Starting our kids off WRONG

I agree and I also agree that kids are not as active as they used to be. It is partly the school's responsibility to feed them correctly when they are there, and to encourage healthy activities. But it is also the parent's role as well, to encourage their kids to be active. My sister and I were always in some kind of sport, starting out with little kiddie softball to cheerleading to gymnastics and school sports. I totally sucked at them, I am far from coordinated or athletic, but it didn't matter, it was fun and it kept us healthy. I think schools and parents need to really work together. You know, that saying it takes a village to raise a child...

I also believe in feeding my kids when they are hungry. I have never really put them on a strict eating schedule. I don't schedule myself when I eat, and I don't think it's fair to do that to kids either. I realize that's kind of impossible to follow in a school setting, though.

Okay I have been reading a book called, "Disease proof your children". It is all about feeding them healthy foods so that their immune systems are healthy and they don't develop horrible diseases like cancer at 30. On the chart of what our kids consume (and this is a little out dated) they consume like 60 + % of processed foods!!! They only consumed 17% fruits and veggies, that is scary. So even though I gained weight I am a closest junk food junkie and I have always been very aware of what my kids eat. (Well most of the time) It is just training them toward a healthy life style. I have been trying to change it more and more toward healthier foods. Because they still would eat only bread over veggies or pasta over salad. So it is just lots of work and modification.

Now on the school I have lots of issues with the public school system, thus my decision to home school my kids. I know not everyone can do this, so I think you will just have to keep after the school systems. But they have already done a lot to change the schools for healthier eating like removing the coke machines and offering more healthy choices. But like my book says if you start healthy eating habits at home then the kids will take it with them and be more likely to make healthy choices. Like this doctor pointed out one day his young daughter was going on some sort of field trip and they had to pack lunches. The daughter later asked him why the others kids parents hated them. Surprised he asked her why? She said that the others kids lunches were full of junk food and she wanted to know why their parents hated them and didn't want them to be healthy. He was a little taken back but explained to her that the parents loved their children they just didn't understand the significant healthy benefits of healthy eating.

I am one of those parents and I get lazy sometimes!! It is so much easier to whip a snack out of a package then have to plan a healthy snack or meal. It isn't easy and I have kinda ruined my kids because when I was sick and on chemo I feed them whatever because I was to tired to care. Now my daughter thinks everything should be chicken or bread and I am having to slowly break that habit. I try to give them a fruit snack in the morning between meals and veggies snacks between lunch and dinner. Dinner is my biggest struggle.

Banks is right that children need to consume more food and need more calories. However it is advisable to spread it out with three meals and two snacks. That keeps them from over stuffing themselves and forming bad habits and keeps the nutrition they need in their bodies to grow. But the point is not to let them get in bad snacking habits and fill up on snacks, that is what my three year old would do if I let her.

I don't know if I helped any, but there is my two cents :happy: .

Hey, GoGetter-- another homeschooler....there's at least three of us, now. Cool!

I agree and I also agree that kids are not as active as they used to be. It is partly the school's responsibility to feed them correctly when they are there, and to encourage healthy activities. But it is also the parent's role as well, to encourage their kids to be active. My sister and I were always in some kind of sport, starting out with little kiddie softball to cheerleading to gymnastics and school sports. I totally sucked at them, I am far from coordinated or athletic, but it didn't matter, it was fun and it kept us healthy. I think schools and parents need to really work together. You know, that saying it takes a village to raise a child...

I also believe in feeding my kids when they are hungry. I have never really put them on a strict eating schedule. I don't schedule myself when I eat, and I don't think it's fair to do that to kids either. I realize that's kind of impossible to follow in a school setting, though.

One of the main things I still remember about school (which was quite awhile ago) was being so hungery in 5th hour (right before lunch) that my stomach was growling and I could hardly concentrate.

Exactly why more good parents should be involved and asking questions - we need input in our school districts!

