While searching at Café Mom, a sort-of-blogging-super-advertised site for moms, I read a post by Misssy2000. She referenced family4life web page that listed the ‘10 Worst Foods for Kids’ (previously in Parents Magazine-May 2001).
I was nonplussed to see all the comments that basically said, “Of course I feed these foods to my kids and so what.”
What is going on here in America-Land of the Free? Yeah, free to clog your kids arteries and set them on their way to early diabetes before he reaches 10.
Here is the list and below are a few comments I highlighted with my response.
1 Chicken Nuggets Any fast food that’s breaded and fried is bursting with fat. Nuggets and their dipping sauces also have a lot of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure in adults. Don’t let your child’s taste buds get used to salty foods. for children 3 and under. Serve only occasionally, look for lower-fat brands (try turkey dogs), and cut into very small pieces for young children.
2 Chips Giving your child a handful of chips with lunch on occasion is fine, but keep in mind that potato chips, corn chips, and cheese puffs are mostly fat, sodium, and empty calories.
3 Doughnuts Most are packed with artery-clogging saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. An average doughnut also has 200 to 300 calories and few other nutrients.
4 French Fries It’s unfortunate that fries are the most popular vegetable dish in the U.S. Kids love them, but they’re extremely high in fat and have few vitamins. If your children clamor for them at the drive-through, at least stick with a small portion.
5 Fruit Leather Most rolled-up dried fruit has a dab of fruit, a teeny bit of fiber, few vitamins except those that have been added, and lots of sugar. Serve fresh fruit instead.
6 Hot Dogs Regular dogs are high in fat (13 or more grams per serving), have lots of sodium along with nitrates,and don’t provide much protein for the calories. They’re also a choking hazard.
7 Juice-flavored Drinks Most are no more than 10 percent juice; the rest is water and sweeteners.
8 Prepackaged Lunches Sure, they’re convenient, but they also tend to be high in saturated fat and sodium (more than 1,200 milligrams in some, about half the recommended daily max) and packed with sugary treats. Most also are nutritionally unbalanced, because they contain no fruits or vegetables.
9 Soda American children drink more soft drinks today than ever. The average 12-ounce can of soda supplies almost ten teaspoons of sugar, which can contribute to obesity and tooth decay. Kids who drink soda instead of milk/soy milk are also shortchanging their bones of calcium and other nutrients.
10 Toaster Pastries These contain lots of fat and not much fruit. Instead, make a piece of raisin toast for your child, and serve it with jam.
Sources: Mona Sutnick, Ed.D., R.D. a nutrition consultant in Philadelphia; Riva Touger-Decker, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in Newark; Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, in Boston, and coauthor of Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health(Bantam, 1999); Liz Marr, R.D., a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in Boulder, Colorado
This woman gets the award for most sane.
My children don’t eat that stuff in my house as part of their daily diet but I do let them eat that stuff at birthday parties, back yard bbqs and the like. The only thing they do eat on a daily basis from that list is fruit leathers, but I but the Fruitabu (sp?) ones. They are are full serving of 100% organic fruit. My theory is you have to let them eat that junk every now and again as a treat and not make it totally off limits, kinda like me and my monthly pint of Ben and Jerry’s.”
I found these to be the most ridiculous!!
A few mothers that say they don’t fry there chicken nuggets and fries. One mother says she only buys Tyson.
FYI: They come out of the package already fried!
“She will ONLY eat chicken if it’s a nugget. I buy the Tyson 100% white meat ones and stick them in the oven or microwave I don’t fry them. She only has them fried if we eat out….”
Than this mother is just … well you decide.
“Quoting FaerieMommie23:
Yes I give my kids all that crap and I dont care what anybody thinks about it. I’m not going to tell them they cant have certain stuff when other kids can, its not fair to them”
Then there is the older mother who says:
”I’m just an older mother who remembers being crazy like this neurotic shit. Time waster. My daughter has a body that rivels Giselle Bunchden off of this diet! hahahahhaa!”
Seems her life is a time waster. She gave up and wants us all to join her. Being skinny is not a sign of health.
This next mother thinks her daughter is fine because her doctors said so. Did he exam her intestines and colon, could he see the stress on organs that can hold up for years then tire out completely. He checked the cholesterol on a 5 year old, really!
“so have mine and the Doctor at their last visit said they are very healthy 5 and 7 yr olds.. My 5 yr old has even had his cholesterol checked and its perfect…”
You can survive off this diet but are you being given the best start in life.
Health does not just come from what you eat; your health is also affected by your mind and environment. Obsession of any kind is a disease (dis-ease). Moderation is a good thing but what is your definition of moderation. Once a day, once a week? It is different for everyone.
Misssy2000 gave a good post. Something to think about. Nowhere did she say ‘never eat these’. She was suggesting you avoid them when there are so many other alternatives.
“right now chicken nuggets is the only thing I can get my son to eat. I can’t wait till he tires of them”
I do not understand when a parent says “that is all my child will eat”. Your child will not starve to death if you no longer have any of these unhealthy foods in your house. He may not eat today but he will eat tomorrow or the next day.
· “Yup! My boys have had all of those. Having junk in moderation and combined with a healthy diet and outside exercise isn’t that bad. ”
“Isn’t that bad” Is that what we are willing to settle for? Is this why we became parents?
Which is more filling, a banana or a few cookies? The banana will sustain the body longer and better.
What do you think, is eating ‘ok sometimes’ enough?
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