Honestly...I didn't mean you either!!!!
Like I said, if you never let your kids have a little bit of treats/junk now and then, they will want it MORE.
I control that. And my son is brainwashed into controlling it himself. He himself, if offered a soda or candy from someone, will say, "I can't, I've had enough sugar for the day."
Kids will be kids. I'm not making my son eat nothing but vegetables for the rest of his life.
Let me just requote myself. Trust me I dont need a lecture on why I gained weight, I know exactly what behaviors caused that. (and funnily enough it wasnt fast food's fault).
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Dont get me wrong I agree with you. Its certainly my own fault that I gained 60 pounds, even without eating at fast food restaurants. But these corporations prey on children. They spend millions to find out exactly how to get young children to eat their products. And it works. So trust me these places are not innocent, they may not be cramming it down our throats. But they do have a hand in the obesity epidemic this country is facing.
Im certain that everyone on this website realizes in their heart's that it is their own fault for gaining the weight. But You cant honestly believe that the advertising our children (and ourselves) are bombarded with have no effect on us. These restaurants do anything in their power to get you in the door, and they have succeeded mightily. So no I dont believe it is 100 percent the fast food industries fault that America is obese, but I dont believe they are innocent angels who care about their customers health either.
but I dont believe they are innocent angels who care about their customers health either.
Ahh, well that I definitely agree with. They don't care about us. McDonald's is, what, four years into promising they were going to use better oils to cut the bad fats in half from their deep-fried products and they haven't budged. Why? Because cost (as if the world's largest fast-food restaurant chain couldn't freaking afford it) is more important to them than people's health.
And I agree they do whatever possible to lure people in to eating their food and they don't give a rats *** about how it affects us.
Believe me, hon, I agree with all of that.
But in the end, it's still our decision as to whether or not we walk through their doors. Even though I allow my son the very rare Happy Meal, do I have to allow him even that? No, I don't. And I probably shouldn't. It's bad food. And to allow him even the occasional bad meal is not setting a good example for him. But again, I've talked to him about bad foods and even he will say he shouldn't eat french fries very often because, and I'm quoting my own 6 year old, "french fries have lots of fat!"
But I will agree on one point that many others have brought up over the years - there are ignorant people out there (and that's not meant as an insult, I simply mean people that don't know any better) who continue to indulge in this crap that may not know how bad it is. Everyone by now SHOULD know, but not everyone does. And I'm giving these people the benefit of the doubt. I was ignorant about this stuff at one point myself. I figured hey, so it's deep-fried, it's still a potato. And potatoes are good for you, right?
That's how ignorant I was. And unfortunately there are still people out there who think like I did.
But then there are those out there who DO know better (like this idiot who starred in Super Size me) yet they continue to eat it anyway.
Believe me, I perfectly understand your points and they're very good ones. I just wanted you to know that
After reading all this, I am quite happy that my 13 yr. old asked me for baked chicken, brocolli and salad tonite. Which is what I fixed for just the 2 of us. I guess kids really do learn to like healthier choices when these are about the only options offered. My 20 yr. old son said yesterday that he was going to pick him up something to eat. He came back with a grilled chicken salad and used our dressing from the house. This not to say that they haven't ever eaten junk or been exposed to it, but it says that they like the healthier foods and choose them for themselves now that they are older.
My step sister is a manager of a fast food place and that is about all her two children (and she is now expecting the 3rd) get, sadly. For a while when my mom was watching the kids they got nutrious meals from her, but now that my mom isn't watching them no longer, its mostly fast food. Very sad.......
With soccer season in full swing.. practices two days a week and games two days a week for both my young kids... (5 and 7).. I find that we are eating out a lot more than I'd like. However, I see this as affecting my kids eating habits in a good way and I'll tell you why.
I give my kids the choice as to what they eat when they go out. The choices in fast food restaurants for kids are LOADS better than they were when I was growing up. I think letting them CHOOSE to eat better is actually helping them more than just being given something by me and being forced to eat veggies or fruits as opposed to fries and resenting it.
Did you know Wendy's is now offering ham and cheese as an option on the happy meal instead of a burger? And you can get mandarin oranges instead of fries? McDonald's offers cut up apples with low-fat caramel dip, low fat milks. (yes their chocolate milk is even 1%) Subway offers you to get a fruit rollup and juicebox instead of a cookie and soft drink with their sandwich.
Given the choice, my 7 year old almost ALWAYS picks apples at mcdonalds, applesauce at burger king, oranges at wendys. He usually picks white or chocolate milk, but often picks water. My youngest gets the baked fish at Red Lobster because he loves it. Both my kids will go to Chili's and order broccoli as their side dish (choosing that on their own over fries) Both of my kids ask for seconds of veggies and grains more often than meat when at home.
Both my kids know that sugar should be limited. They emphasized this in school this year. Ever since, they've been asking me how much sugar everything has in it. Juice, milk, everything. I've explained some sugar is okay, especially the sugar in something like milk that gives them other things like calcium. They are EAGER to learn about nutrition. What foods benefit what, what foods they shouldnt eat too often, etc. My kids get their easter baskets or halloween candy and eat a piece of candy a day. They make that choice on their own for the most part.
