How much 'junk' do you give your child?

[*Vicki*]

I was just wondering what others' take is on the whole debate of healthy eating...they are really drumming it into my dd1 at school now and althoug i agree with it im not sure the way they re going about it is right...aren't they just gonna give our children complexes? Im not saying they should eat rubbish every day but surely the odd packet of crisps isnt going to hurt them - surely seeing others eating them will just make them crave that sort of thing more....?

Dont wanna start a debate just wanted to know in all honesty what other mums like me are feeding their kiddies 

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

I'm pretty strict, I think

Very little processed food, no crisps, no fizzy drinks, no sweets, nothing with artificial sweeteners (like Fruit Shoots, etc). He occasionally asks, but is pretty good about knowing that they're not "good for his tummy".

I have relaxed a bit though - he is allowed a 'treat' now and again (although I am really careful to make sure it's never a reward for good behaviour, or anything like that). Treats here consist of chocolate buttons, dark chocolate (like Green and Blacks), smoothie ice lollies (made from Innocent smoothies in our freezer), small slices of chocolate cake, and those little 5p sucky lollies (dp introduced those ). I make sure he has a maximum of one of these treats in any day, and they don't happen every day. He also loves a bowl of fruit, strawberries are a treat to him, too.

I don't believe in giving them junk, but then I don't believe in a complete ban, either - just in being sensible in how you do it, educating them, and making sure they have a balanced diet.

hth

[Mum to cool dude]

For me, the issue is moderation and not making a big deal out of the "bad" foods. As a result, DS will have some sweets and be told that he will have the rest later and then forget about the rest of the pack.

I am largely with Caroline on what I want to avoid (processed food, fizzy drinks, etc.). Having said that, where do you draw the line on, say sausages and chips ? My thinking is that if by and large the diet for the week is healthy then pizza on Saturday doesn't matter too much

[em_here]

Im not very strict tbh......... ds and dd eat plenty of fruit and veg, so I dont mind them having treats at all, esp as dh was brought up to have desserts after dinner, we do that. Not always "junky" desserts, sometimes like apple pie, mixed fruit etc. If they didnt eat so so well, I wouldnt let them have any sweets, but as they do, I figure they can have some

I would say my kiddos have a sweet treat or crisps every day, maybe even two treats.  by the same token they have lots of fruit and veg, so its def all about balance

[*Vicki*]

that is more or less how we are with Meg and Cerys most of the time (although DP is ALOT more laid back than i am) Meg very rarely has sweets, which im told is cruel by my MIL     If she has juice its normally the frsh, unconcentrated kind or homemade smoothie/shop bought ones by innocent..I try to avoid anything with artificial sweetners in it and the way i see it is that the close to nature it is the healthier it is (for my kids anyway   ). In Megs lunchbox for school i make her a sandwich or pasta pot, then she has fresh juice/smootihie in a drinking bottle and a yoghurt and a piece of fruit. She very rarely finishes it all anyway. She eats fruit for breakfast. Since she started nursery we have had soooo many probs getting her to eat her veg, but we didnt make a fuss cus she was always a good eater so we just thought if we 'ignored' the stage, it would pass. but she still refuses them, despite still loving fruit. Increasingly she is coming home telling us that so and so at school has cookies in her lunchbox or chocolate or crisps and asks why, if they re so unhealthy, her friend's mummies and daddies allow it.  We approached the school about it and they said that although they publish a 'no junk' policy in lunchboxes it is a relaxed one and to be reassured that what they ve seen in Megs lunchbox is great and to keep it up! But what can we do when she sees these 'kids foods' and desires them all the more cus she doesnt get them often at home....it makes us look the bad guys  

[emz1907]

Im just starting to try and get my head around where I want to go regarding 'junk' foods with ds as he's getting to the age now where it will make a difference. I don't like him having unnecessary sugar/additives etc, I remember when I first bought yogurts for him I studied the packs of each one for sugar content etc and found it impossible to find one I deemed acceptable. I have loosened up on that one somewhat, although I still check but Im happy with the ones I have chosen. Callum's junk right now consists of Organix cereal bars which in my head are better than chocolate/crisps etc although are still not great. My trouble is that dh is a HUGE chocoholic and junk food eater and Im so nervous of ds picking up his habits. He does have the odd nibble of a biscuit if we have one but we haven't given him his own chocolate bar or bag of crisps yet.
I like to bake things for him so I know exactly what is in there, I make him apple muffins and banana loaf both with wholemeal flour and limited sugar etc which makes me feel better about giving it to him.

I don't want him to never have junk, just limited. I think a 70/30 balance is ok.