It's not so much meal frequency as it is the CONTENT of the meals. The thermic effect of digestion doesn't increase with meal frequency; it correlates with meal size. A big meal= more calories used in digestion, a smaller meal= fewer calories used in digestion. Eating 4 meals a day is by no means unhealthy, and really just serves to prevent bingeing, which is easily controlled as an adult who can monitor calories. I eat 4 meals a day, and my fasted glucose is ~70 and I'm not overweight.

However, when you look at WHAT the kids are served...it's garbage. I haven't been out of the public school system long enough to forget what I had to live on.
Breakfast: Sausage wrapped in pancakes or honey buns
Lunch: Pizza, Fries, Stuffed Breadsticks, "Hot" Lunch (usually spaghetti, chicken fingers or a burger), and the one "healthy" item-- breaded chicken salad. Dressings? Ranch.
Snacks: Chips, cookies, muffins, snack cakes, vending machine. Or an apple.

Granted, I became health-conscious at a fairly young age, so I generally tried to pack my lunch or peel the breading off the chicken for the salad (seriously, I did). But when you put a kid in a candy store, what do you think they're going to buy? No one wanted the apple, they wanted the pizza, fries, and a Nutty Buddy bar. Whether they're allowed 1 meal or 5 meals, if it's crap, it's crap.

We all know that eating 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big meals is so much better for you, but once our kids hit school age it seems that we try to mold them in to the 3 meals a day pattern, and it's no wonder that we have so many over weight kids turning into over weight adults. I particularly worry about this because I have a husband that was always "chubby" and now have a son with the same problem. And it breaks my heart to see so many young girls on this sight with weight problems, some of them very severe. I personally didn't have any major weight issues until after I got married and had badies.

When my kids were little, I ran a daycare in my home and I would serve breakfast, 10:00 snack, lunch, 3:00 snack, which I thought was a great schedule for the little ones. Now my kids are in school and they eat breakfast (which I have to force down them), a big lunch, a snack and a big supper. Which they will do for 13 years (k-12) That's a 13 year habbit that they will then have to break in order to be "healthy" later in life.

What are your guys' thoughts on this?

I don't think 3 meals a day is wrong. Look at the European countries and their lower rates of obesity. My wife just went on a teacher's trip to a few countries there, including Poland, and she noticed how she felt like the heaviest one there (though she is not as overweight as I am) same for the other countries, and in each one it had nothing to do with how much money one has, etc. She observed, and noticed 2 things:
1) That most people walked a lot.
2) That "snacks" were more of an American thing. The people in those countries didn't snack or have more than 3 meals a day. They generally ate a small breakfast, a regular-sized lunch, and a small dinner. Each meal was definitely not diet-like foods or low-calorie foods, except for the ubiquitious soup that was eaten with lunch and dinner to add to a sense of fullness.
They seemed to really enjoy their meals, and interesting enough, many ate outside, enjoying the atmosphere.

I think we have much to learn from other countries. This isn't new, obviously. Most of us heard of the "French Paradox" but it's easy to forget.

I think in America, our eating habits have had a few decades to get to this point, that even those my age have never known otherwise...but when my parents were kids in the 50s, people ate more like the European countries do today.

I think the answer is to try, over time, to revert to our older ways.

I was a foreign exchange student for Belgium and my husband worked over in Italy for quiet a while. So some of what you say is true. However weight watchers in big over in Europe too and I personally knew European woman who were on the diet. They have just as much junk food because I shopped their grocery stores. Sandwiches is a big part of their diets as well. Now the walking is a huge factor but it will never be the same here in west Texas as far as eating outside (because it is to dang hot) or walking to the grocery store because we are to spread out. You have to remember that these people live in house crammed next to each other. The home I stayed in was 300 years old! And it was one of the newer ones. We tear down homes and buildings older than 50 years in America and we like lots of acreage to go with it. In Europe it was easy for me to walk to the sandwich shop, or grocery store because it was just right there and the weather was always gorgeous except for rain or colder days. Kids in Europe are more conscience about their weight and the girl I stayed with worried about her weight and watched it just like American teens. But she had better eating habits then I did. Like chocolate was on every corner there in Spa Belgium but she would get some and eat it in a weeks time or so, I would eat all mine that day. Big difference. Oh, plus we did snack, maybe not as often but we did. And the schools do have snacks available, they even had mild beers and wine available...I KID YOU NOT!

