Food and Parenting

Options
BrownEyedBetty
BrownEyedBetty Posts: 85 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I hear this so much and it really boggles my mind. When I hear a parent who is trying to have a more active and heathy life say well I buy those special treats for my kids. So it's ok for your children to eat that crap that is so called food and not you? Don't you want your children to grow up and have a healthy relationship with real food? Gogurt is not a food, little debbie cakes are not food, sugary fruit snack are not food. I want my future kids to love eating vegetables and fruits and have a diverse food palate.

Any thoughts?
«134567…16

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    I hear this so much and it really boggles my mind. When I hear a parent who is trying to have a more active and heathy life say well I buy those special treats for my kids. So it's ok for your children to eat that crap that is so called food and not you? Don't you want your children to grow up and have a healthy relationship with real food? Gogurt is not a food, little debbie cakes are not food, sugary fruit snack are not food. I want my future kids to love eating vegetables and fruits and have a diverse food palate.

    Any thoughts?

    Yes I have some thoughts.

    Claiming that heavily processed foods are "not food" is incorrect and also I think it's offensive to demographics that may not have as much access to whole and minimally refined foods.

    I think if your concern is to develop a healthy mindset around food you do that by being inclusive and teaching moderation, not by labeling certain foods as "not food".

    You claim to endorse a diverse diet but your comments go against that.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    I think that you may have the concept of 'healthy relationship with food' confused.

    I also think that you may have the concept of 'food' confused.
  • BrownEyedBetty
    BrownEyedBetty Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    It's not food... It's artificial chemicals and highly processed crap that kills, which is why this current generation is said to have a shorter life span than there parents. What I mean by a diverse diet is a diet with real food... fruits, vegetables, etc.

    I mean to offend no one. I fully understand what it's like to grow up and all that was there was highly processed crap because my parents were not properly educated when it comes to nutrition and had the mindset they did not have the money to buy real food. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget but its not easy which I am aware of.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    Options
    Judging much? I gave veggies to my kids as soon as they started eating normal food. After months and months of them not eating them, I realized that what's good in theory doesn't always work in practice, and started giving them more 'kid' foods (what I guess you call junk).

    Now they have cereal for breakfast (low sugar or not), Gogurt for snacks (what's wrong with that, by the way?), sandwiches and fruit for lunch, little oreos or crackers for snacks (and sometimes a Little Debbie cake, or more fruit), and eat a balanced dinner (some veggies are still a problem, no matter how much I want them to 'love' them). They get fruit snacks once in a while, but I guess that's where I draw the line, as I think they are mostly sugar.

    But it's called balance and moderation. My kids don't have a weight problem... I do. Sure, kids (usually) don't let themselves starve, but you're not the one who has to hear them say 'I'm hungry' over and over again after they refused to eat the veggie snack you gave them.

    But I'm guessing you don't have kids, so I guess it's easy to judge (not that I advocate giving juice or soda to your kids all day or mac'n cheese for lunch every day, mind you, but Gogurts and Little Debbie snacks once in a while are not going to kill them).
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Options
    I'm not seeing how buying those foods and having them in the house = eating those foods all the time. I do purchase some snack foods for my kids - not the ones you listed above, but some. They're quite handy to throw in my bag when we are going out somewhere, or to give my child to take for snack at school when they only have a few minutes and little space for snack.

    Just because my kids enjoy convenience snacks sometimes doesn't mean that is all that they eat. They get all their fruits and veggies, but they get them at times when eating those things is going to be possible for them. I used to try to send in veggies and dip or fruit cups, and they would come back half-eaten or not even touched because they didn't have enough time to eat them. My kid's teacher doesn't have the time to help 24 kids open their containers and get situated with less than 10 minutes for snack (including clean-up), so convenience snacks are better for everyone involved.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    It's not food... It's artificial chemicals and highly processed crap that kills, which is why this current generation is said to have a shorter life span than there parents. What I mean by a diverse diet is a diet with real food... fruits, vegetables, etc.

    I mean to offend no one. I fully understand what it's like to grow up and all that was there was highly processed crap because my parents were not properly educated when it comes to nutrition and had the mindset they did not have the money to buy real food. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget but its not easy which I am aware of.

    Where is your data that this generation is said to have a shorter life span? And which generation are you even talking about? There's currently four, nearly five, generations still in existence today.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    I hear this so much and it really boggles my mind. When I hear a parent who is trying to have a more active and heathy life say well I buy those special treats for my kids. So it's ok for your children to eat that crap that is so called food and not you? Don't you want your children to grow up and have a healthy relationship with real food? Gogurt is not a food, little debbie cakes are not food, sugary fruit snack are not food. I want my future kids to love eating vegetables and fruits and have a diverse food palate.

    Any thoughts?

    I want my children to have access to all the different kinds of foods out there, so they can *learn* how to make good choices when it comes to food. I don't restrict foods for them - because they'll wind up getting what they want somewhere and I'd rather it be with me, so we can talk about moderation foods.

    Plus, just because I don't want to eat a fruit roll up, or a piece of chocolate, doesn't mean those foods aren't real foods. All the foods you listed above as "not food" - well that's your opinion. And no one really cares about your opinion but you.

