How active are you? How active is your DH? How active is your son?
My DH and I are very active, blue collar jobs, plus farm. Boys were expected to do chores, plus, starting in jr. high, they went to school early and lifted weights, then they had practice for whatever the current sport was.
The boys were in puberty, plus very active, plus growing spurts, like to ate me out of house and home.
Mostly, I insisted on balanced meals, but on Friday night and Sunday morning, we indulged. Pizza on Fri. nite and the whole bacon, sausage, gravy, biscuits on Sunday morning. But it was only two times a week.
The thing about the balanced meals, for us then, was it took a lot of it.
2 baked chickens, 2 cans of green beans, 1/2 gallon of skim milk gravy, plus a fruit dessert, for supper, and they were in the fridge before I could get the dishes done.
My kids are good eaters, with a healthy appetite for a large variety of good foods and healthy eating, but also, don't mind the occasional indulgence.
I actually caught one, hiding in the closet, at age 6, eating a green pepper raw, that I told him he couldn't have, because it was for the salad for TG dinner. I didn't have the heart to get after him.
Unless there are food allergy issues, it's all about balance. Balancing how active your family is versus your diet.
It won't hurt them to eat healthy with you most of the time, with the now and then indulgence.
nikki, ...do you do the shopping in the house? if so, don't buy the "junk"....junk foods aren't just bad for you calorically..and many, many obese people were ONCE thin people...as moms we really have to set our kids up for success...teaching proper "life giving" eating habits is one way we should be doing that...if your family insists on desserts find lower calorie, healthier options and insist on them!
Sure, I do the shopping and my oh-so-modern husband is happy to pitch in and help whenever he can. I bring home healthy food including healthy snacks. As I noted in my post, my husband brings home the unhealthy foods. I make lots of healthy foods and they eat it. Then go for the unhealthy stuff later. (Again, something I noted in my earlier post). "Insisting" that they forego unhealthy post-dinner snacks might work in some households, but not here.
I do hope that your reply isn't intended to be as judgmental as it sounds. Perhaps a re-read of my earlier post would help as some very important points were missed. Also, please keep in mind that not all household dynamics are the same.
"Kids need high density, high calorie, high fat foods!"
no... no they don't. Infants and toddlers DO need foods that are rich with healthy fats and calorie dense.
Kids? No they don't. They need measured amounts of healthy fats (and bacon is NOT A HEALTHY FAT) good quality carbs, good quality dairy (but low fat is JUST FINE after the age of 2, and lots of fruits and veggies. We're not trying to grow super obese kids here... we're growing lean children with large brains and they need HEALTHY food. We're also teaching children HOW to eat... so if we raise them on bacon and mayo... they will grow up thinking these are acceptable foods to be eaten in large quantities because that is how THEY grew up. We need to model good eating... not encourage gluttony because "your a child... you need the fat! Eat more!"
I disagree. I think kids DO need higher fat, higher calorie food. Not McDonalds but not primarily vegetables either. It's that whole 'yuppy malnutrition' ideology and I think it's false. And I don't have chubby kids so obviously my ideology isn't 'growing super obese kids.'
I also don't think we need to feed them exactly how we hope they will eat when they grow up. Processed foods and sugary white grain cereals, yes, these are bad habits, nutritionally void and create a sugar high/low addiction cycle that can plague people in adulthood. But they can eat calorically dense foods, which they need to grow (to an extent obviously), and when they are adults and they need different things nutritionally, they can adapt. Yes, they really can. It's a mistake to assume otherwise.
I disagree. I think kids DO need higher fat, higher calorie food. Not McDonalds but not primarily vegetables either. It's that whole 'yuppy malnutrition' ideology and I think it's false. And I don't have chubby kids so obviously my ideology isn't 'growing super obese kids.'
Not a single poster argued for a primarily vegetable or low-calorie or low-fat diet for the four year old, that's not the scenario that was described. Instead, it was mom feeling she needed to stand at the stove making 2 POUNDS of bacon (2,000 plus calories) for one man and a 4 year old to share (none for her) so they wouldn't "suffer". Sorry, but McDonald's may actually have been a better choice.
I'm not meaning to beat a dead horse, here or be critical of the OP. I've certainly made choices for myself and even for children in my care, that I would redo if I had the chance. I don't think I did any permanent damage and everyone makes mistakes - but on what planet is 2 pounds of bacon a reasonable serving for two people (especially when one of those people is a 4 year old)?