Now the Italians eat lots of pasta. The kicker is it usually has fish and olive oil sauces which are much healthier than our sauces and beef or chicken toppings. Also their food isn't severely processed like ours and loaded with TONS of corn syrup. My husband actually gained weight while working in Italy because their food was so good. So it still goes back to portions. Plus I know you heard it takes them like two hours to eat their meals..this is true! It is usually a five course meal and it takes them 2 + hours to eat. My husband when he stayed in Italy said a lot of the restaurants would not even open till like 8 pm. These people love their social eating as well but they have healthier choices and they don't cram their faces full like we Americans. But they have Mc D's and pizza joints just like we do. Again it is just life style and their choices. Now they don't have Mexican food and that could be what is hurting us Americans!!! :laugh: I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD!!
Oh btw my husband lost 15 pounds while working in China because their food is AWFUL. My husband said his food was always looking back at him, he would always come back from China skinny as a rail. And I kid you not before he left he would fill a back pack full of those snickers power bars and that is what he would live off for 5 weeks because the food was so terrible in China. SO...we could all move to China and be super skinny in 10 weeks!!! :laugh:

So anyways from some one who was immersed in that culture they are generally skinner people but they work at it just like everyone else who is skinny. Yes it is easier because they will get more exercise because of the close distance and there are healthier food options when they choose to eat out. I loved Europe and their culture..but people I gained 15 pounds over there so it is very possible to gain weight with bad eating habits not matter where you are at and no matter how often you walk a day. (I walked everyday just about while there). Oh plus I drank my fair share of beer, it was awesome to be able to legally buy alcohol and drink it and I am sure that contributed big time to my weight gain! Ha!

Plus don't give the Europeans a bigger head then they already have. All I heard while I was there was how stupid and lame our President was, I was kinda getting pissy about it. I wanted to ask them..."So how many times was it that AMERCIA saved your rear end?? This could be Germany you know if it wasn't for AMERICA and our stupid presidents." Sorry..off subject.

Bottom line.. most school lunches average $2.50 per day. Our hot lunch program went from 2.25 to 2.50 2 years ago and the school recieved loads of complaints from parents about the cost of lunches. At 2.50 a day the average cost per month is $40 per child. If we want our kids to have truly healthy options at school we need to be willing to increase or even double lunch costs. What can you feed your kids for 2.50 a day that incorporates a truly healthy meal? Not too many options out there. However, a fair amount of those same complaining parents are willing to spend $5 a day on their coffee or restaurant prepared lunches. Priorities.

Everyone has very valid points, and if your kids don't have snack time or are able to eat a few pieces of apple between classes by a certain age kids should be able to go 4 hours between meals. That is a reasonable time frame.

Active or not, westerners, not just American kids, but western society as a whole need to make sure the generation growing up right now have the tools to grow up healthy. It is the parent's responsiblity to pass on as much knowledge as possible without terifying the kids into not eating. It is the parent's responsibility to insure their child has an active life and get their little bodies out from video games and tv because a lot of schools do not have PE everyday or even 2x a week, a lot of schools have less recess to allow for a "higher academic goal". If this is the case for your child then you, the parent need to find a way to get them moving, even if it's 30 minutes after dinner to ride bikes around the neighborhood or walk or if you are lucky, play at the park.

We are a society of blamers. No offense to anyone here. We can not rely on schools to teach our kids about life and academics and have our children compete with other countries that are far out pacing us academically. 20 years ago America was number one in education, our waist lines were smaller and schools were not expected to teach us all of lifes lessons then. Now we are fat and uneducated, ranking somewhere near 30 academically compared to other countries. We are falling behind academically and health wise and if we don't start taking some accountability for our own actions we will see a horrible predicted trend.

