Parents let their kids eat trash?
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Our child's nutrition is more important than hours. And it is kind of disturbing to see that "kid's menu" in our society is always the unhealthiest things that the restaurant will offer.
It takes constant conscious effort to instill healthy eating habits.
Breastmilk only for the fist 6 months. Than I started to introduce vegetables (steamed and blended freshly every meal). Those first vegetables, (brocolli, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrot...) he eats very well to this day. He likes broccoli. He asks for it.
First foods matter. Tastes are instilled very early in childhood.
Only after he was used to vegetables I introduced fruit and protein (fish and meats). He snacks on fruit all the time and really likes it.
He drinks milk, raw coconut water (mainly fresh out of the coconut for him), and water. He has no idea what soda is. Why on Earth would I give it to him? When he tried juice, he did not like it. His tastes are set already and he thinks it is too sweet.
But of couse, he is a child, he will have a piece of cake when we are out with people who are having cake. He will occasionally have an ice cream when out on a hot summer day. And when we are out in a restaurant/cafe he will eat what we eat, even if unhealthy. I don't want to be restrictive and for him to associate food with drama. If he is out and other kids are having crap, he is allowed to participate. At home, on a daily basis, food is healthy.
I think the most important factor is what the family eats. What is in the house. Kids will not eat healthy if parents don't. It just won't happen. Children want to eat what parents eat. And if they ate crap all their life and than a parent suddenly wants to change that and take away everything they know and like, of course it will be a battle. (I'm not saying it is not worth having, for the sake of child's future health, but it will be tough).
Just a very recent example. Our 2.5 year old likes spicy food. As in, more spicy than my mother can take. We did not make it for him because he is little. We separate his portion before adding serranos or sichuan peppercorn or other spices. But he likes to pick things of our plate and I don't know how, but he got used to it very fast. He asks for more. I did not intend for it to happen. I thought he would try it and not like it. But he just wants to keep trying whatever mommy and daddy are eating and his taste adjust.0 -
I personally don't judge anyone with what they eat. My point was the excuses on why they allow their kids different foods. My children eat junk food sometimes as do I. Who's in control in the house, the parent or the kids? I get so tired of the "fussy" eater and the "picky" eater comments. The occasional junk food is no biggie, the excuses on why your kids can't eat healthy is the problem.0
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2. Many places don't offer healthy options. You'd be surprised with the crap they offer for the kids' menu. I stopped going to places who really haven't gotten their kids menu together. Although, some chicken strips with a side of broccoli and mandarin oranges is hardly bad for once in a while. Add an iced tea (yes my kids are weird and prefer unsweetened iced tea to soda haha)....My children are very active.
Not to criticise peoples' choices or anything, but this is a massive problem. I bring it up because one thing I always notice about kids menus is that they are are beyond crap- so few options.
I was (and in fairness, still am) an incredibly fussy and faddy eater, and God knows if you had presented me as a child with a common pub kids menu (spaghetti, beefburger and chips, pepperoni pizza and ice cream for pudding) you wouldn't have got me to eat at all. Regardless of how healthy the options are, there are still usually only about three.
When I was about 6 and massively went off red meat, my mum used to let me pick an adult meal and share it with me. She'll still talk about the fifteen thousand tonnes of scampi & chips (until I went off all things potato) and all the curries we consumed together even now.0 -
Yeah, just because you see them eat a happy meal with a side of fries at Mickey D's one afternoon, or something similar, doesn't mean the parent feeds their child trash everyday, all day.
We visit fast food joints very rarely, maybe once a month, if that. Giving my child chicken nuggets, fries, apple slices, and milk that she barely eats half, once in a blue moon is not teaching her bad habits. It's teaching her moderation. That it's okay to eat some "trash" every now and then. Oh and to not be a stuck up twit monitoring and judging everyone on how they should raise their kids. :bigsmile:0 -
Enjoy your salad and dont worry about other people's kids. I have a son and he eats a variety of foods and gets a better macro divide than I ever could manage. He eats more fruits and veggies at home, more than I ever thought a 2 year old would eat. When we go out (we try not to eat out too much), if he wants to eat chicken fingers and fries than we let him. Just like anyone else, he likes treats every now and then. At home most of the chicken he gets is baked.
