How to raise healthy kids when junk food is everywhere?

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saw50st8

Thu, Sep 20 2012, 6:35 pm

The older my kids get, the less and less they like healthy food. Especially since they joined school lunches.

At DS's daycare, everyone gets school lunch. I mean literally. Its not unhealthy food, but its not healthy. They do serve vegetables at every meal and DS likes broccoli because of daycare, but now they like plain pasta (gross!!!)

I served bok choy and beef tonight and they all hated the bok choy. Except for my baby.

In the afternoon, DS's carpool buddy always has unhealthy snacks and juice on the way home. I don
t give DS anything and feel bad, but I want him hungry when we get home so he is lkely to eat dinner.

mummiedearest

Thu, Sep 20 2012, 6:56 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

plain pasta isn't chock full of vitamins, and it's processed, but it's not what I would call gross. and school lunches are why a lot of kids don't eat healthily. I saw what my son ate last year and started sending home lunches. we're all happier. I suspect you don't have time for this, though? it sounds like your son's daycare is actually really providing healthy lunches. my son had farfel, corn, fishsticks and milk as a meal once a week last year. no real veggies, no fruit, "protein" stuffed with fillers... chicken nuggets, hot dogs, french fries, oil and margarine. blech.

saw50st8

Thu, Sep 20 2012, 7:17 pm

I just think plain pasta is gross :-) In addition to wanting my kids to eat healthy, I want them to enjoy flavor.

Both lunch programs aren't bad - they do serve vegetables. I told my oldest that he has to have at least 3 bites of vegetables every lunch and he (says he) listens. Sometimes he has more.

But lately anything that's not simple food is "I don't like that."

FranticFrummie

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 3:01 am

abby1776 wrote:

He can only bring dairy or parve to school. I do have a thermos, I could send in whole wheat pasta or something, but generally its a sandwich, although I do try to mix up the types of bread (whole wheat/7 grain/marble rye) and the fillings (avacado, cheese, chummas, cream cheese, parve/soy meat). I ask him what he wants for lunch and offer choices. But I am not making homemade pizza to send it. It has to be made in the morning. I am not the greatest with advance planning. I work full time and can just about get it together to pack a lunch in the morning.

I feel your pain! I have literally stood in the middle of the kitchen and CRIED more than once, yelling "What on earth do you want me to feed you?"

Dd is not only a picky eater, but she's lactose intolerant, has sensory issues, and hates all types of flavoring, seasoning, sauces or any types of food that is "touching each other". She will go on and off of any type of food without warning, but usually she'll announce "I don't like that anymore" right after you've gone to Costco and stocked up. *headdesk*

I've finally settled on packing her a small lunch with a few things that she says she will eat, for example a hard boiled egg, a peach and a fruit leather. When she comes home from school she can't have any snacks unless her lunch is completely eaten. Same for dinner, she has to finish lunch first. Dinner HAS to be protein first, then veggies, then fruit, then starch. Otherwise she'll fill up on the starch and leave the rest. I won't even put everything on the same plate at once, she has to eat one item before she'll get the next one.

I know, it's easy for me to say because I only have one child. I don't know how parents of multiple kids manage!

------------------------------------------------

Back to the original question. First of all, the parents have to model good food choices themselves. You can't be a hypocrite, your kids will know and they will never forget it - ever. You can't say "no" just because. You have to be able to give them logical reasons why they should make healthy choices, and then praise them when they do.

Ask yourself, "How do I keep my kids from eating treif? How do I keep them from munching on rat poison and toilet bowl cleaner? How will I keep my teen from smoking and doing drugs?" Answer that, and you'll have a better idea of how to keep them away from junk food. It has to be an ongoing discussion, in short comments (not lectures!), accumulating over the years, in order to really sink in and become a lifetime habit of good health.

You'd be amazed how early young kids can absorb information. When dd was around 3, she was driving me crazy for a bunch of candy (we had leftover from Simchas Torah, and I was rationing it.) I asked her "If I gave you a whole bunch of candy, do you think I was being a good mommy?" She said "No, it's not good for me." I said "I could give you the candy, but it's my job to be a good mommy. I don't like to say 'no' and make you sad, but I don't want to be a bad mommy and I want you to be a healthy girl." She said "OK" and ran off and played! She understood my logic, and completely gave up her argument.

If dd could have her way, she'd live on soda, candy and starch, but she also knows what good choices are, so there's very little whining now if I have to redirect her to a better food. I always try to have healthy alternatives around, like homemade "ice cream", which is basically frozen fruit that I pureed in the food processor, or a bag of frozen blueberries. She's a funny kid, she won't eat cooked green beans or peas, but she'll chow down on them if they're still frozen! (especially if I put them in a baggie and let her wander around the house while she munches.)

