Is anyone else ok with their kids eating MOSTLY healthy, MOSTof the time?

[Amila]

I have two friends who eat extremely selectively- as in, no processed anything, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, etc. They cook everything from scratch, never go out to eat, and have to bring food with them wherever they go. They NEVER make exceptions either. They eat very healthy, and sometimes I leave feeling like the worst mom on the planet for having goldfish crackers in my purse...

But, honestly, the more I think about it, I am OK with my kids eating mostly well the majority of the time. Maybe I have the luxury because my kids will eat any fruit or vegetable, nut or seed, grain, or meat/fish that is put in front of them and they have no allergies. Even though they rarely will sit down and eat a plate at an official "meal time" they snack on berries, nuts, tuna, carrots, etc all throughout the day.

When they do get the occasional happy meal (which they really just pick at and don't really eat) or a hot dog at a bbq or juice, or candy at Grandpa's I don't sweat it, because sometimes I think that those memories, or experiences, or the simple stress relief of hitting the drive through outweigh the nutrition factor.

My friends who i mentioned above have to think about food constantly, and I know if I were them my life wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable because I LIKE going to dinner, and indulging in McDonald's, and eating two SKOR bars in a row when pregnant

I do draw the line with certain things like Soda and stuff with aspartame, etc, and we usually buy healthy versions of unhealthy things like hot dogs, etc.

Anyone with me?

[Alyantavid]

I am.

We do eat really well most of the time, almost everything made at home is made from scratch, is usually organic or locally grown (mostly by me). But yeah, sometimes we stop at McDonald's or have hot dogs for dinner. I know they eat really well the majority of the time, so I don't mind a few unhealthy things sometimes.

I don't give my kids dairy but that's because of allergy/intolerance issues. Otherwise I would.

[Joyster]

I cook a lot from scratch. I love cooking, I have the time to do it and the kitchen and gadgetry to do so. My older one is fussy, but I can get most manner of raw fruits and vegetables into him. DS2 will eat everything.

That said, one of DS1's favourite things to do is to go to our local Science Centre with his best buddy and afterward, he knows there is a happymeal with his name on it. They eat and play while the moms drop. This is once every few months. Most of my mom friends get McDonalds or something similar once a week. Which I can't do, but they also work and are pooped so I won't even begin to judge.

I figure if I can get 6 healthy dinners and breakfasts and snacks into them a week (school handles healthy lunches), a pizza or BBQ is fine.

We don't do pop (for the kids, mom likes pop *G*), chips are a treat, as is candy and chocolates. My oldest won't touch french fries and isn't too fond of chocolate. My youngest is more prone to eating junk, which is another reason why I try to limit it. We're not totally abstaining because I think the minute the kids get on their own, they'll have a junk food orgy, but trying to set limits and giving them a taste for it as a treat, but home cooking is the best.

[laohaire]

You are in the majority.

[mamazee]

Yes. The majority of what we eat is whole foods, prepared from scratch. But I think so far as 95% of what we eat is very healthy, the other 5% or so doesn't matter.

[One_Girl]

I am fine with my dd eating mostly healthy. I understand what you mean by feeling badly about yourself when you are around friends who go to extremes. It is hard to always feel great about what you do as a parent 100% of the time.

[Amila]

Majority? Really? That is interesting, because I know that where I live, the vast majority of moms really feed their kids junk pretty much all the time. Kraft mac and cheese, hot dogs, pb&J, and pizza make up 90% of the food kids eat around here. The only fruits and veggies kids know about are bananas, apples, and oranges. Maybe carrots. I am usually the outcast for bringing healthy snacks for preschool. Maybe it is just my area?

We do lots of gardens, farmers markets, and eat 75% organic. I AM trying to cut back the juice consumption though- my kids looove juice. My goal is to get them to love water and tea more

And for the record, I definitely need to eat better. My kids eat waaaayy better than I do, lol.

[Just1More]

Yeup...we eat healthy.

And sometimes my kids have NERDS, for fun. And we go out for ice cream a lot in the summer.

We also usually pick the healthy version of junk food, and I severely limit chemicals of any kind, but...

We are all going to die sometime of something, and I refuse to be a slave to food to add a year onto my life...

[Just1More]

Yeah, and most people find ME extreme. Even as I shop with a toddler holding a fast food fry box...

[EFmom]

I'm with you. I'm not fanatical about many things.

[choli]

Originally Posted by Amila

Majority? Really? That is interesting, because I know that where I live, the vast majority of moms really feed their kids junk pretty much all the time. Kraft mac and cheese, hot dogs, pb&J, and pizza make up 90% of the food kids eat around here. The only fruits and veggies kids know about are bananas, apples, and oranges. Maybe carrots. I am usually the outcast for bringing healthy snacks for preschool. Maybe it is just my area?

We do lots of gardens, farmers markets, and eat 75% organic. I AM trying to cut back the juice consumption though- my kids looove juice. My goal is to get them to love water and tea more

And for the record, I definitely need to eat better. My kids eat waaaayy better than I do, lol.

That's what you SEE them eating when at preschool or out and about, just as they probably see your kids having a happy meal or a hotdog at a BBQ. You have no idea what they eat the majority of the time, just as they have no way of knowing what your kids eat the majority of the time.