Now I am not saying we order him 3 large cokes and an icecream sundae too, but it's ok for a kid to have pizza every now and then.0 -
Being a parent, I know it can be pretty tough feeding 4 kids in a restaurant healthy foods. The kids menu usually comprises of a choice of chicken nuggets and fries, grilled cheese and fries, small hamburger and fries, or fish sticks and fries. All come with a soda pop in a cute cup that you can take home with you, and a bowl of icecream......all for the low price of 4.99. To get a side salad, you pay an extra 4.99!0
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Enjoy your salad and stop staring at other people's kids. I have a son and he eats a variety of foods and gets a better macro divide than I ever could manage. He eats more fruits and veggies at home then I ever thought a 2 year old would eat. When we go out (we try not to eat out too much), if he wants to eat chicken fingers and fries than we let him. Just like anyone else, he likes treats every now and then. At home most of the chicken he gets is baked.
Now I am not saying we order him 3 large cokes and an icecream sundae too, but it's ok for a kid to have pizza every now and then.
Yep, this is probably more the norm than exception.0 -
It's really easy to judge when you're at a restaurant. Maybe that family only has one meal out a month and they get to choose what they want to eat. Maybe it's the kids birthday. MAYBE mind you're own business.
I do also find that the children's menu in most locations is lacking. My kids generally always ask for the fruit instead of fries (those little mandarin oranges are like crack for kids) but I'm not about to judge the table beside us for 'letting' their kids eat something 'less healthy'.0 -
To be honest, if we do eat out, my husband and I just tend to get extra plates and share our meals. If I take my kids to soft play the 3 of us share a jacket potato and tuna for lunch. My two don't eat all that much so I wouldn't buy a child's meal anyway as they wouldn't eat it all.
This is what I typically do too... just because I know most of the time she is just not going to eat it and she would rather eat what we are eating. But even when we do get fast food, I just share with her anyway, it's cheaper and less food for me (we both really don't eat that much)... I get her some milk and fruit (if we are not going back home right away) and she usually downs that first before attacking the fries... She has had a taste of soda all of two times, once was on "accident" (in qoutes because I can't believe DH didn't know that Cherry Limeades are typically made with Sprite around here) and the other was on purpose as a treat (it was an ice cream float as a part of the Fourth of July celebrations... I don't think she liked it much, which is honestly just fine with me.0 -
I have 2 kids. One is technically underweight, though not scarily; the other is on the lower range of healthy weight, though still healthy. When we occasionally go out, sometimes I order for them (balancing what they like with healthiness and what's available), sometimes I let them pick. My son loves soups, most meat, and noodles. My daughter will eat about anything depending on the day, so long as certain things don't touch (example, won't eat meat that's touching dairy, don't know where she got that; all I know is the last time we tried to make her eat a burger with cheese, because it was the food she had in front of her and we were raised to eat what was in front of us, she puked).
I haven't met an Asian-style dish they didn't like, provided it wasn't too spicy. They both like Mexican food too (Son sticks to rice and beans there). One of the family restaurants we use more often (maybe once a month) has little markings on the kids menu for healthier choices. Last time we went there my daughter ordered fruit and pancakes for her lunch; my son refused to eat anything and sipped his lemonade until we were done. I'm sure there was judginess occurring over that but what people didn't know was that he'd had a large breakfast and wasn't hungry yet, and I surely wasn't going to force him to eat when he wasn't hungry. He had fruit and yogurt mid-afternoon.
I do take my kids to fast food places. It used to be a few times a month, now it's closer to once a month. Sometimes my kids will have an apple juice, sometimes soda. Sometimes they get a burger (No cheese on the meat!) sometimes it's chicken. When available, they get frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. If someone wants to judge based on appearances, let them, but they better not say anything to me about it.