The trend is that this current generation of children is NOT expected to out live their parents due to obesity related health issues. Is this the legacy we want to leave behind? We have to change our relationship with food and teach our children to fuel their bodies with the right foods.

I agree with annaschaben that the temptation of a cheap treat is hard for kids to resist. Most of the schools in our area have banned such treats, the vending machines options are better as well, there is a milk one, sports drinks and water and "healthy snacks" like pretzels and things like that. That was all put into place by concerned parents petitioning the schools to get rid of soda machines and junk food and there was such an overwhelming response that the schools took notice and made the changes. Kids have to learn that there is always going to be temptation and that treats or sodas or whatever are just that, treats and should be eaten sparingly.

Changes to our school systems won't change until parents start to get involved, and not just a few parents, an overwhelming majority have to raise a stink for changes but when we combine our parental super powers we can make great things happen!

Here administration can make a 6 figure salary, if they have been there long enough. Teachers start out around $23,000 a year. What's crazy is that we pay $2 something for the kids meal and then the state gives them $1.50 or some thing like that for the food program for lunch per kid. Our lunches here aren't too bad. One thing that I'm not sure is good or bad is that they do have a salad bar, which one of my kids would rather just eat a salad than anything else, what I think is bad is that they get to use ranch on everything because of the salad bar. The last thing my kids need on pizza is ranch.

When I was in school (elementry) the teacher sat at your table and you had to eat a good portion of your food before you could go out to recess. And you had to take the veggies and eat some of them. But our typical meal was a meat, veggie, starch, fruit and desert. So like smothered steak, carrots, bread, pears, rice krispy bar and milk. Not great, but not totally bad. The last school my kids when to they offered fruit snacks and fruit roll-ups to the kids that they could buy for 50 cents after they had their lunch (and if you got free or reduced lunches it was free). That just totally pissed me off, because I would see kids not eat their lunch and go get a sugary snack. Also if the kids didn't want what was being served they could just get a pre-packaged PBJ, which is a joke. I strongly beleave that they need to learn to eat a variety of food. One of little girl's friend at PBJ's every day, which wouldn't be too bad, but she also lacked parenting and probably at PBJ or hot dogs most nights.

I considered home schooling, but 1 my husband is a teacher, and 2 we do live in a small area and have very good teachers. At one point I knew about the quadratic formula and how to derive the area under a line, but there would be know way I could teach my kids about it. And at one point I was awesome in physics and chemistry, but I just wouldn't be able to do my kids justice, and they might not ever need that stuff in the real world, but I want them to go to college and be able to do that sort of stuff when they get there, and even though I took it all in high school and college I'm not sure I could teach it.

I've gotta kid in college! (and I am not genius) You could home school. You have a teacher right in your own home for help. My husband's family were hardline anti-home schoolers because one of their sons is a gifted-ed teacher who has won many national accredidations. They've totally changed what they think. Not because of what I said, but what they see (in my kids).

(don't do it Marla-- don't do it)

Well, okay, here's what I think-- I think our "obesity" epidemic is because our kids are either in school all blinkin' day on their behinds, in after school programs, daycares and on video games instead of being outside playing and riding their bikes like we were as kids.

I wasn't a fat kid UNTIL age 10 when my mother went back to work fulltime, turning me into a latchkey kid who ate unsupervised, and sat around and watched TV 'cause no one was there to tell me get my butt outside and play.

I think it's less about what the kids eat. Heck, all the skinny girls in school when I was a kid still ate Twinkies, but they were active so it all came out in the wash. Me? I ate a Twinkie and got fat. It's about the supervision they have and what they do with their free time.

I think it's outrageous my kid CAN'T get a soda in school if he wants one because the schools are so nutty about this topic that all sugar and fat is off limits. It's madness. I think the schools job is to teach Readin', Ritin' and Rithmetic, not dictate what our children eat. That's my job.