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 10:19 am

abby1776 wrote:

Sorry for hijacking the thread - but my DS likes one food one day and then doesnt the next. In the begining of the year he was very into yogurt, then he stopped eating it. Then it was apples, now no more (without honey). So now he is into grapes. His mood swings. So one day he will be eating something, and then the next day I pack it in his lunch and it comes home. Then I know we have to sit down and talk about lunch again.

That was what happened to us last year.
This year before school started, we compiled a list of lunch foods and snack foods that my son (sometimes) likes.
He picks every night from that list what he's in the mood of.
When we compiled the list, I wrote down applesauce, and he said he's never going to choose that.
Well guess what? Last week one day he did...

My son does the packing at around 7:30 PM. If your son can't do lunch, at least snacks should be easy if they're not perishables. E.g. my son makes baggies of pretzels, veggie straws, nuts, etc on Sunday and picks out daily what to take. If he wants to bring apple slices, he asks me to cut it up for him.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 10:24 am

Frantic Frummie, when we had a 5 day power outage this summer, I was emptying out my freezer. I took out my partially frozen green beans, went downstairs, and the kids in my building GOBBLED them up!!

Oh, and Abby, if I use the toaster oven to melt cheese, I continue packing other kids' things (sandwiches, yogurts, snacks) while it takes a few minutes to melt...so you can do pizza on bagel like that.
My son likes making pizza wraps at night. I give him a tortilla, a jar of sauce, a spoon, and a bag of shredded cheese. He assembles it on a piece of foil and secures it with 2 toothpicks. I pick up the foil and cook it in the toaster oven, wrap it up, and stick it in the fridge for the next day. I spend little time actually doing it, he does all the work.

zigi

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 10:36 am

saw50st8 wrote:

give it some time. keep serving it. they will like it again when they get older. ds used to hate sauce. bh his school served lasagna and now he likes it again. we also had ketchup sandwiches. bh they now make themselves bread and melted cheese, dd even eats whole wheat. try serving raw baby bok choy.. just keep having everything. they will get used to being around and eating it

zigi

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 10:37 am

ff frozen veggies are yummy! I used to snack on them as a kid.

abby1776

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 10:37 am

Thanks to everyone for all the good ideas.

Many of you may know that I work full time as an attorney. I do not get home from work until late in the evening (like 10 pm), but this is made up for the fact that I do not go to work until later in the morning.

Asking my son to pack his lunch the night before, would then fall to my husband, and he takes care of just about everything else and he doesnt want to deal with lunches too. So its my job and it has to happen in the morning.

The problem is, the mornings are always so rushed. I get up early before the kids and take care of lots of things - but my son is not a morning person. It is soooooo difficult to wake him in the morning and just to get him to wash nagel, brush his teeth, and get dressed is a battle.

As much as I wish we could sit down and deal with the lunch thing in the evening before he goes to bed, I am not home then and its just not possible.

chocolate chips

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 10:50 am

It is a really unhealthy world and I tried to be so health minded when ds started eating foods.

It quickly went down the drain after my mil and fil would feed him ice cream and cake and get upset if we wouldn't let! ("it won't hurt him why can his mummy eat it and not him"!!!)
I try to give him bamba and veggie sticks as snacks instead of potato chips and corn pops (simply because they have better ingredients than the latter).
He does LOVE tomatoes so he eats those at every meal and I give him bread, pasta, yoghurt, cheese and avocado for meals.

Tough tough when it comes to food (especially since dh and I are not crazy healthy people and we love our nash!)

superjew

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 11:56 am

Barbara wrote:

superjew wrote:

Barbara wrote:

abby1776 wrote:

Yesterday I packed my second grade son a sandwhich on whole wheat bread, and apple, a cheese stick, and crackers whith Chummas.

It all came home - he didnt eat any of it because he rather be hungry than eat healthy food.

And that will change next year. And again the year after that.

And for every person whose 8 year-old thinks that broccoli is so much more delicious than potato chips, there's another kid who is begging for a cheese curls having thrown the whole wheat carob cookie her mother thinks she loves into the trash.

There's no one right answer.

And I'm saying this as the mother who used to give her son "orange juice" -- 5 parts water, one part OJ, as a treat, and never let him near anything sweeter than a graham cracker. It didn't work past kindergarten, and wasn't such a hot idea to begin with. Not for us. Although maybe for others.

Moderation. Portion control. And lots of exercise.

And, luck. Lots of it. I "am" lucky to have the kid who loved getting the candy rewards, but then gave them away because he doesn't like candy. And trust me, that's not from "me."

