You may have heard about a recent study linking processed diets to lower IQ in young children. The researchers found that kids who ate diets high in fat, sugar and processed foods before the age of 3 had a slightly lower IQ at age 8½, while children who ate a more “health-conscious” diet showed a slight increase in IQ.
Even before this new study came out, I had been wanting to sit down and write a post about what we feed our children. The reason for this is that I see many adults changing their eating habits and buying better quality foods for themselves while still feeding their kids processed junk foods. I’m trying to understand the logic behind this. If you learn enough about nutrition and health that you are wanting to put higher quality food into your body, wouldn’t you want to do the same for your kids?
If you have young children, I want you to take a look around your kitchen. What do you see? Raw nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, plain yogurt? OR do you see sugary cereals, processed snack foods and frozen corn dogs?
I am not suggesting that our family eats perfectly. Our pantry isn’t completely free of processed foods (see here). But I do challenge myself regularly to focus as much attention on reading labels on the items that I buy for my kids as I do for the food that I buy for my husband and me. In doing so, I am teaching them what healthy food looks and tastes like. They understand that many foods at the grocery store that have cartoon characters on them are not the best choice. They enjoy the taste of plain yogurt jazzed up with a little maple syrup and some fruit. They actually request high-fiber breakfast cereal.
Yes, they have treats sometimes. My son goes crazy for Cheetos when he gets the chance, and grandparents spoil with ice cream and jellybeans. But for the most part, our kids eat what we eat and I scrutinize labels on all of our food items. I will do the best that I can for our family’s health, and pray that one day our kids will make healthy decisions for themselves and for their families.
I am not trying to be up on some kind of high horse about this topic, I am hoping to spark a conversation. So…..
What do your children eat? What do you think about this topic? Please leave a comment.
I love this topic because it's a tough one and one we should think about more often! We try to walk a very fine line and feed our kids what one blogger dubbed "medium" food. We don't do high sugar cereal, but we do have cereal. We don't have potato chips, but we do have pretzels, Pirate's Booty and Veggie straws. We have plenty of fresh fruit, but do our fair share of pb&j sandwiches too. We let the grandparents spoil them when they come to town. The challenge is to provide healthy food without giving them a complex about food at all. It's tricky.
My little eats really healthy food. I made all of my own baby food and when it was time to switch to table food, I realized there was no way I could feed her the stuff we were eating. Not regularly anyway. I almost always cook from scratch but there was still just too much salt in our diets and way too much red meat.
I've been making special meals, just for her, to make sure she gets plenty of fresh, nutritious food and it's recently occurred to me that I'm tired of making separate meals and that we should probably just start eating healthier meals with her.
I'm working on it but I do still make some of our old favorites. I usually feed her something else depending on what we're eating. I do buy those little Gerber puffs and baby mum mums (they're little rice crackers) and I feel guilty about it but sometimes I need things like that in a pinch. Eating fresh and healthy sometimes means waiting longer for things to be prepared and if she's starving, it's easy to toss a handful of puff on her tray while I'm cutting up pears, green beans and a boiled chicken breast. And the serving size of those puffs is something like 60 of them and she only gets maybe 10.
My biggest struggle has been making sure she gets enough fat in her diet because she doesn't drink milk or like cheese much. Thank goodness for yogurt!
Our kids made the switch when we did to healthier less processed foods. BUT now we are trying to get Grandma on board too. When they go over there it isn't just a spoil here and there it is a junk food schmorgasboard! I mean seriously whatever they could want that is processed and sugar, greasy, or salty it is there. It makes me crazy to the point where I now pack their lunch in hopes to minimize the intake! They come home cranky and irritable. And the only conclusion I can draw is that is the food….
Our kids made the switch when we did to healthier less processed foods. BUT now we are trying to get Grandma on board too. When they go over there it isn't just a spoil here and there it is a junk food schmorgasboard! I mean seriously whatever they could want that is processed and sugar, greasy, or salty it is there. It makes me crazy to the point where I now pack their lunch in hopes to minimize the intake! They come home cranky and irritable. And the only conclusion I can draw is that is the food….