[mamadelbosque]

I'm with you. I just roll my eyes at the threads that go "OMG! My kid is going to like, die
! Grandma/grandpa/friend/stranger let my kid have choc milk/soda/ice cream/whatever" I don't have the time or energy to stress over 100% organic, 100% from-scratch 100% non-proccessed foods. I just don't. And besides, I have zero interest in being "that" family thats just so. freaking.wierd.about.food. I really don't. *I* was that kid/family in school, and I just have zero interest in subjecting my kids (or myself) to that.

[limabean]

I'm with you, but I think we're fortunate to have kids without allergies/food sensitivities.

I don't really know anyone who subsists on a constant diet of junk food like you mentioned -- our schools have rules about not sending junky snacks/lunches to school, and even ask that parents donate a book to the school library in their child's name instead of bringing cupcakes on their birthday. And when neighbors have put out snacks for the kids there might be popsicles once in a while, but there's also a lot of veggies and dip, fruit and cheese, etc.

So around here, among the people I know anyway, it's normal to be aware of healthy-ish eating. Hopefully that awareness will become more widespread with campaigns such as the First Lady's childhood obesity initiative. IMO, at least in my area, the pendulum seems to have reached the extreme and now is starting to swing back towards center. Perhaps the families you know who are more extreme in their healthy eating just feel the need to provide a counterpoint to the general sway of the population in your area?

[broodymama]

I'm with you. We eat healthy most of the time, but if we are out somewhere running errands I don't have a problem with stopping somewhere and getting a burger.

I am extremely uptight about people giving food to my kids as babes, though. They were all sensitive to dairy and soy (and I'm sensitive to MSG, DS sensitive to red food dye) so having someone give one of them a cookie could have been a big deal.

[Honey693]

Before a year I'm fanatical about food. But once that first piece of birthday cake touches their lips I'm much more relaxed. We eat healthy 80% of the time and while I wish we could get to 90-95% I'm pretty ok with it. Compared to the majority of people I know we eat very healthy. I try to limit junk to homemade things, but processed stuff is in there. We had chocolate covered marshmallow eggs with lunch yesterday and fruit by the foot for snack this afternoon. But with that D also had 1.5 lbs of strawberries, a tomato and a ton of wheat bread with natural pb.

[Drummer's Wife]

Yes! My kids eat healthy, whole foods the majority of the time, so I am okay with an occasional bag of chips, candy, hot dog, and even soda. To me, banning all junk food and "poison" aka sugar from your kids diet is extreme and likely to back-fire on you someday.

All things in moderation.

[~Katie~]

Everything in moderation. Even moderation.

I buy the healthy version of junk food, the organic/allergen free, etc. DS has a dairy allergy. It's better for my thighs too We don't keep soda in the house. Otherwise I don't fret over the occasional fast food or whatever. We've eaten it more than I'd like since my DH left, but I remind myself that it isn't permanent and we'll revert back to majority of meals being eaten at home once he's home again. I don't make everything from scratch all the time, but I do like to occasionally when I have the time and energy. I do avoid things with HFCS, artificial dyes, sweeteners, etc. Otherwise I'm not super strict about food.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

Count me in. I love cooking, we love the farmer's market and I don't use processed food at home. But we definitely eat fast food when its the convenient answer to "Place A from 4 to 5, Place B from 5 to 6 and Place C at 7". The kids get pretzels and ham sandwiches in their lunches, just not twinkies and lunchables. I do not sweat the occasional candy treat and I let them have the Ding Dongs that someone brought for little league snack. I figure they eat mostly healthy, most of the time. They like fruits and veggies and water at home so why stress when they get a cookie and juice when we are out? Or even a soda with dinner when we are out at a restaurant? After all, that's probably a healthy option compared to my marguarita!

I was more careful when they were younger, but now that they are 7 and 10, I know that its not always up to me anymore and I don't have total control over what or where they eat. So why stress?

[mistymama]

Sure, I don't stress over it. We eat healthy most of the time, and it's perfectly fine with me if ds has a chicken nugget meal or subway sandwich on occasion. When he has field trips at school, I'll often let him have a lunchable since he thinks they are so cool.

I don't think the occasional total junk is going to hurt him, the kid eats so well MOST of the time. I feel the same way about my eating habbits, btw. Everything in moderation!

I also think I'm lucky that he does not have any food allergies - that would change my outlook on things I'm sure.

[blizzard_babe]

That's us. We make most of what we eat, but DS gets cold cereal with milk, crackers out of a box, the occasional *GASP* potato chips or french fries (on the occasion DH and I have them), and even a cookie now and then (though usually the cookies are baked by DH, who really likes to bake ).

I figure he eats well enough most of the time, and I'd rather he grow up thinking of "junk" food not as something forbidden and naughty (because there comes and age where forbidden and naughty is so very cool ), but something we occasionally indulge in because... we can.

Now I have my limits. No HFCS (though it's snuck by me a few times and I didn't flip out, or even really care... just made a mental note not to get that brand again), no Kool-Aid and the like, RARELY do we have straight-up candy (we're more of a baked sweets kind of family ), and I try to keep "healthier" versions of stuff around the house (Triscuit crackers are a good snack choice, V-8 Fusion or Vruit if you've got a juice aficionado, etc), but need to accept that good enough really is good enough.