Does anyone else NOT give their kid junk food? - Page 2

[Picard]

No junk food or processed food for our DS. We try as much as we can to eat organic, although it is becoming over the top pricey. All (except bread) is cooked/baked from scratch with love. Sometimes, he get white bread as a treat. Occasionally, I bake spiced cookies with a little brown sugar. I don't want to be too radical with serving absolutely no sugary food. He needs to learn moderation. Drinks: just BM, water and the occasional herb tea.

[claddaghmom]

I just wanted to say that I admire you mamas who are so vigilant about your LO's diets.

Diet for us has been the last thing to change and it's hard. I know the basics b/c I was raised that way, but the logistics are really intimidating.

Then I find myself reasoning it away...for example, at home DD gets almost 100% organic, raw, whole food. So then if I am out running errands and she is getting cranky and I am running out of time, we end up with popcorn and carrot sticks at Target, or I snag Annie's bunny cookies.

She's also tasted plenty of junk...she had a sip of soda b/c everyone wanted to see her "make the face" she had regular cake on her birthday...she's tasted icecream...we made cinnamon rolls together tonight...

*sigh*

At this point, I don't know that I've done anything "wrong" but then I think you mamas are doing it right...so what does that mean for me? Ah, cognitive dissonance!

[StoriesInTheSoil]

Originally Posted by claddaghmom

I just wanted to say that I admire you mamas who are so vigilant about your LO's diets.

Diet for us has been the last thing to change and it's hard. I know the basics b/c I was raised that way, but the logistics are really intimidating.

Then I find myself reasoning it away...for example, at home DD gets almost 100% organic, raw, whole food. So then if I am out running errands and she is getting cranky and I am running out of time, we end up with popcorn and carrot sticks at Target, or I snag Annie's bunny cookies.

She's also tasted plenty of junk...she had a sip of soda b/c everyone wanted to see her "make the face" she had regular cake on her birthday...she's tasted icecream...we made cinnamon rolls together tonight...

*sigh*

At this point, I don't know that I've done anything "wrong" but then I think you mamas are doing it right...so what does that mean for me? Ah, cognitive dissonance!

This is kind of where I am. Although there is some food that is considered "junk" here that I let DS have at home- organic fruit leather is one thing that he loves. I know it's bad for his teeth so I make him brush after eating sticky things like that. I also let him have juice. When we're at playgroup and there are homemade cookies or something, I let him eat them and at church he (not kidding) steals from the dessert table. Last week he asked nicely for a cupcake at church dinner instead of yoinking it when my back was turned so I scraped off the icing and let him have it (I think my intense pg-related nausea could have been to blame... yeah, let's go with that...)

I guess I strive for the no junk thing and meet the mark more than I miss it.

[edensmama]

We are a little to no junk food household. We have food allergies so that works as an excuse to people that offer junk food to us. My kids love veggies and fruit, although I did crave "junk food" while pg with ds we've gotten over it and now back on track with whole foods.

[betsyj]

We are very little junk food here. But, I do not consider homemade cookies junk. What we avoid like the plague is anything store bought, designed to have a "long shelf life." BLECH.

He of course does not get pop or sugar cereals or other high carb snack type filler foods. But, we walk to the bakery sometimes and split a cinnamon roll together. I want him to learn to enjoy food in moderation so that is what I am (trying) to teach him.

[Pippi L.]

My daughter's 2.5. When she was really little she got nothing. It helped that she was sensitive to dairy so people never bugged us about it. Now that's she's older I ease up a bit at other people's houses. There was no way I could avoid the sugar when we visited her great grandparents in Italy last summer. I put my foot down with the colored sugar water but boy did that cause a ruckus ("but children need sugar to grow).

For special occasions she'll get home-made treats at our house and some chocolate (birthdays, Christmas, Easter, etc). I let her eat goldfish and crackers at other people's houses if the other kids are eating it. If I get something for myself like chocolate or potato chips I let her have some since it's not that frequent. I don't want her to eat junk but I don't want to turn it into something she wants just because it's off-limits. I certainly don't introduce her to junky food that she hasn't had before. The jelly beans that my mom sent her for Easter? Those are going straight into the garbage. I'm sure she'll get them elsewhere at some point, but I'm not going to encourage it!

[Megan73]

Originally Posted by betsyj

We are very little junk food here. But, I do not consider homemade cookies junk. What we avoid like the plague is anything store bought, designed to have a "long shelf life." BLECH.

He of course does not get pop or sugar cereals or other high carb snack type filler foods. But, we walk to the bakery sometimes and split a cinnamon roll together. I want him to learn to enjoy food in moderation so that is what I am (trying) to teach him.

This. I see lots of heavily-processed snack foods on the shelves at the health food store - they may be organic but it's still junk to me.
Homemade cookies or birthday cake are perfectly fine as occasional treats, IMO.

[katiedidbug]

I try to avoid junk when possible, but DS1 certainly has had his share. He does tons better than most boys his age, so that makes me feel better. Also, if he is having a sweet treat, I try to make it something homemade, like cookies or muffins I've made.
Also, I work from home and nap time is valuable, so DS1 knows if he takes a successful nap, he's allowed to have a small treat. It might be bribery, but it's a way I can have an uninterrupted hour and a half and continue to work from home. The alternative for me is working outside of the home, and I'd just about rather do anything. LOL.

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by Megan73

This. I see lots of heavily-processed snack foods on the shelves at the health food store - they may be organic but it's still junk to me.

I had read this post yesterday & it kept echoing through my mind as a I was shopping at Trader Joe's last night. I ended up leaving the store with not much more than a bag of ww flour & some dog food, thanks to you!!

Seriously, I try to avoid processed foods but sometimes I get into a bit of a rut, I needed that reminder!

[sanguine_speed]

Sure, I was a no-junk-food fan until my kids got older. My oldest is almost 9. She attends public school and has friends who eat lots of junk food.
There is a 'forbidden fruit' concern where I believe that if she is forbidden from junk food she will develop an unhealthy idea that junk food is 'bad' and something she really wants and will lie to get--setting her up for food issues.
It's very easy to keep junk food from a toddler. An older child? Sure, if you want food battles and lifelong food issues...
This doesn't mean she has free and ready access to all sorts of junk food all the time. It usually means she can spend her allowance on treats. The only things we forbid are cola and artificial sweeteners.