Food choices
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***How can a child who has never had any choices EVER "choose" to eat
vegetables?***
Yes, and I watched one friend try the -let them eat what they like-
approach and then claim it didn't work because all they ate was junk.
She bought what they asked for at the store, but nothing else that they
might have chosen at home instead of the "junk". So when all there was
to snack on, chips and cookies, etc, was really all there was, no
cherries, no melon, no carrots etc. they did just eat the "junk" but
that wasn't choice. That was just hunger and availability.
So she proudly says she tried it, but "it just doesn't work with MY
kids".... *sigh*.
Deb L
vegetables?***
Yes, and I watched one friend try the -let them eat what they like-
approach and then claim it didn't work because all they ate was junk.
She bought what they asked for at the store, but nothing else that they
might have chosen at home instead of the "junk". So when all there was
to snack on, chips and cookies, etc, was really all there was, no
cherries, no melon, no carrots etc. they did just eat the "junk" but
that wasn't choice. That was just hunger and availability.
So she proudly says she tried it, but "it just doesn't work with MY
kids".... *sigh*.
Deb L
kekje_uk
I just read all the messages about food choice etc. I totally
advocate kids being able to regulate their own food intake. Someone
mentioned calories though and yes to a certain extent kids need
calories but not if its all sugar and saturrated fat. If you eat
healthy food yourself, then your kids are going to enjoy healthy food
and want to eat it. Its no good complaining about your kids eating
nothingh but junk( and we've all done it!!) if we are the ones who
buy the junk in the first place! If you are a family which cooks
everything from scratch and the kids get involved in this then they
will learn what they need to make certain things, so when you are
shopping they can easily tell you what they would like to buy to make
something which they want to eat. I dont have a problem with food
fads, thats not to say my kids dont have them, but the food they do
want to eat all the time is decent healthy stuff. My youngest ate
nothing but peanut butter sandwiches for some periods when he was
younger, but he did drink a lot of juice and also fruit and other
healthy snacks, so i guess it could have been worse.
I dont think we should try to impose our own likes and dislikes on
kids. If you have agood selection of wholesome food in the house then
they should take what they need and not make themselves hungry.
I do believe that breastfeeding on cue, where the baby can have free
access to the breast, is a good start to the child learning that s/he
is in control of his/her own eating, and as they start to be old
enough for solid food(not those yucky commercial jars!)about 6 months
old if you are breastfeeding, then sitting them at the table with you
and allowing them to help themselves to your stuff, or put some on
their own plate, this encourages them to learn that it's up to them
what they like and dislike.
All kids, unless the parents are total fascists, will encounter and
eat junk food, but so what? If they have ahealthy balanced diet and
are not just getting sugar jags/lows all day they won't crave the
instant rush that junk food gives.
I just read a brilliant book, called Sugar Blues, by William Dufty.
It opened my eyes i can tell you!
We are vegetarian but i have never forced my kids to be veggies, my
eldest was not brought up in a veggie home,as my ex husband is a meat
eater. My youngest has chosen for himself to be veggie. I know veggie
parents who think that it would be a bad influence for their kids to
be offered meat. Why? My son has been offered meat, fish etc. He has
a mouth, he can say no(or he may say yes if he wants, who knows?) Why
is it so important for vegetarians to want their kids to be veggies?
Yes, it is, but its more important that they have their own choices
and that they are veggies because they want and choose to be, rather
than because they have to.
Well, thats my bit. We just have to do what we can to make sure our
kids are healthy. After all you wouldnt let your kids take crack, or
smoke a cigarette, because they dont know the facts. Its the same
with food. Until they are old enough to know about food, we tend to
give them what we think is healthy, then hopefully by the time they
are old enough to choose, they will know anyway what is "good"
or "bad". But i did draw the line at sweets(candy to you
Americans/canadians) with all those colourings in, and anyway ny
yougest really didnt recognise themas edble!
Cal
advocate kids being able to regulate their own food intake. Someone
mentioned calories though and yes to a certain extent kids need
calories but not if its all sugar and saturrated fat. If you eat
healthy food yourself, then your kids are going to enjoy healthy food
and want to eat it. Its no good complaining about your kids eating
nothingh but junk( and we've all done it!!) if we are the ones who
buy the junk in the first place! If you are a family which cooks
everything from scratch and the kids get involved in this then they
will learn what they need to make certain things, so when you are
shopping they can easily tell you what they would like to buy to make
something which they want to eat. I dont have a problem with food
fads, thats not to say my kids dont have them, but the food they do
want to eat all the time is decent healthy stuff. My youngest ate
nothing but peanut butter sandwiches for some periods when he was
younger, but he did drink a lot of juice and also fruit and other
healthy snacks, so i guess it could have been worse.
I dont think we should try to impose our own likes and dislikes on
kids. If you have agood selection of wholesome food in the house then
they should take what they need and not make themselves hungry.
I do believe that breastfeeding on cue, where the baby can have free
access to the breast, is a good start to the child learning that s/he
is in control of his/her own eating, and as they start to be old
enough for solid food(not those yucky commercial jars!)about 6 months
old if you are breastfeeding, then sitting them at the table with you
and allowing them to help themselves to your stuff, or put some on
their own plate, this encourages them to learn that it's up to them
what they like and dislike.
All kids, unless the parents are total fascists, will encounter and
eat junk food, but so what? If they have ahealthy balanced diet and
are not just getting sugar jags/lows all day they won't crave the
instant rush that junk food gives.
I just read a brilliant book, called Sugar Blues, by William Dufty.
It opened my eyes i can tell you!
We are vegetarian but i have never forced my kids to be veggies, my
eldest was not brought up in a veggie home,as my ex husband is a meat
eater. My youngest has chosen for himself to be veggie. I know veggie
parents who think that it would be a bad influence for their kids to
be offered meat. Why? My son has been offered meat, fish etc. He has
a mouth, he can say no(or he may say yes if he wants, who knows?) Why
is it so important for vegetarians to want their kids to be veggies?
Yes, it is, but its more important that they have their own choices
and that they are veggies because they want and choose to be, rather
than because they have to.
Well, thats my bit. We just have to do what we can to make sure our
kids are healthy. After all you wouldnt let your kids take crack, or
smoke a cigarette, because they dont know the facts. Its the same
with food. Until they are old enough to know about food, we tend to
give them what we think is healthy, then hopefully by the time they
are old enough to choose, they will know anyway what is "good"
or "bad". But i did draw the line at sweets(candy to you
Americans/canadians) with all those colourings in, and anyway ny
yougest really didnt recognise themas edble!
Cal