Chemicals and Additives in Our Kids Diets

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  Posted by wendy g Mon Nov 2, 2009 10:13pm PST

  Ahhh..thank you. I feel the same way. I'm from the South, and sorry to say, junk food is pretty much a tradition down here. My family actually looks DOWN on me for not giving my kid lots of candy, chips, hot dogs, soda, etc. They think I'm "depriving" him. By not giving him nutritionally empty, calorie high pseudo-food and wanting him to eat REAL, nutritious foods? My son is only two, and kids that age are picky enough as it is....if you gave them junk food and processed foods on a daily basis, it's basically all they would eat! I have no problem with occasional treats (preferably home made), but I don't want to give my toddler junk on a regular basis. Yet, when I pass on the soda they offer him, they act like I'm actually mistreating him, or something. Since when is wanting your kid to eat healthy a bad thing? I thought that's what parents were SUPPOSED to do!

  I agree with you about people feeling threatened by this. ESPECIALLY grandparents who may have let their kids have too much of a "good thing" when they were growing up. They feel that if you don't do exactly what they did when they were parents, you are somehow condemning their job as parent.

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  Posted by M Tue Nov 3, 2009 5:47am PST

  wendy g- i hear ya on the grandparent thing for sure! they truly believe anything i do differently is a direct and condemning judgment on how they parented me! and truth be told, in a way, it is! but only because after all these years passed since i was born we NOW KNOW BETTER! we used to be able to drive in the way back of a station wagon, backwards with no seatbelts while adults smoked up a storm in the car! now everyone knows that isn't a good thing, so we don't do it! while we also have way more information about food and nutrition so shouldn't we use that information too? and yeah, i really hate when people act like i am depriving my children when they don't get 'high' on sugar, candy, soda etc. i'm with you, they can have treats- and homemade whenever i can!- but they don't need twinkies, or root beer or 400 mini candy bars to have a treat. my kids are just as satisfied by a small lollipop with veggie based food coloring because that's what they know. that's what we give them. in fact, one day their grandfather took them for ice cream and got bright red cherry dip (arg! artificial flavor and color and sweetener!!!) and my son wouldn't eat it. he told his pop 'you shouldn't buy that for me.!' good for him!

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  Posted by Katie B Tue Nov 3, 2009 6:15am PST

  Well if we all weren't so darn lazy (yes, I realize this is a large generalization), a lot of this wouldn't even be a problem... I find it interesting that 30 years ago we did not have an epidemic of obesity in our country like we do today (my mom is convinced it's hamburger helpers fault... well and other foods like it)... but when we let convience take over and we stopped cooking our own food (including the things like cookies, cakes and the like) from scratch (or near scratch anyway)... We also no longer have PE in our schools (at least not as much as we did even 20 years ago) or home economics (to learn how to cook in a healthy manner) to balance out the junk anymore...

  In my opinion (and I don't have kids yet however)... I would rather feed my kids "junk food" that I make myself... whether it's cookies, candies, cakes, etc.... because then at least the artificial anythings would be less (if any at all and no HFCS) and I know what is going in to my kids bodies (and they will have it farther and fewer between because I just won't be inclined to make it all the time)... This is my philosophy in general about junk food...

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  Posted by E. Boost Tue Nov 3, 2009 6:55am PST

  I agree, I think that when I have kids I'm not going to feed them all this junk food that's EVERYWHERE now. I mean, it's so hard to avoid, I have a McDonald's 4 blocks from my house and a Dairy Queen 3 blocks in the opposite direction. Not to mention the extra "Hot dog/pizza joints". They're really hard to avoid but thankfully my mom cooks me healthy dinners at home and she yells at me everytime I come home with french fries and a chocolate shake. I don't really eat meat, I only eat chicken perhaps 1-2 a month, but that's about it. My parents always taught me how to be selective and go with the healthier options. My mom and dad always get it at family parties/dinners though. "Why are you depriving your daughter, she is 19, let her have some steak!". I personally don't have steak but my relatives flip out when I turn down a hot dog or cheeseburger. I rather eat something healthier, and it's not really that I'm sacrificing myself, I wouldn't eat these things if I was home alone. It's just my body accustomed to not wanting these things anymore.