There are plenty of calorie-dense, healthy fat foods for children. I have some special needs children who need to gain weight, but I don't give them tons of candy, sausages, and ice cream to do it. There are lots of healthy, calorie dense, healthy fat options: natural nut butters, whole grain breads, hummus, avocado, salmon, eggs, beans, seeds and nuts, olive oil, whole grain pastas, cheese. You can also made very high calorie but healthy quick breads with things like pumpkin, zucchini, applesauce in them but low in sugar. Great stuff!
As I mentioned I'm veggie and know nothing about bacon really, and I sure don't have any idea what 2 pounds of it would be.
I was just a bit wary about some of the posts I saw that assumed that kids need to be taught now exactly how to eat when they are adults, and I would caution against that type of thinking. Also against thinking fat is bad or that veggies should comprise the bulk of their diets.
No ONE said that fat is bad. or that Veggies should be the bulk of their diets. not a single person said that. We are saying however that you don't need huge amounts of fat to grow! you just don't!!!
The American Heart Association recommends this eating pattern for families:
Energy (calories) should be adequate to support growth and development and to reach or maintain desirable body weight.
Eat foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
Choose a variety of foods to get enough carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients.
Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. Be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Serve whole-grain/high-fiber breads and cereals rather than refined grain products. Look for “whole grain” as the first ingredient on the food label and make at least half your grain servings whole grain. Recommended grain intake ranges from 2 oz./day for a one-year-old to 7 oz./day for a 14–18-year-old boy.
Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, while limiting juice intake. Each meal should contain at least 1 fruit or vegetable. Children’s recommended fruit intake ranges from 1 cup/day, between ages 1 and 3, to 2 cups for a 14–18-year-old boy. Recommended vegetable intake ranges from ¾ cup a day at age one to 3 cups for a 14–18-year-old boy.
Introduce and regularly serve fish as an entrée. Avoid commercially fried fish.
Serve fat-free and low-fat dairy foods. From ages 1–8, children need 2 cups of milk or its equivalent each day. Children ages 9–18 need 3 cups.
Don’t overfeed. Estimated calories needed by children range from 900/day for a 1-year-old to 1,800 for a 14–18-year-old girl and 2,200 for a 14–18-year-old boy.
This eating pattern supports a child's normal growth and development. It provides enough total energy and meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowances for all nutrients for children and adolescents, including iron and calcium.
Hi. All the meals I make are very healthy and I try hard to make them full of flavor. (so far, so good). Then I watch my portions and I usually make my family an additional 'comfort food' or whatever to add to the meal. Breakfast for example on sunday. Egg whites & egg beater scramble with a ton of steamed veggies & peppers, turkey bacon and the add for them was a hashbrown. My kids have not felt deprived in my new changes and they're learning to eat healthy all the time is the way to go and how to live.
Saturday was a grilled lemon chicken breast with multi-grain rice & broc. casserole, fresh asparagus. For them, I topped off the chicken breast with 1/2 piece cheese slice and a little shredded cheese on their casserole too. Just a little extra change for them and we're all still eating healthy without adding huge amount of fat.
By the way, should have mentioned, no one has weight issues in my family either. Hubby or kids. HTH
________________________________
Well didn't read the rest of the thread before I posted, so now I'm editing to add. Eating healthy and becoming healthy is going to be my/our permanent way of life, not a diet. I grew up learning terrible eating habits and while I was average weight until the past 10 years or so, it caught up and I ended up on high blood pressure before the age of 40.
I don't want that for my kids. My hubby grew up eating healthy and balanced. So I just wanted to add that moderation all around is still healthy. If my kids have an ice cream or a piece of cheesecake, or even bacon occasionally, its all fine by me. Its having those treats less while eating healthy all the time and being active, then they learn as they're growing and when they're adults, it will be second nature and not such an effort as it is for me. I'm only offering my opinion and sure don't discount what all other posters contributed here. Its only an opinion of whats going on in my own home and its working well for us all (thankfully). I can't imagine how much harder it would be if I had to prepare 2 different meals all the time.
Last edited by TexanGal; 11-10-2009 at 08:34 AM.
Reason: to add a bit more
