Too much meat? - Page 3

[redvlagrl]

Great post, Jennifer

[lilyka]

Emily - your post was beautiful. thank you for sharing that.

[in_the_now]

I've enjoyed all the different responses, for the most part. It's given me a lot to reflect on. I was aware that cereal is not the healthiest food, but a few people here have helped me see just how unhealthy it is, so thank you. He eats raw cheese, by the way, which I find to be healthier than the regular kind. He eats all kinds of different food (just not meat) so all the comments about how the other child's diet is better than my son's doesn't make much sense to me. I do understand, though, that cereal is not the greatest nor does dairy settle well with a lot of people.

Anyway, I do remember her telling me once that she partakes in the TF way of eating. Diets are such a personal thing, I'm well aware of this, I was just in shock at the amount of meat they consume...I've simply never known anyone who eats this much meat, especially a small child. Maybe a few relatives who live in the midwest, that's about it. Thanks again!

[in_the_now]

Originally Posted by junipermuse

Also I wouldn't be so quick to judge the other mama as being rude when she is trying to discourage her own child from eating the foods the op feeds her child. I understand that food can be very personal, and it can hurt our feelings when someone specifically states that they don't want their child to eat something that we have determined safe and/or healthy for our own child. I have a friend who only feeds her child organic food 100%. We had them over for a playdate and my daughter wanted a banana, we were on some hard times financially and so although I usually buy mostly organic, sometimes I buy conventional as well, and these bananas were conventional, then she wanted some cheese (also conventional). My friends son wanted a banana and some cheese desperately and so of course she had to keep explaining that they weren't healthy because they weren't organic. Yes my feelings were a bit hurt at first, but I also realize that she shouldn't have to compromise her ideals to avoid hurting my feelings. And in her mind yes I was taking a risk that she was uncomfortable with, but she never tried to lecture me or tell me I should do anything differently. It was all focused on the conversation she was having with her child, and I'm not sure what I would have wanted her to say. If she says that non-organic food is just no big deal, but still doesn't let her son have it while he's crying and begging for it that's really disrespectful to him. As a parent in this situation you're between a rock and hard place. Likewise what would you want the other mother to say to her child about why she doesn't want her eating the foods she feels are unhealthy? How does she set the limit without offending the other parent? I think you'll find is that there isn't much that doesn't at first feel offensive because it isn't the words that hurt so much as the knowledge that someone is very consciously making a different choice than you did. It does feel like they are coming out and saying right to your face you did it wrong. Especially if you are starting from a point of there only being one right way to do it. It's why grandparents may get very upset when new parents choose to parent differently than they did. The act of making a choice is in essence saying that for our family this choice is better than the other ones available.

I really enjoyed this comment, thank you It is very hard to feel like you're being shamed for the food choices you've made for you and your family. As mothers, our number one priority for our children is to make sure they're healthy in every sense of the word. We obviously want to ensure that the nourishment they're receiving is the most optimal, whatever that means to us. So to have another parent say outright that this isn't the case, well, you may as well have been given the worst mother of the year award, you know? It's so easy to take it personally. Reading a lot of these responses has helped me see that it doesn't have to be taken as a personal attack, it's simply a different way of going about it.

[organicmidwestmama]

Originally Posted by womenswisdom

In response to the OP's question about research and the link between saturated fat and/or meat consumption to heart disease, cholesterol and obesity, I would HIGHLY recommend the book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. It is extremely well-researched, discusses the progression of public policy wrt diet recommendations and really dissects the available literature on the subject. That book seriously changed my outlook about what is and what is not healthy for you.

ditto on the book rec.

i eat meat usually twice a day, i am healthy, a great weight for my hieght, my kids are thriving... having lived with other parents, i will say you should do what you feel good doing and not comment on other's choices if they dont affect you and arent harming you.

[kyndmamaof4]

I grew up on a farm, and have always enjoyed a mostly TF diet, though I'd never heard of it called that before coming MDC

I raise my children this way too. I'm in the camp that whole, unprocessed foods are the way to go, whether you are veg. or not. We do eat quite a bit of meat here, but I know where it comes from

We eat from all the food groups, but I do try to limit it to one starch per day for me, since I don't do well with a lot of bread, etc.

Everything in moderation, ya know?

By the way....


Kaara