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  Posted by lizzy Tue Nov 3, 2009 6:56am PST

  I can definitely empathize. I'm from the South as well, Wendgy g, and let me tell you, healthy eating is not a priority down here. Once I moved out on my own and starting preparing my own food, I quickly realized how bad most of our staples are these days. All the processed lunch meats, white carbs, boxed food, etc is absolutely destroying our bodies, not to mention the fast food that everyone seems to think is ok in moderation. It's not. I've completely cut out fast food, fried food, sodas (including diet), most dairy (although I do occasionally enjoy it), and most red meats. It was difficult at first; I tried eliminating one thing at a time, which was highlty effective.

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  Posted by another hockey fan Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:04am PST

  AMEN FOR THIS POST! Every time I drive by a McDonald's and see families eating in there all I can think is these are the same people who say they love their kids and want what's best for them. Yes, I get the cheap and convenient part and I don't have kids so maybe I don't understand completely, but regardless of what side of the argument you stand on, the bottom line is it IS a fact that manufactured food is killing us.

  PS Katie, LOVE the Hamburger Helper part. Too funny! We ate that crap as kids too.

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  Posted by Giz Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:38am PST

  While I do not have children yet, I absolutely agree with you. I may actually go back to school to study nutrition because I am so passionate about changing the way we are feeding our children and ourselves. Most children it America today are malnourished and don't get enough exercise. Childhood bbesity and diabetes are on the rise and many parents, schools and healthcare providers are not taking enough of an active role in combating it. I think the idea of feeding kids soda, chips, processed foods, tons of candy, etc. is ATROCIOUS, especially since there are several low cost items that are healthy, easy to prepare and can be very tasty (tuna, PB/Almond/sun butter & Jelly, buying a turkey/ lean roast and cutting it up for lunch meat, homemade sauce, pasta, brown rice, tofu, multigrain bread, in season, local fruit/veggies (many farms have flat rate "grab bag" packages that they deliver or can be picked up weekly. Even in the large city I live in this is an option), frozen veggies, nuts, chicken, pork chops, etc.). My parents made sure that I ate a balanced diet from a young age and as a result, many junk foods never really appealed to me as a kid. Kids only like these crap foods because that is what they are used to and provided with. The way many parents feed their children, along with the amount of video games they are allowed to play and TV they allow them to watch, is appaling.

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  Posted by __A_YAHOO_USER__ Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:45am PST

  Maybe it's not that you are feeding your children healthier stuff that is the issue. Maybe it could be your attitude towards others that don't that makes people adverse to your practices. Most people don't like it when someone comes off as their way is better. It could be the way you are letting everyone know how much better you are feeding your kids.

  And for the record, I agree with how awful the "food" is that most people feed themselves and their kids. I do my best to feed my kids healthy stuff too. I just don't get into conversations with people about what I am or what they are feeding the kids.

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  Posted by N. Coleman Tue Nov 3, 2009 7:59am PST

  I'm am SO glad someone posted this and I'm not the only one going through the judgments of what I feed my child. Even my husband judges. I have a 1 year old and I set out from the start of my pregnancy to make sure she would eat healthy. She's pretty much vegetarian with the exception of seafood every now and then. Heck, I kept her off diary until she was one and even now she still doesn't drink milk, but can have things with cheese in it. I figured if I start her off with vegetables and fruit, she would grow up with more of a palette for these kinds of food and not so much meat and processed food. And if I do get processed food (mac & cheese) then its 100% organic and whole grains only. But if you ask my husband and his side of the family, I'm depriving her of being a child. Which is one reason, I don't leave her with them for very long. And now that she's one I bend a little more, she can have sweets every now and then. But her junk food of choice is Honey Nut Cheerios, so I don't think that's too bad.

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  Posted by me Tue Nov 3, 2009 8:33am PST

  Thanks for posting this! I do not have children but I eat in a similar manner to how you feed your kids and peopl look at me like I'm some food snob! Like eating healthy= High Maintenance. I clean with eco-friendly cleaners so I don't have to breathe in the carcinogens. My makeup is cruelty free! And if I can't pronouce the ingredients I'm not buying it! Now I'll admit my Husband love's oreo's so he sneaks those in and I can't bake a pie to save my life so I have been know to once a year at most buy one but other than that. I'm not doing it....our parents have gotten used to the convienince of this era but our Grandparents would be shocked at how we eat today! Back then they grew it themselves or could tell you the name of the butcher that raised it!

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