Am I an unreasonable nutrition zealot?

[Lilah'sMommy]

I'm with everyone else.  Under no circumstances will my daughter be given soda, and cake is for occasional treats-- birthday parties, Granny makes one for dessert at her house.  I offer fruit often, some whole grain graham crackers, and I do give my dd sweetened yogurt, because it is an otherwise very nutritious food.  Those are her "everyday" sweets.  I believe very strongly that we need to model healthy eating habits to our children, as to build a strong foundation for health.  I restrain myself from cajoling "just one more bite" because my dd needs to know that when she's not hungry, she can stop eating.  I offer fruits, veggies, whole grains, cheese and yogurt, and legumes in abundance and the occasional treat, and I let her pick what she wants to eat from it and how much.

I do not think in any way that this is zealot-like behavior.  Healthy eating starts at home, and when is a better time to instill healthy eating habits?  Like everyone says, they have the rest of their lives to eat junk.  The first 5 years of life are full of very rapid neural development.  At no other time will proper nutrition make such a huge impact.

That said, the occasional treat in the context of family/religious celebrations will not hurt.  I know that this Rosh Hashana, dd will taste apples dipped in honey, and she'll have some pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  These treats bulid tradition.  Oreos and Cheetos do not.  (The very thought of Cheetos entering my daughter's belly makes me ill).

That's my 2 cents.

[Diego's Mama]

Oh, don't feel badly, I go a step further even, and feed mainly organic.  I don't flip when Diego has something I don't normally give him, and I don't refuse a treat from someone else ... we just don't have it at home.  I talk a lot about why certain foods are healthy and help our body and why some foods can only be eaten in small amounts.

I make cookies with him and trade the white flour for whole wheat or a combo, cut down the white sugar and add honey ... that kinda thing, but we enjoy a candy bar from time to time and love natural icecream (meaning the Bryers sort with no additives).

Frankly, this is how *I* eat, it's how my husband eats, so it's not radical for my family at all.

[sara_derek]

Wow - I'm inspired! 

I never really thought about Canyon having fruit snacks and Happy Meals and other junk because it's so mainstream and almost "expected" these days to feed your kids that.  He does eat really healthy food each meal too, but he does have sugary fillers that can definitely be eliminated and replaced with healthy options.

So, tonight I went through the cupboards and collected all his sugary snacks and put them in a bag for someone else to have.  I am going to fill a drawer in the fridge with healthy snacks like fruit and cheese and turkey that he can get at when ever he wants to.   AND - no more Happy Meals!  Atleast not nearly as often anyway.

Thanks ladies for helping open my eyes.  I want him to be healthy and make healthy food choices on his own. I hope it's not too late - you don't think it's too late to retrain him, do you?

Sara

[GG]

Sara, it's never too late.  Though you might come across with a little resistance, be persistent.  (You are the mommy, after all).

I say good for you for offering healthy options instead of junk.  You are the one raising your children, not your parents, siblings, or strangers.  If they don't like it, they don't have to follow it themselves.  To each their own!

[tylersmommy]

Sara, I definitely don't think it's too late! I've found that healthy eating habits can be an uphill battle at times, but it's so worth it. Since my original post, I've relaxed a tiny bit. Tyler can have occasional treats like a bite of cookie, ice cream, etc on occasion, but it's definitely not a regular thing because we don't have stuff like that in the house (except Doritos, because DH and I are addicts, but he doesn't see us eat them :wink: ). He gets choices, but they're healthy ones. Honestly, at this point, he loves healthy snacks like apples so much that he can be easily distracted if he gets interested in another kid's junk.

Thanks so much for all the support on this, ladies...I don't feel like a big weirdo anymore!

[Ferbit]

Yay Sara!  I'm so glad you found this thread!!!    It's NEVER too late.       

[GG]

Melissa, I think it's so funny that you and your dh hide your 'addiction' so that your ds will not get into junk food!

That's probably what I will have to do in the very near future.  I'm working on weaning myself off the stuff but my hubby is majorly into chocolate and, since he's skinny and eats pretty healthily otherwise, I don't think I can convince him into doing likewise.

[carolyn]

It's definately not too late.  Just teach moderation and good nutrition.

[dkjokisch]

Let us not forget though, that kids learn by example and that they see alot more than we think they do.  Dh and I have been thinking about that alot lately, as we recently started dd on solid food.  We believe in eating together as a family whenever possible, so dh's Lucky Charms and my lunchtime can of Coke are going to have to go.  And even the stuff we don't eat in front of her - she sees it go in the cart when we go grocery shopping.  We're definitely going to have to make some adjustments.

[AlohaMama]

As someone who has struggled with obeseity most of my adult life, I can say this topic is near and dear to my heart.

Once dd was born and the post partum depression haze was lifted I got busy changing my eating habits.  Almost 3 years later I am still working at it.  I've lost 70 pounds (have 30 left to go) and gained a wealth of nutritional knowledge.  The emotional triggers for *why* I eat are a little more challenging and will probably take some time. 

My relationship with food probably has me extra paranoid.  We avoided juice until dd was over 1 year old and I realized she wasn't going to be a milk drinker.  She got 1 cup of calcium fortified OJ a day until just recently when she started eating cold cereal with milk.  She snacks on hard boiled eggs, cheese, whole grain crackers, fruit and vegetables.  I've even found her with her hand in the uncooked bulgur and she's been known to munch on dry whole wheat pasta.   :roll:

However, she's had Happy Meals.  She's had cake, cookies, and candy.  She loves ice cream.  We do avoid chips because the couple of times she's had them, she's choked. 

She eats what we eat.  Nobody in my house *needs* junk foods.  We enjoy them infrequently when we are out and about.  A monthly trip to the mall means a candy from See's.  A weekend day of shopping usually ends with an ice cream cone.  I want so badly for her to see food for what it is.  I don't want food to be bad.  I'm just hoping I don't screw her up by trying to not screw her up.

We are known within our playgroup as the healthy eaters.  I almost always take a cooler full of fruits and vegetables everywhere we go.   I offer her those, but if the other children are eating cookies I don't make a big deal about her having them.

Boy, that turned into rambling.  Sorry.   :|

[Lilah'sMommy]

Wow, Melissa, big cheers for you for making such positive, healthy changes in your life!  Losing 70 pounds is a major accomplishement, and it's wonderful that you are giving your DD a healthy start on life!  I think you've got a great attitude-- offer healthy food often and don't flip out if she eats the occasional cookie.  I don't think you're in any danger of "screwing her up by trying not to screw her up."  Great job, I say!