Well, I have to say that my girls eat MUCH healthier than some of their friends (not to dis another mom's food choices for her kids). Both girls nursed till (on average) a year. Neither of them liked store bought baby food. The first one suffered through it for a few months..the second one I started making homemade baby food for- but she still wasnt crazy about the texture. So…with both of them…their first intro to real food was around 6 months and they both started with SUSHI! They loved sushi and still do…my almost 5 y/o begs for it when ever we are at Sunflower Market. I have never made anything different or special for them for meals..they love spicy foods (flavorful and with a little heat). They have learned that flavor can come from herbs and seasoning and not just from fat and salt. If I am ever making something too spicy…I just take some out for them and then add the spice for my husband and I. I think they are really good eaters and will eat pretty much anything we put in front of them…due to the fact that they never really had a choice. They have had exposure to sooo many different foods at an early age. Both my girls are very under weight to the point where the pediatrician tells us to coat their veggies etc in good quality butter (which I never remember to do), and unfortunately they dont really care for yogurt (must be that texture thing again) but they drink whole milk and kefir regularly and even when offered soda or juice…usually turn it down and ask for milk or water. (and that has been their choice from the beginning- not something I actively taught them). But, dont get me wrong, they are kids and get the occassional processed Mac n Cheese (they prefer the organic stuff over Kraft which is nice), pizza, candy, etc….But is is all in moderation! I just feel bad for a little girl we know who is almost 5 years old and has basically grown up (her entire life since starting solid food) eating chicken nuggets (from freezor or fast food), mac n cheese (processed in the ready to eat packages from store deli), processed name brand cheese crackers and ice cream. Even her mom has admitted that that is ALL she will eat…that she refuses to eat anything else, ever. Partly I feel bad that she has a picky kid, partly I feel it is her fault as she is the mom, the teacher, the one that has influenced eating habit from the very beginning. I dont know if it is budget, laziness or what…but I cant help but wonder how these less than optimal food choices will affect the little girl and her future health.
Oh man, I agree with previous posters about the grandparent effect. My 4yo just returned from a trip to Disney with nana (my mom), and it's like a detox program to wean him off the candy & fried food!
As with any diet, my son's has its high points and areas for improvement. I'm lucky that he's a fiend for fresh fruit, and he eats dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) gleefully. I try to pack protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetable and dairy into every meal; he will generally eat 4 of 5 items I give him at any setting. And this is the kid who, when I was pressed for time & considering an easy out, turned down my offer of a Happy Meal.
That said… getting a vegetable into this kid is like trying to cram an angry octopus into a pillow case. I've tried adding butter, cheese or dressings; steamed, sauteed or raw; and many other tricks (but not yet hiding it in prepared dishes). Cucumbers and carrots he'll eat maybe 1/2 the times I offer, but very little else will cross his lips. Nuts and legumes, also, are rarely to never among the things he eats.
Juice is another challenge. He has a glass with breakfast and no more during the day, but he will always ask for it & prefers juice over other beverages.
Overall, we're batting around .600-.700 with him. But I'd still like to see more produce overall, and less candy!
You don't come across as being on a high horse at all. I worry about the same thing – the best part is that we are out there trying to do better (and trying to help others do better too…)
I used to make fun of my mom for reading labels. And now? Of course, I do the same thing and my kids make fun of me. But I don't want them eating chemicals. I want them to eat food.
Treats? we love them – but we make them our buy things that are made out of ingredients we recognize.
I don't mean to promote myself, but if anyone has been struggling with feeding their toddlers, my post today talks about how to teach them to eat well. It means we have to change what we have been doing – but it really helps to set them up for success.
You don't come across as being on a high horse at all. I worry about the same thing – the best part is that we are out there trying to do better (and trying to help others do better too…)
I used to make fun of my mom for reading labels. And now? Of course, I do the same thing and my kids make fun of me. But I don't want them eating chemicals. I want them to eat food.
Treats? we love them – but we make them our buy things that are made out of ingredients we recognize.