For the record, I am not fat from eating tons of junk as a child. I am fat because I ate too much all the time once I became an adult and started buying my own food. Some was junk, a lot was not, either way I was eating too much of it.0 -
I do judge though. I think we all do, we just have different thresholds.
When I see a toddler with a soft drink or a juice drink, or when a family with kids is loading up their cart with cereals that have sugar in their fist ingredient and cookies and pop-tarts I feel bad that the kids are getting a rotten start in life health-wise. But I of course don't say anything. It is not like my comment would suddenly make the parent care and change their lifestyle.0 -
First let me say I'm a mother of 4 and step mother to 3. The excuses to feed kids garbage on here are just amazing...picky eaters, that's all they have on the kids menu. Blah, blah blah... Hey guess what, you don't HAVE to order from the kids menu, you can *gasp* order them something a bit more healthy from the adult menu and split it between you and them, since we all know the portion sizes at restaurants are way too big. So why is it all the picky children only live in the US or the overindulged European nations? How is it a Asian child can eat vegetables, lean meats and rice, but an american child has a special tongue that can't handle it? I lived in the Phillippines when I was 8-12 years old and the things my young tongue ate would just blow your mind. Squid, fish head soup, stir fry, etc and I liked it. I was taught you eat what is given to you or don't eat at all, which my kids are taught now too. My 3 year old and 5 year old love baked fish, beans, quinoa, asparagus, greek yogurt, etc...all the things I eat. Making excuses is just lazy parenting if you ask me. It's an epidemic of lazy, spoiled over indulged people turning their children into the same thing.
Where is that high horse gif?
I don't think that high horse remark was called for. The quoted post makes a great deal of sense, that it's cultural and has to do with what the parents eat. I thought that was the best response on this thread. Some of the responses bother me, i.e., making McDirty foods ,fried food, nuggets, etc., into "rewards" or "treats" to be indulged in when the family goes out.It's an epidemic of lazy, spoiled over indulged people turning their children into the same thing.
High horse is high.
Beat me to it. Thanks! :flowerforyou:0 -
To each their own! You don't know how they live or what their culture is or who takes care of them?? Maybe it was grandma who takes them out or a babysitter... what ever... We are all here for one reason... heath... I'm pretty sure you didn't stumble onto this website being fit as a fiddle. I'm pretty sure you had some weight to loose or some muscle to gain or what not. You were probably were eating the same "trash" food, whatever. We all have our defects and we are learning how to eat healthy and the importance of it. Change starts with you and your habits. Once you change you can try to change the habits of your family. Sure... I know that it is set by example and children are sponges and what not, but they are young. Having McDees or fries is not going to kill them, unless that's all that they feed them, but seriously who has the money to spend on fast food all the time??!! Some parents come home too tired to cook so a quick burger would be ok. But then again.. who am I to judge.. Ok OK.. getting OFF MY HIGH HORSE NOW!!! LOL :bigsmile:0
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This reminds me of my own childhood. Day after day, I was fed peanut butter sandwiches and sugary cereals, when all I really wanted was some beets and brussels sprouts. I called Child Services for the first time at age 4, when my parents tried to make me eat fried chicken instead of the grilled tilapia I had been begging them for.
*ptsd kicking back in*
amazing. This post just made my morning.0 -
I'd be more concerned that at most restaurants, families don't even converse with each other. 5/6 tables people are on their phones texting or distracted by their phones or iPads. Hell if you're gonna indulge anyway, talk about it.:laugh:
Lots of people think that fit people eat nothing but "healthy" options and that's the only way they should eat to look the same. Probably why many don't bother with trying to stay fit and lean.
What I love about this site is that there are lots of fit, lean individuals who don't demonize food. Now I will say that one can't really effectively get nutrition through junk food. That's why whole food is a better option. But sitting down on occasion and having junk, isn't gonna change a whole lot of consistent work and dedication.