    My kids are people - not clay I can mold into tiny versions of myself. My job is to teach them what I know about food, moderation and nutrition and then allow them to find their own path.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Options
    If it's not food then what is it? Clothes?
    I'm in, btw.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    It's not food... It's artificial chemicals and highly processed crap that kills, which is why this current generation is said to have a shorter life span than there parents. What I mean by a diverse diet is a diet with real food... fruits, vegetables, etc.

    It IS food. You can hold any belief you want but the fact is that you can survive entirely on processed foods. You get nutrients from it and those nutrients are utilized.

    Do you have any evidence that our life spans are getting shorter? I'd love to see that.

    Finally, if you have concerns about specific "chemicals", then which ones are you concerned with?

    I mean to offend no one. I fully understand what it's like to grow up and all that was there was highly processed crap because my parents were not properly educated when it comes to nutrition and had the mindset they did not have the money to buy real food. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget but its not easy which I am aware of.

    That depends on your budget and the size of your family.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    It's not food... It's artificial chemicals and highly processed crap that kills, which is why this current generation is said to have a shorter life span than there parents. What I mean by a diverse diet is a diet with real food... fruits, vegetables, etc.

    I mean to offend no one. I fully understand what it's like to grow up and all that was there was highly processed crap because my parents were not properly educated when it comes to nutrition and had the mindset they did not have the money to buy real food. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget but its not easy which I am aware of.

    How many kids do you have?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Options
    What differentiates a Quest Bar (something you ate today) from GoGurt?

    Would you let your child eat a Quest Bar or would you be concerned with chemicals?
  • BrownEyedBetty
    BrownEyedBetty Posts: 85 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    I mean to offend no one. I'm just saying I personally would not feed that stuff to my children even with a balanced diet. If they want a
    cookie I will make them from stratch instead of buying the ones that come in a box is all I am saying
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    I'm still waiting for data that indicates "this generation" (whatever that means) is going to have a shorter life span...
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    I mean to offend no one. I'm just saying I personally would not feed that stuff to my children even with a balanced diet. If they want a
    cookie I will make them from stratch instead of buying the ones that come in a box is all I am saying

    I love the declarations of non-parents about how they will parent. It's adorable.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    It's not food... It's artificial chemicals and highly processed crap that kills, which is why this current generation is said to have a shorter life span than there parents. What I mean by a diverse diet is a diet with real food... fruits, vegetables, etc.

    I mean to offend no one. I fully understand what it's like to grow up and all that was there was highly processed crap because my parents were not properly educated when it comes to nutrition and had the mindset they did not have the money to buy real food. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget but its not easy which I am aware of.

    Errrr...please expand on your 'that kills' part. Also, are you saying that everything processed is crap? Are you saying that dosage is irrelevant? Where does it show that this generation has a shorter life? Which generation? Compared to what?

    It is also possible to eat healthy on a budget and include processed foods...that, gasp, also includes artificial chemicals.

    I still think that you have the definition of food confused.
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    Ah, that explains things, I've been feeding my kid this:

    2n0k0y.jpg

    These threads usually end pretty well.

    I think it's the never contentious issues of how to raise your children combined with what food to eat. From a stranger on t'internet, no less.

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    I mean to offend no one. I'm just saying I personally would not feed that stuff to my children even with a balanced diet. If they want a
    cookie I will make them from stratch instead of buying the ones that come in a box is all I am saying

    I'm not personally offended, I just think your perception of what constitutes a healthy relationship with food is skewed.

    If you are to the point that you view processed foods as "not food" because of "chemicals" I'd ask you to cite which chemicals or at the very least start looking at research papers instead of media as your source of information.

    There's a concept called dosage that applies to things that are bad for you. For example too much water can kill you.

    So when you become fearful of something and claim that it's arbitrarily bad for you and needs to be avoided you instill fear and/or alarmism when it's not at all needed. I would never want that fear taught to my children and in fact I don't even like that fear being taught on the internet to perfect strangers which is one of the reasons I spend my time speaking out against it on the forums.

    I can eat a nutrient rich diet with mostly whole foods, and I can also incorporate a few store-bought cookies, or a pop tart, and if my total calories are under control and the majority of my diet is "healthy", then that cookie or pop tart doesn't do any harm.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa
  • Contrary03
    Contrary03 Posts: 289 Member
    Options
    I'm lucky. 2 out of my 3 children like fruits and veggies. I encourage him to try them but do not force him. Do i let him have ice cream, yes. Chips, yes. etc. It's all about moderation and picking your battles.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    From the Oxford dictionary:

    "Definition of food in English:
    NOUN

    Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth:"


    I did learn however the origin of the word which was interesting (in a kind of nerdy way):

    "late Old English fōda, of Germanic origin; related to fodder."






  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    Options
    BrownEyedBetty wrote: »
    I mean to offend no one. I'm just saying I personally would not feed that stuff to my children even with a balanced diet. If they want a
    cookie I will make them from stratch instead of buying the ones that come in a box is all I am saying

    You'll find out that it's much easier to be a parenting expert when you don't have kids.

    Also, cookies from scratch don't keep as long, and I eat them. They're perfectly content with a packaged cookie once in a while, so it's better for everyone.

Categories