I some what agree, but I don't think kids shouldn't get to just have soda it should be something special they get only occationally, and I do feel that the school does have to teach kids about nutrition, because hell the teachers there see my kids 8 hours a day. After they sleep 9 hours and are in transport another 2, that leaves only 5 hours they are with me, of which time they are doing chores, homework, and bathing. Also there are a lot of kids in this country that the only nutrition they get is at school, and there are a lot of kids that eat 2 out of 3 meals at school. So the school is the main place they learn about nutrition

Well, yes, I'll agree the kids are in school all blinkin' day-- but I will not agree that the school's job is anything but to teach them academically. And wil leave it at that-- this is a nutrition forum, after all.

Have a great day--

(breathes a sigh of relief that she avoided adding two more cents to this discussion and ticking more people off with her black and white view of the world)

It's not the kids with good parents I'm worried about. Like I mentioned before I'm talking more about society as a whole.

I mainly started this to get people thinking. So far it's worked. Go ahead and add your 2 cents. You won't tick me off.

Well, you're sweet-- thank you. I guess what the bottom line of this for me is the power that "the people" have given to teachers, lawmakers, et cetera to decide what's best for our children. The tangent I'm leary of straying down is the one where the beginnings of it all has its roots on women returning to the work force-- that's why I'm going to be very carefully choosing my words.

However, to try and stay as bland as I can, BECAUSE so many children are away from parents so much, and for so many hours of the day in day care, after school programs, et cetera, and because of so much inept parenting, the schools have decided that SOMEBODY has to teach our children "this and that." And so they've rushed in to fill their presumed need, whether it be nutrition, sex education, social issues-- and parents, either too tired, stressed, clueless or apathetic have rolled over and allowed it.

A handful will rise up, but the majority stay silent and let the PC crowd take over, and engineer the kids. The argument that because "some" parents are inept ALL children must be protected is crap, in my opinion. This isn't just in schooling, its with the lawmakers as well-- mandatory seatbelts, car seats, helmets, immunization. Don't get me wrong. I use all these, have my kids use them, and immunize my kids because I think it's the wise thing to do. BUT, if I DIDN'T do these things, what right has the government or anyone else to tell me what do do?

Getting back to nutrition and schools, my eldest is in high school, I homeschool the rest. I have no problem with him having a soda and fries. I buy soda and fries. It's not a steady diet of it, but we do certainly eat "bad" food now and then, and enjoy. The fact that he can't buy one at school isn't something I'm willing to write my congressman over, let me make that clear, but it's just one of those little annoying things that schools do to try and force their positions on us. I find it irksome. I'd much rather they simply stick to teaching, as I said, "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic."

So, I'm not willign to lay the blame on the schools, I will place it on parents. And I'm not comfortable looking to the schools to seek to solve the problem-- again, look to Mom and Dad.

That sounds cool.

I didn't read everyones posts, but here is just a tidbit.

I never liked school lunch, ever.
However, as a teacher, I've noticed that a lot of schools view their lunch programs differently.
Where I student taught (a tiny farm school), the food was still all freshly made that morning! Where I taught my first year, it was generic lunch room food, with a pizza, and anemic salad option (brand new school). Where I am now, it's tragic. Worse salad then before and disgusting food (ALL pre made and shipped here), another farm school. I almost freaked out when my students came in with a hot pocket (from the school breakfast line)!

The one cool thing about my school, they now have HUGE baskets of fruit (sometimes veggies) out during the day. I am a lenient teacher and allow them to grab fruit and eat in my class (IF they can keep it picked up).

I also attended a conference this summer (home ec teacher here)and there are programs in some states that will come into the school and revamp their entire cafaterria plan. Making meals more nutritionally sound. The big thing, change doesn't happen if people don't force it.

I can't say whether what kids eat/don't eat/when they eat at school is the problem, but I think there is room for improvement. Cause as much as I would LOVE to send my kiddo to private school, I am a single mom, working full time (as a teacher in a public school) who can't afford that option. The only way public schools will change is if someone raises cain about it.