P.S. You could give both broccoli AND potato chips (not at the same time of course :p) People ask me how I get my two year old to love broccoli. Besides for introducing it early and casually (not forcefully) I make a dip with it and that makes it more fun and 'unhealthy' so the mayo isn't the healthiest choice, seriously?! I'm not that stringent! What about chicken & ketchup? My son loves ketchup and he used to eat more ketchup than chicken, but I didn't care because at the end of the day the chicken was going into his tummy. My DH used to say that too much ketchup isn't good, but I just said, let him, he's eating. Now, he's older and if he has too much ketchup he doesn't like it. Dont get me wrong, he still eats his chicken with ketchup (and his potatoes too) but its not as much as it used to be and he figured it out all on his own.

Totally agree with luck as well.

Also, if you are giving your child a lolly, please teach them not to bite it. Rolling Eyes

I know random, but I figure if we're talking about health balances, at least let him eat the junk without damaging his teeth. What

You see, I think its easy to get your 2 year old to love broccoli, with or without dipping sauces. Its not so easy to get your 10 year old to love broccoli.

hhmmm I guess I have time to find that out, huh? You might be right. I know growing up our family loved broccoli (and dip lol) even my then 10 yr old brother. My dh family also, all love fruits and veggies. My mil just had cut up fresh veggies on the table when they came home from school. My dh doesn't remember every eating anything else as a snack. However, I should point out he LOVES junk food now. BUT is a really healthy eater in general. Thats why we do everything in moderation. Balance is key. We eat healthy meals and have snacks in between. (some healthier than others to be honest)

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:05 pm

A kid who has been eating broccoli since 1 may go through stages when they're on and off it, but generally will be more likely to eat it than one who was never exposed to it.

My kids love broccoli. Sure we've gone through stages where some won't touch, but we're back to everyone loving it.
I buy frozen, and I don't even cook it really. I thaw it out.
I do have a sauce which helps my kids be more interested (mayo, mustard, lemon juice, spices, pickles) but some of them eat it plain without sauce while still frozen.

abby1776

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:16 pm

My kids love frozen peas. Not thawed, just frozen.
I dont see how they can eat them.

lamplighter

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:34 pm

I would like to hear from parents with kids who are older than 10 or 12.
Preschool kids are easier, it's when peers become a bigger influence than parents that the issue is enlarged.
I came from a very very healthy home, my mother did all these wonderful perfect things that many of you are suggesting but at the end none of us kids are into healthy food. We craved it in school, we traded our lives and labor for snacks, we spent our chanuka money on food and still today we all love to eat. many of us have been on diets and have periods of time when we are more careful but at the end of the day, food that is unhealthy is better tasting than carrots and we like food. As adults we make healthier choices in general and leave snacks and treats as our junky weaknesses but we each had to journey on our own, developing our own relationship with food, probably more so than others who just lived regular and had a nosh cabinet, ate pasta etc.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:36 pm

abby1776 wrote:

My kids love frozen peas. Not thawed, just frozen.
I dont see how they can eat them.

It's like crunching on ices. And they're sweet Smile

farm

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:48 pm

Abby, my son is a morning person but I'm not Smile

I pack his lunch at night in order to have as few things to do as possible in the morning, so like you, my son is not around when I am doing the lunch packing. He doesn't usually change his mind about his likes/dislikes, but I do find the whole lunch packing quite a chore. I think I may write out a list of all the options like HY suggested, and have him pick what he wants either each night before bed or maybe do a menu at the beginning of the week that he can fill out with the various options. Maybe that could work for you? He can leave you a note with his lunch request before bed so at least after all your efforts, he will eat what you prepare for him.

abby1776

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:50 pm

Now that my son can read, the list thing is a good idea.

I think I will type up a list of options and leave it for him and he can check off what he wants before he goes to bed, and then I will pack it in the morning.

black sheep

Fri, Sep 21 2012, 12:51 pm

lamplighter wrote:

you have a great point. I do believe that having ONLY very healthy food around will backfire, and that constantly telling kids not to eat junk food will also backfire. I grew up with a well stocked nosh cabinet, better perhaps than the actual food cabinet. in true israeli style (although my parents aren't israeli,) I had soda in my bottle and lolipops by a few months old. in addition to my allowance I was given extra money for the candy store. I grew up on too much nosh. and I have the opposite of you, I LOVE healthy food. I do need my chocolate, but candies and cakes and cookies are not a daily struggle for me, baruch hashem. now as for my kids, my oldest is 12. I have been "educating" them on healthy eating, as I discussed in an earlier post, so he knows how to make good choices, but there is always a treat around. and they are not just for special occasions but also for desert or whatever, basically they are a choice. at this point I have no control over what he eats, but he takes healthy cereal on his own for breakfast, makes sure he has healthy food for all his meals, eats treats in moderation, asks me to send him granola bars and fruits for snacks, and decided on his own that he doesn't drink soda because as he says "it's just pure junk." I don't know if every child will end up this way I know I'm lucky with his eating, but I do think that education and allowing for choices will develop a healthier attitude in your children towards food than just trying to eliminate junk altogether. or you can go my parents route and overdo the junk so your kids will crave healthy food Smile

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