Using a food scale in front of your kids

I view it the same way as using measuring cups to follow a recipe.

It's a tool to ensure you're not overeating or undereating.

It's not as if it's some x rated toy...

My food scale is out on the counter in plain sight and I use it like any other kitchen gadget.

I fail to see the issue here.

My 6 year old asked me once a while back about it. I just told her I use a food scale to make sure I'm using the right amounts for things.

Recipe idea is a good place to start too.

I find it useful to show my son what an actual serving size looks like.

I agree with the "recipe" comparison. 35 plus years ago I worked at a Hagaan Das (sp) and Round Table and we measured everything. RT just wanted consistent pies and HD it was a budget deal. I think many weigh for many reasons and your kids see it everywhere. I think these are the habits our kids see that are really good for them to see. (IMO)

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

I totally agree!

I have raised five girls, and sometimes I wish I could go back and deal better with body issues. I've never been verbal about the issues I have with my body, but they pick things up nonetheless. I understand your concerns, but I think using a food scale is a positive thing--it's an opportunity to show them that it's important to fuel your body with the proper amount of nutrition. If they ask about it, you don't have to say it's so you can lose vanity weight (though that could be handled in a way so as not to make a negative impact). Like pretty much everything else, it's all about how you handle it and explain it and your attitude about it.

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wish schools would have kids log calories and weigh food as a project in high school health class for a week. Teach them about macros and their role in our bodies, what a reasonable portion of food looks like, how much they should consume for their size and activity level, how much protein they should get, etc.. It seems like one of the most important things you can teach teens as far as health is concerned.

I wish we would have done this, I grew up thinking "diet" was a punishment and avoided any nutritional teaching. It should have never been something to be scared of. It only took me 46 years to learn on my own, 25 of those as a nurse too. (oh well). LOL

DemoraFairy wrote: »

Whenever I cooked with my mum we always used scales, how else do you accurately follow a recipe? Also used scales in cookery classes at school.

In the US, recipes don't have weights, but rather measuring cups and spoons. We don't commonly have scales in our kitchens. The vast majority of people don't weight their food for the purpose of limiting portions, so it is often viewed as eccentric or disordered behavior.

haibu wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I think the recipe advice is a good one.

I guess I've just spent so much time stressing how much I love my body and how important it is to love your body and feel confident in it, that I feel, I don't know, like I'd have to admit that I'm not as happy with it as I've been saying. Does that make sense?

You can be totally confident in your body and still want it to look better. I don't think that's a negative message. If it came up, I'd just say something like, "I'm at a healthy weight and I feel great, so now I'm going to work on toning my muscles (or whatever your focus is)." That's not a negative message.