"dieting" with kids?

I think that if everyone has healthy food options and the kids have portion control (they can eat all they want) there's no reason you can't share meals without them being restricted or you overdoing it. I don't do well with bread while dieting so if I was making a family meal that really called for a starch I might just cook a few frozen biscuits for others and not partake. Or some mashed potatoes and I'd just have a small serving. It's really just in the portions. If your family must have your lasagna, have a big salad and a small square yourself while they have big squares and bread sticks (and hopefully a little salad). Or get them to try your new veggie lasagna. Like that.

I never eat frozen diet meals.

I usually make two side dishes, a veggie and a carb. I just don't eat the carb, or have a very small serving.

make healthier choices yourself, then when your kids ask why you arent eating what they are eating, take that as a chance to educate them on nutrition a little. obviously you wouldnt want to beat it in there heads, but just be straight up with them, tell em mommy is trying to lose a little bit of weight to make herself feel better in the long run

who knows, maybe they will want to eat a bit healthier as well, win-win situation

Just cook healthier as a whole. It won't hurt the kiddos to eat healthful foods as long as they are getting the nutrition they need. You will be surprised the things your kids will love that you never thought! For example, I made a vegetable pilaf the other night with Quinoa and my 4 year old(picky picky eater) ate it with no complaints! It makes you feel good that they are eating foods that are good for them.

Try browsing through the recipes at Skinnytaste.com -- amazing, healthy, and delicious meals for the whole family!

My hubby and kids each the same food I do. We are all healthier for it. You will never regret teaching your kids a healthy way of eating.

My child eats what I eat but she gets to have some treats that I don't. It's funny because I have sugar free jello in the fridge and she doesn't eat it because it's "mommy's after I go to bed" treat!!

But we eat chicken, pork, a lot of salad and fruit and veggies. She loves dairy products and fruit. As long as it fits in my cals and I portion control - tonight I'm making Beef and beans with biscuits. It's not the most healthy thing but one portion is 338 cals and it's my dinner. She loves it and so does my husband.

I have never given her soda - she gets it occasionally if my husband has half a can of pepsi she can finish it as a treat or if we are eating out she can have a sprite or a diet root beer or something. She does eat too much candy, I am working on removing it from her diet a little bit. I feel bad for her as I wasn't allowed any dairy products, sugary food, preservatives, E numbers when I was a kid (I was on a special diet for a skin condition) until I was 12 or 13 and when I could eat them I made up for those 13 years without treats.... But I watch other parents just stuff their kids with sugar and treats and soda - I don't do that, so I don't feel too bad about her having some candy and being a kid.

First, none of my kids are fat but very fit - head and shoulders above 90% of their peers.
We have 5 kids.
I make them train and eat what I prepare, and we allow no junk food, soda or TV.
They indeed carp, and my response is always the same.
Eat what I make, or eat NOTHING.
End of story.
I refuse to raise what I see too much of in American society: fat, underachieving kids who will grow up to be fat, unhappy adults.
They can hate me now to love me later or whatever. It's not a popularity contest.
As a parent, I have a job to do.

Cook healthy meals and everyone has a portion size that is appropriate for them. IE grilled chicken breast and veggies, or a healthy soup.

I agree with the general consensus. Making healthy dinners for the family will benefit you and the kids. Your portions should be smaller (if they kids are very young, the kids serving and yours may be the same size.)

One of my favorite family meals is grilled cheese. My kids (5 & 3) and I each have a half sandwich with a side of fresh seasonal fruit. The kids have a glass of milk and I have a perrier.

My kids eat about the same things as I do. If I feel they need more calories than a meal has to offer (one of them is underweight) I add extra cheese, butter, or high fat salad dressing.

My kids are severely under weight. My 6 year old is 31 pounds.

They need a higher HEALTHY fat intake than I do, so I make the same foods in very different ways depending on who I am serving what to.

I struggle with this as a single dad. My 4 year-old daughter lives with me and, for the most part, has very healthy eating habits (no sodas, chips, or other junk food in the house). But at her age, her taste buds are changing so that one month she'll love string beans and the next month she won't. What gets me into trouble is pasta. She loves it and so do I. If I make it now, I'll make just a small serving so she can have it and not me. Other meals that I fix, I'll load myself up with the veggies and have some protein like chicken, and she'll have a much smaller portion along with something else that she likes. But it is difficult and you have to plan your meal. Otherwise, you can easily fall into the trap of making more pasta than you should be eating simply because it's easy to boil more than to make something separate for yourself.

I really love Myplate.gov for a reference for balanced nutrition. There are charts to help and ideas for families.

I think that you have gotten some excellent advice. Healthier food for everyone!

In our family, we have some added dynamics. My husband and I are both trying to lose weight. I am big into whole, real food while he is big into processed chemicals. My son (6) is considerably underweight and vomits if he eats normal quantities of food in a single sitting. My daughter has a genetic disorder which leaves her with a dramatically reduced metabolism rate and at a tremendously high risk for life-threatening obesity. So, at age 8, we already have to diligently count all of her calories and keep her intake to 1,024 calories per day while ensuring adequate nutrition. So, we will often have variations of the same food. For example, I buy Arnold Healthfull bread for myself (and now my little guy has decided that he likes that best). It is 80 calories per slice. My husband will only eat 35-40 calorie per slice bread. I get my daughter Joseph pita bread which is 60 calories per pita with very low carbs (she also has to have low carbs due to disorder). If we are having cheese, I might use Laughing Cow light for my daughter, lowfat for my hubby and I and full-fat for my son. We have 3 types of milk in the house. My son gets whole eggs, my daughter egg whites. You probably get the idea. No one gets special foods for dinner (although hubby doesn't always comply!); there may be special variations but we all eat the same thing.