[Deb_in_oz]

i was stricter with alex who did not even taste chocolate until i made brownies for her 2nd birthday.  but once liv came along it was harder overall as she got access earlier than alex and alex was older and started going to birthday parties etc.

i grew up with a LOT of junk food (US in the 70s was sugar and processed food heaven) so had sugar cereals and had kool aid or hi c for "juice" etc. so for my kids i figure bringing them closer to the middle ground and moderation is best so this is mostly how we do it

no sugary or coloured cereals - they have porridge, healthy type of meusli or plain cereals (like special K, lowest sugar i can find of rice krispies etc)
i buy no /low sugar icecream as much as possible but when we are out and about and they ask for a soft serve cone i will get them one (but i tell the mcdonalds lady to make it a tiny one)
instead of crisps i have pretzels and low salt corn chips but do buy flavoured rice cakes which i know have too much salt probably etc

they only rarely get sugary lollies/sweets - mostly from party bags or as special occassions but then they get max of 4 at a time (vs friends who give a whole bag etc)

we tend to go more for cookies (again i read labels for sugar levels just to make best choice), meusli/cereal bars, yogurts, date scones, popcorn, yogurt covered dried fruit (alex eats no fruit so i have to give things like this to get something in sometimes), pea crispies or roasted chickpeas (from health food shops/aisles - again higher salt than i like but made from peas and chickpeas so glad to have the protein etc in a snack)

rarer treats are chocolate bars or iced treats (like finger buns or cupcakes) but certainly more now that they are 3 1/2 and 5 than when they wer 2 or 3 yrs old.  when they get a lolly/goodie bag at a party they are allowed 1 . general rule is 1 main treat per day (like ice cream or fancy biscuits/cookies) but often they will also have in their snacks the other types which i consider staples and not "treats" and remain somewhat flexible.

we talk about healthy foods and what happens if you eat just junk or too much of it in one sitting. also i make a point never to talk about foods in terms of fattening or diets or comment on weight overall as i want the girls (more than anything) to think of their bodies in terms of what it can do - so we eat protein to rebuild our muscles so we are strong enough to go to dance class or swim lessons etc.  fruit and veg will help us get bigger etc

[Bryony's mum]

I try to keep the kids away from junk most of the time, but they love it all the same.  If they have crisps, it's the Organix ones with reduced salt, and i share one bag between the three of them. Same for sweets - today they shared a tube of smarties!  They do have cakes and biscuits.  Ideally the cakes would always be home-made, but they aren't. I find biscuits harder to get away from, as there are always biscuits at toddler group. 

When it comes to meals like sausages and chips or fishfingers etc, we do have them once every week or so, but I try to buy the best quality I can with the highest meat content etc.  Dessert is usually just a small yoghurt.  Occasionally jelly.  Overly sugary breakfast cereals are usually just for birthdays and Christmas - usually it's things like Ready brek, weetabix, shreddies, muesli.

As for drinks, we avoid artificial sweeteners (Ben's a bit inclined to go loopy even without chemicals! ) but we don't usually have squash anyway.  Just diluted fruit juice or milk.  I think my mother thinks I'm really mean, and after she's been looking after the kids, Bryony would say something like 'we had juice WITHOUT water' as if it was the naughtiest thing ever!!

Like Deb says, I've got more relaxed about it with each child.  Bryony had no chocolate until well after she was one. 

Now i just need to be as careful about my own junk food intake... 

[*Vicki*]

 

Deb, i talk to Meg too about junk food in terms of 'unhealthiness' rather than 'it makes us fat' ...i think its more important to teach her it that way 

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Deb, i talk to Meg too about junk food in terms of 'unhealthiness' rather than 'it makes us fat' ...i think its more important to teach her it that way 

Absolutely!!

[jobi]

Hmmmm with the boys condition we have to be fairly healthy anyway.
They can't have alot of sodium so crisp are out. They all have 1 bag if we go to my nanas.
They only drink water, if they had anything else they'd still need a bottle of water after anyways!

Shelby doesn't have the same condition but i just allow her to have the same, she has water with her meals etc.

They do have sweets now and again, and a blummin big bag full because they went trick or treating last night!

I don't even know if i've answered your question now

[jennyh]

we have moderation here,but they do have a treat everyday!
packed lunch is sandwich,fruit,fromage frais,bread sticks,apple/orange juice to drink.
imogen talks about junk/healthy too,i say a little of what you would like does no harm but not huge amounts!!!!

[N Lou]

I guess by other peoples standards my kids eat alot of junk.  They'll have a 'treat' everyday usually.  Whether it be a biscuit, a marshmallow, chocloalte, cake.  There's normally at least one, somedays they may have more.  They eat a healthy diet, love fruit and veg.  They do have squash sometimes but they prefer just water.  
DS has a story book called "Why Should I Eat Well" and it discusses the importance of eating good food and why we shouldn't eat so much fatty/sweet foods but its okay to have some now and then.
He knows it by heart (one of his favourite stories) and its helped him to think more about food and about choosing food thats going to be good for making his body work and making him feel good.
I'm not going to take 'junk' food away from my kids or make it a big deal. Like alot of things in life its not about allowing them to only have certain things, its more about helping them to make the right choices.  JMHO.

