Petfinder.com forums :: View topic

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:24 am Post subject: Junk Food and kids....question?

I was reading a thread in animal comm. and it got me to thinking. How many people actually give their kids this type of food as treats? And if so how often?

We use to eat at McDs years ago every now and again. But not now no way no how. I don't care how much the kids beg when we drive by. IMO that stuff does ya now good. And as long as I can help it they don't eat that stuff.

We also don't eat of lot of cookies and stuff around here. The closest they get to cookies in Animal crackers. They don't drink sodas or tea. And very rarely kool-aid. They drink lots of water as do I.

Am I alone in this or do other parents do the same?

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:35 am Post subject:

When we do have a treat, it's usually cookies or cupcakes, and that's not very often - the rest of the time, my kids eat healthy stuff. Both my kids love granola bars and fruit, so that is their usual treat - strawberries, blueberries, bananas....

I have a no-soda rule for my boys, because I am addicted and I don't want them to have my problem. If we go to a resteraunt, they can have non-caffeinated beverages (Sprite or rootbeer), but they are not allowed that at home. My nieces, when they first started coming here, would request Coke with their lunch, because their mom lets them drink it all the time. They hated having to drink milk! Shocked

My boys get milk with every meal, usually chocolate milk at lunch (made with Olveltine), and water in between meals. I rarely get juice, because they eat enough raw fruit that I don't think they need the extra servings from juice.

Veggies are a battleground item, but I have found that if I covered them in cheese, both my boys will eat it. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:58 am Post subject:

I wish my mom had been stricter on the no junk food rule. We had fast food at least 3 times a week. I honestly don't think when I was little she realized how unhealthy it was for me, she worked all day so it was the quickest way to feed us when she got home from work. I always got at least one healthy meal a day from daycare or school.

She was never strict about sodas or cookies either. I was always bone thin as a child so she figured if i wasn't fat then I was heatlhy. Now that I'm in my 20s I'm trying to undo all the years of bad eating and start new healthy habits. I've all but eliminated coke from my diet and I used to be an addict. I also eat lots more fruits and veggies now even though I used to not want to touch them with a 10 ft pole.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 9:11 am Post subject:

"Treats" is subjective. It doesn't necessarily have to mean an unhealthy snack.

What absolutely makes my blood boil is how many children are on medications for some disorder or another... ADD, ADHD, whatever label someone slaps on them, but eat diets consisting of starches, sugar, and caffeine. People get them hyped up and then give them sedatives. Disclaimer before someone goes there with a personal story of why their family is the exception: I'm not saying meds are never needed and that there are no such things as disorders requiring them. Only that I would like to wring the necks of people who give their kids sedatives in an effort to keep them under control while they are pumping them full of sodas, sugars, starches, caffeine, and all that fun stuff.

One person's treats are another person's junk diet. A former close friend and the mother of my younger sister (now 13) is one of the people who always thought it was cruel to force a kid to eat something they don't like and has let that child eat a heavy amount of junk her entire life because, as she put it, she'd rather see her eat junk than not eat at all. Now this kid's an asthmatic, morbidly obese, sleep deprived, compulsive overeater who's already having joint pains at the ripe old age of 13 in addition to being on head meds because her mom "just don't know what to do with her... there's something wrong with that girl." Looking around me, it's not an isolated case. Why do people do this?? Confused

I'm done raising kids, but the ones I raised had healthy eating habits. I never bought that business of "won't eat vegetables" or decided it was better to let them eat what they want than teach them to eat what they should. By the time I got done with them, they had healthy eating habits. If I had it to do all over again, they'd be raised on vegetarian diets.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 9:48 am Post subject:

Gavin hardly ever gets junk food. normaly if he wants a snack its things like rasons, o's, fruit, or cheese.

we are also very careful about reading lables now. Hubby and I try very hard to stay away from the dyes, corn syrup, and other artificial crud they pack into food.

however we do sometimes go to a fast food place for breakfast or lunch in wich time Gavin will have junk food however even then we try to make some what healthy choices for him such as milk instead of soda, fruit salads instead of fries. things like that. also if hubby and I have a sweet food and Gavin is around we do share a bit just because i feel it is mean to eat a cookies or icecream bar infront of a kid and not share.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:33 pm Post subject:

I honestly don't think its cruel to not give kids junk food. Its junk. Why give it to them. Its loaded with sugar and gosh knows what else. I guess to each their own.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:45 pm Post subject:

I'm still growing up on junk food... Wink

I think that all things in moderation is fine. Having a cookie once a day or every other day won't hurt them as long as they eat primarily healthy foods. Thinking more on it than I would have at age 10, I think kids should have less caffeine-filled drinks (Pepsi) than something like milk.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:57 pm Post subject:

Your not alone.

Most of what we eat is organic/natural. Every once in a great while my kid can have a "treat" per say, hee hee.
But she loves food anyway so almost all foods are a treat to her.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:59 pm Post subject:

We do fast food probably once every 2 weeks and that is usually on the weekends when I really don't feel like cooking.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:07 pm Post subject:

Uhh... I voted no before I read the thread.... I don't have any human kids, I was thinking of my pets.... Sorry. Embarassed

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject:

sometimes i bake cookies or something
and of course Jasper can have some for treats.
So do i. hahaha!
Usually it's fruits or veggies for snacks.
But if we go somewhere he can get a special treat.
He gets rootbeer or sasparilla sometimes.
He loves it and so do we.
This summer we may brew our own!

No caffine for him though.
It's rare for me too.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:20 pm Post subject:

When I was growing up junk food was a special treat. I used to sneak it. I was always allowed ice cream because my mom wasn't allowed as a child though I think that was due to money not health. I decided to not make a big deal out of it with my kids. They love fruits and veggies and will ask for them over junk most of the time.

My mom has relaxed her views on junk food since having grandchildren. I have to admit I am still shocked to see cookies at her house though.

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:24 pm Post subject:

my opinion of morbidly obese kids is that their parents should be charged with neglect or child abuse.

when i was a kid i rarely got junk food. and we only got mcdonalds on long road trips.

~Amy

Petfinder.com forums Forum Index -> Public Forums -> General Community -> Junk Food and kids....question?
	Goto page 1, 2 Next

	Petfinder.com forums Forum Index -> Public Forums -> General Community -> Junk Food and kids....question?	All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page 1, 2 Next
Page 1 of 2