They also like healthy snacks in general. Fruits are a HUGE hit with them, they like nuts, crackers or celery with peanut butter, carrots and other finger veggies, and salsa. They are not picky eaters. When they were little we took them to a restaurant called "Souper Salad" and gave them a bunch of finger foods. Little pieces of ham and cheese, green peas, kidney beans, etc etc. They both love black olives now because they were exposed to a lot of different things at an early age when they thought they were fun. (I hate olives)
Personally I don't PREFER to eat outas much as we have in the last month or so, but I think given the choices they have now in these restaurants, I think it's empowering my kids to CHOOSE healthier options. One thing I've noticed is that my kids eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. I never force them to clear their plates and I try not to reward them if they do. We don't have desserts all the time.. its a special treat... and they realize that. We have so many discussions about choices and foods.
I think there are worse things I could be doing with my kids than taking them out to eat. Most people are amazed at how "well" my kids eat, not how much they eat. They love veggies and trying new things. Given the choice of what to have for dinner... my youngest would probably say a baked potato and my oldest would probably say baked chicken nuggets (which he says are better than fast food ones) Sure, they like burgers and fries, but it's not what they would choose if they could have anything.
I personally am trying my absolute best to educate them about the choices they make at home AND outside the home. I've been surprised at how interested in nutrition the two of them have been, but I'm hoping by making these choices/discussions and everyday occurence, they will grow up eating well and living a healthier lifestyle than I did.
The advertisements fastfood companies had were so appealing, I as a younger child was sucked into the artificial joy of Happy Meals. Now, those Taco Bell ads still make me think "Yum, I want to have a burrito!" but then I rethink that and add "Or, actually, a fish taco instead...". Point being, I think it's necessary for parents to decide healthy options. I like to eat healthy now, but I had no clue what was good and what was not before. I didn't have the choice of whether or not my family could eat at those sorts of places, and I think parents nowadays should show their children the healthy eating choices they could have (by modeling them). That in itself is a major factor for eating healthy from a young age.
**Holds hand up** I'm 'one of those mothers' who let their kids eat the fast food ALL THE TIME. We are cutting back on it now though, better late than never, right?
I hate, hate, hate, HATE to cook....I'd rather stick my hand in a meat grinder than cook!!! I've BEGGED my husband to eat out, even when he said 'no we can't afford it'....but, since I've started eating right, and feel better as a result, I'm able to cook with minimal damage to my mental health...lol.
When hubby was gone on deployment, for 6 months, I took full advantage of him not being there to say we couldn't afford it and I'd say (ashamed) that 95% of that time we ate fast food. We'd do Mickey D's, Wendy's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell. It's pretty sad when you ask what the kids want to eat that night and your 8yr old tells you 'anything but Taco Bell, I'm sick of that place for the week'!!!
I'm a southerner....deep fried is a food group for us. I never knew there was a way to eat okra and squash without frying it (mmmm)! Now that I'm older, I'm seeing the difference, and I thank God every single day that I'm not ALOT heavier than I am! I have no idea how I've topped out at 180, and that was after reaching 5 months in a pregnacy!
All that awful stuff said...lol...it's been almost a month since we've had real fast food...we ate at Friendly's one night, and have had Dairy Queen once in this whole month since I've put forth the effort for eating right. I'm having to ease my 11yr old son into eating right, but my 9yr old daughter LOVES salad, so she usually has a smaller portion of the dinner and a side salad to go with it. She's not FAT, but she's hefty. I haven't told her that, but I am offering her healthy alternatives (she has Diet Coke at dinner as opposed to Hawiian Punch) and letting her know the difference.
My son...he's gonna take some work. We were talking the other day about eating healthy and he said 'I"m not fat, I don't have to eat healthy'....that stopped me right there, and I vowed that the family as a whole will be making huge changes!
So yeah, some of us 'bad parents' do change! I don't feel that it made me a bad parent to let my kids eat the stuff, I just feel that I was making bad choices about foods as a parent.
Well I have to admit that now fast food places do have a lot more healthier choices. But I know for my neice and nephew they wouldn't eat a lot of foods my mother prepared for them because they are so used to eating out all the time. They finally eventually would try new foods. I'm not saying it m akes anyone a bad parent, but I just think it limits your kids food choices at times. But now like I said, fast food places are offering more choices, so they are not just stuck with eating chicken nuggets or hamburgers. Parents do what they gotta do. My mother was a single mother. We didn't have a lot of money. She did the best she could and I have no complaints. I think parents do what you gotta do. What works for one, may not work for someone else.
Yes, I agree...gotta do what you gotta do! Sometimes it is all you have time for and all that stuff. Just to let ya know, I didn't take offense to any of the discussion...lol. I know I'm not a bad parent, and get comments everywhere I go with my 3 children because they're so respectful (say ma'am and sir and please and thank you ALL THE TIME) and behaved. I just got that the majority had the 'bad parent' thought on us fast fooders. Doesn't bother me though, at all! Every parent has different parenting ways!
Yeah. I think we all have things we do that others may see as "bad" or whatever. I guess we all just have to do what we gotta do and live our lives for ourselves, not others.
I just don't like the implication that us mom's who allow our kids the OCCASIONAL Happy Meal are bad mothers.
Nobody can make that judgement.
Like I said before, just because you see a child in a McDonald's eating a Happy Meal, it doesn't necessarily mean they're allowed to eat that stuff all the time. That's like me and my fried chicken - on very rare occasions I'll grab a piece of fried chicken from a food buffet. Just because I'm eating it doesn't mean I pig out on it every single day.
I think the one thing i've seen as a common thread through everyone's responses is the word "treat." When i was a kid, we couldn't afford fast food on any sort of regular basis, so we always understood it to be something special and rare, and not really about the food at all, but more about the special occasion. I think the danger with fast food is not necessarily that it exists, but that we tend to treat it as an every day part of life instead of something unusual and rare in our diet. Then kids just learn to expect it.