[*Vicki*]

I'd like to get that book    Who's it by Nina? 

[N Lou]

Its written by Claire Llewellyn - illustrated by Mike Gordon
There are a series of these books we also have Why Should i...help / listen / share, too.

[*Vicki*]

ah cool...i will have a look for them - it seems really good, id like to have something like that for Meg 

[Diana1981]

I try to give ds all the healthy food i can, but I do tend to give some treats especially french fries (his favorites) every now and then. these last couple of days I have been baking healthy muffins (banana, apple, carrots, etc) he loves it, so I guess its more like a healthy treat

[skatty]

This is so interesting! I don't really feed Leorah any processed foods and she eats lots of fruit, veg and wholegrains, natural yoghurt with fruit puree etc but she does have treats! Lucky for me she doesn't realise you can eat more than one chocolate button or square and she can make that button last ages lol! Every week her great nan visits and that always means cake and today her grandad came and bought us all ice creams which she loves. I never used to give her juice but she has ongoing constipation so sometimes has diluted OJ instead of milk with meals, we like to save juice for when we are out and need her to sit nicely for 5 mins! I really don't mind Leorah having a biscuit or a slice of cake but I don't want her having fizzy drinks, sweets (she's only 2 at the mo') or crisps. Here in Denmark the schools and nurseries are very strict about lunchboxes so I wont have that problem. I have recently started enjoying baking so any healthy recipes would be much appreciated 

BTW my biggest concern about sugary foods at the mo' is for L's teeth, brushing her teeth are the worst points of the day 

[RyansMum]

Everything in moderation here.  I do not mind Ryan having chocolate, crisps, sweets or fruit shoots because he eats so much good stuff too, he loves mushrooms, brocolli, chicken, fruit smoothies, etc in equal measure to the junk.

The schools are very strict, and whilst I understand the message I do think a bit of common sense is lacking sometimes.

I do restrict Ryan if I think he has had too much of a good thing, like yesterday was a prime example. Had my parents down so we went out to swimming and he was so good he asked for a milkybar.  When we went out for lunch he got a cookie. He asked for sweets later and I said no as he had had a couple of treats and we were going out for dinner and he may get a pudding (ice cream). That is quite a lot in one day for Ryan and certainly not the norm.  But I see treats as a little bit of pleasure and so long as handled well can be part of a varied and healthy lifestyle.

[potlaura]

Toms eating has got much better thank goodness so in an average day I reckon he is getiing well over what is needed in fruit and vegtables.
His nursery has a no junk policy so does Jacks school so its just water/milk with fruit and school dinners.
Toms main vice is cup cakes he adores them and I have to admit he  has one a day - he may not get anything else.
Jack is not so bad he may ask for a treat daily but it is more often than not a mini choc bar or hot choc with marshmallows.
Oh and absolutely no fizzy juice it sends my spirited 3 year old up the wall !!!
I have a major sweet tooth and I can already see it rubbing off on the boys.
We eat out one night at the weekend mainly chinese food and the boys will have rice, chicken prawn crackers and chips .

I think it is all about balance and education if you get that right at an early age they will become accustomed to making correct food choices.
Lol do you hear me if I told you what i had to eat today you would be disgusted 

[clh]

Well, we're probably middle-of-the-road.  As far as sweets, we try to limit those to 1-2 on days that they have them, but that's not every day.  James knows about them and will ask, but Isaac still doesn't really realize.  He just eats it if we offer. 

Our downfall is processed foods...  at least once a week (and I try to hold it to *only* once a week) we'll stop at a fast food place for a cheeseburger kids' meal.    But we'll also get orange slices as the side & milk to drink.  Sometimes the boys & I will split the smallest order of fries on the way home (when we're all hungry & irritable) to tide us over.  Isaac drinks water or milk.  James has that or watered down (at least 50%) juice/gatorade.  No fizzy stuff.

We try to be healthy.  And if we're not healthy, we try to moderate it and balance with healthier things.  I do need to start explaining about nutritious food vs junk food, though...

[Mum to cool dude]

Forgot to say that what helps is that we don't have many treats at home. I don't like sugary stuff particularly and  as DH has a massive sweet tooth, I can't bring anything in the house or he'll scoff it in no time

[SFFC]

I believe moderation is defiantly the key. We go by 'every day' foods and 'occasional' foods, rather than good and bad foods