When we eat at IHOP, I let my DD choose whatever she wants, while my wife and I usually split something. Sometimes we eat good, sometimes not. Many times my DD chooses an option that includes fruit. All in all, fried and junk food isn't "trash" and to some like me that's kinda indirectly insulting because I'll have it occasionally.
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Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I do judge though. I think we all do, we just have different thresholds.
When I see a toddler with a soft drink or a juice drink, or when a family with kids is loading up their cart with cereals that have sugar in their fist ingredient and cookies and pop-tarts I feel bad that the kids are getting a rotten start in life health-wise. But I of course don't say anything. It is not like my comment would suddenly make the parent care and change their lifestyle.
But do you see what is in their whole cart? or just whats on top? I can guarantee you that if you looked in my cart, you would think I'm ADD with my shopping, even though you are only looking at half of it (as I go to two grocery stores and am shopping for two weeks) and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to see the fruits and vegetables or whole foods that I have in my cart unless you were standing behind me watching me unload my cart. And even all that was in my cart was chips and cereal and snack crackers... again, how do you know that is my ONLY shopping trip? Every two weeks I go to three places to do my shopping... Target for the mass produced stuff (and some fresh produce) which includes but not limited to, spices, seasonings, frozen food, anything pre-packaged... then I go to Safeway for most of my produce, all of my meat and deli purchases and anything pre-packaged there that is on sale for cheaper, then I go to a localish dairy/fast food resturant chain called Braum's for milk and butter (it just tastes better because it's fresher than the stuff in other grocer chains). My point is, you shouldn't judge based on what's in a persons cart.0 -
Please don't allow your children to eat from the trash can.
welp, there went my dinner ideas for them... back to the drawing board, I guess....0 -
Please don't allow your children to eat from the trash can.
welp, there went my dinner ideas for them... back to the drawing board, I guess....
Some one said as long as it was wrapped or sealed it was okay...0 -
I'd be more concerned that at most restaurants, families don't even converse with each other. 5/6 tables people are on their phones texting or distracted by their phones or iPads. Hell if you're gonna indulge anyway, talk about it.:laugh:
Lots of people think that fit people eat nothing but "healthy" options and that's the only way they should eat to look the same. Probably why many don't bother with trying to stay fit and lean.
What I love about this site is that there are lots of fit, lean individuals who don't demonize food. Now I will say that one can't really effectively get nutrition through junk food. That's why whole food is a better option. But sitting down on occasion and having junk, isn't gonna change a whole lot of consistent work and dedication.
When we eat at IHOP, I let my DD choose whatever she wants, while my wife and I usually split something. Sometimes we eat good, sometimes not. Many times my DD chooses an option that includes fruit. All in all, fried and junk food isn't "trash" and to some like me that's kinda indirectly insulting because I'll have it occasionally.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I have to agree with this. When i was a server a few years ago i waited on a a table that was a father and daughter (10ish maybe). The dad had headphones in the entire meal and the whole time i waited on them they did not speak a word. I felt very bad for the daughter. I don’t know the situation, but i can’t think of a time when my family went out for a meal and all ignored each other like that.0 -
:noway:
I let my kids eat whatever they want because they are underweight and need all the cals they can get. Their pediatrician has actually told my oldest to eat a snickers bar for breakfast if thats what he wants...because he is starting puberty and NEEDS the cals, any cals. So OP I'm guess you're just really uniformed about children.
But I'd also like to say that I model healthy choices for my kids, I don't make a big deal out of food choices, so they have a healthy relationship with food, and often will choose apples, cucumbers and salad too. They have learned moderation and ask if it is appropriate to have another candy bar if they want it. So if you're seeing a parent make a healthy choice and a child make a different choice, try not to be so judgemental, because, you don't know the whole story. People never do.
And for the record my kids are both boys, 10yo and 12yo.0
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