I don't mean to promote myself, but if anyone has been struggling with feeding their toddlers, my post today talks about how to teach them to eat well. It means we have to change what we have been doing – but it really helps to set them up for success.
Michelle, thanks for the comment. I encourage everyone to read your post about feeding toddlers. It has many great tips! http://whatscookingwithkids.com/2011/02/11/training-toddlers-to-become-better-eaters/
I feel that it's a constant struggle to have my kids eat healthy foods because there is so many factors working against parents these days. Advertising, in store displays, check out aisles filled with candy, candy in schools, birthday parties, holidays, friends and neighbors offering treats and when you visit family or friends there is sweets, treats and unhealthy food. I used to get stressed out about it, but I've started to focus on making sure that 80% to 90% of the time they eat healthy and it's ok that they have treats once in awhile. I think it's important to set a good example as a parent – kids watch what you we do and learn from it.
we are very health consious and how daughter eats very healthy but I am a dietitian 🙂
hugs
I am glad we are having this discussion. I feel like it's really easy to have my kids eating healthy when at home, but when they go out everyone wants to give them candy or other treats. When all of their friends are having "fun" food, it's hard for them not to feel left out or for me to give in.
Great topic, and so timely as we're really struggling with snacks right now. At home, my kids eat mostly real food snacks (fruit, veggies, nuts), with some Tings, fruit leather, and yogurt tossed in the mix too. All heatlhy stuff.
At school, however, it's a different story. Parents take turns bringing snacks for the kids to share each morning. Some have brought crackers, some applesauce, but there have been days of chocolate chip pancakes, cookies, or whoopie pies. Yes, someone brought whoopie pies for 3 yr olds to eat at 10am at preschool.
Mixed into those poor snack days are birthday parties. For parents who insist on sharing cupcakes with the class but can't get to school at lunch hour, yet insist on being there, they show up with they can – before lunch and instead of snacks – to share the treat. During one two week period, there were brightly colored cupcakes prior to lunch every day.
Rather than brewing about this any longer, I spoke with the teacher last week after I was informed that the morning snack was goldfish, pretzels and marshmallows. Yes, marshmallows! I explained that, in our home, we do not eat junk food, we don't eat treats prior to a meal, and we don't eat treats during the school week unless it's a special occasion. I asked for her recommendation on explaining why our rules don't matter at school to my 4YO.
While it wasn't the solution that I was really hoping for, our agreement is that my daughter will bring her own snack from now on. We'll let her choose each morning so she has control over this. I'm so thankful that she's pretty excited about this plan. With his food sensitivities, my son always has special treats but this is a first for her. I'm so proud of her.
Nice discussion here! We struggle with this all the time at our house – trying to balance our ideals with the reality of what the kids will eat (and with what they are offered at school, parties, friends' houses, etc.). I think we do a pretty good job of keeping the junk to a minimum at our house: No sugary cereals, no fruit chews, no hyper-processed meals like chicken nuggets, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. That said, it's hard to find any protein that my pickiest eater will eat other than bacon or occasionally ham. Occasionally I can get him to eat a hard-boiled egg, but mostly we are still looking for a good way to get him protein and/or iron.
Also, it sounds like others on here disagree with me but I don't have a problem at all with ice cream in moderation. We have a carton of vanilla ice cream in the freezer and twice a week or so the boys have a scoop for dessert. Ice cream has less sugar than many of the kids' yogurts on the market, and it's certainly less destructive to their teeth than sticky fruit chewies. (I posted a defense of ice cream on Jolly Tomato last summer here: http://www.jollytomato.com/2010/06/23/in-defense-of-ice-cream/ )
Keep up the great conversations!
Cheers,
Jeanne
Only have time for a quick comment (I figure it's better to leave a quick one than none at all!)
I can honestly say that my kids are eating MUCH better than they were 2 years ago. Hardly any processed foods, no more fruit snacks, juice boxes, or store bought granola bars. That said, I don't go nuts when the teller at the bank gives them a lollipop or when family sends a candy bar.
But they are never allowed to eat a whole candy bar in one sitting 😉