the sodium.

that's awesome, my kids would never choose water. lol collard greens? wow thats really awesome.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

well at 6 years old i dont think they are under any pressure besides passing the first grade.

You are terribly mistaken. I was aware of my weight at 5 years old when I started kindergarten.

well MY 6 year old is not worried about her weight

Did you see me say worried? No. I said aware. Not to be rude, but your daughter has thoughts you are not privy to.

MyOwnSunshine

I don't.

I think that this is a horrible idea.

Absolutely.

My 7-year-old daughter and I talk about what makes some foods healthy and some foods less so. We discuss why it is important to eat healthy foods frequently and less healthy foods less often.

Kids can learn about vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, carbs, glucose, energy, and calories, but I would not focus on "counting calories" as that seems like a great way to create a compulsive eater or a child with an eating disorder.

If you are concerned about an overweight child, I would suggest providing more healthy, low-calorie foods and less high-sugar/fat processed foods, as well as increasing your activity as a family.

donyellemoniquex3

Lead a child to ice cream, they'll eat it. Lead a child to fruits and veggies, they'll eat it. As a child I HATED sweets up until I was 3 years old, and yes I did and still do eat the veggies off my dinner plate first.