Why is Junk food for the kids ?

[cruiser gal]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

I agree with Betty, as to its all about Marketing! Also did you ever notice that all the junk food at grocery stores are right at the check outs, and if you have kids with you, they see it, and want it, and guess what, they whine as you're placing groceries on the conveyor belts, until you give them the junk food! They watch t.v., and guess what, the junk food ads are aimed at the kids as well!

[LC_Dave]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

I remember when we were young we would get a platic bag full of plastic toys and candy at the 'show' (Fare).

You would come home and eat all this junk, and we were allowed to do it. Looking back that was not helpful to me as a kid.

I just don't see where junk is necessary for growing bodies ?

I reckon the behavious problems in kids today are directly linked to it. YOu see these kids kicking and screaming at the supermarket - but you see it a lot more these days!!

[iyamamaschke]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

The thing that gets me is YA you can get the Apple slices but, they also give you carmel dip with it turned something good into something Bad that fast.

I don't take my kids to Mc dondald very Often sure it's convenient to do so But, I would rather not. I am getting healthier and so are they My daughter who has been plagued with Eczema her whole life barely gets outbreaks any more. She eats what I do with the addition of the Odd treat and also Pasta but, since I quit feeding her all that crap She is healthier and way better. It's amazing what sugar does even to children.

Sarah

[tkdhabidah]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

Good question Dave. I know this may seem ironic, but I have been super nuts about my kids' diets from day one. When I really think about it, it was probably to prevent them from ending up like me! To this day, the only drop of soda that my 3 year old has had was at her grandparents' home. If asked to pick out her lunch, she usually picks a meat, fruit, and veggie! I do provide occasional sweet treats for my family, as my hubby has a serious sweet-tooth, but they are few and far between!

[ttdriver]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

SUGAR = THE POISONING OF AMERICA!

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS = ADDICTION BY PRESCRIPTION!

(grr...I am on my soapbox today, BIG TIME!)

Betty

[not2late]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

I remember when we were young we would get a platic bag full of plastic toys and candy at the 'show' (Fare).

You would come home and eat all this junk, and we were allowed to do it. Looking back that was not helpful to me as a kid.

I just don't see where junk is necessary for growing bodies ?

I reckon the behavious problems in kids today are directly linked to it. YOu see these kids kicking and screaming at the supermarket - but you see it a lot more these days!!

As an occasional treat (AKA once every 5 or 6 months), sweets aren't bad. But let's face it, sweets everyday, several times a day is bad. When I was a child, we had a McDonald's meal twice a year---once on the way to my relative's house and once on the way back home.

Mom knew that our lunches at school were traded or upgraded with other kids, so she made sure we had "good" meals for breakfast and dinner during school days. Once a week, we would have dessert, like pie or cake. The rest of the week, if we had any type of dessert it would be fruit.

Cookies were for our lunches. So 3 dozen cookies had to be enough for the 3 of us for 2 weeks. AND to make matters worse (or better), if we wanted cookies, we had to bake them. Mom wouldn't buy them because she thought buying store cookies were a rip-off.

That's probably why I'm not a pie-cake-candy carb junkie. I never developed a taste for that stuff.

Mom would only buy fruit juice when one of us were ill. And when she gave us the fruit juice, it would be mixed 50-50 with water. So it was basically fruit-flavored water. She would only juice oranges if we had leftover oranges. And even with the fresh squeezed orange juice, she would water it down 50-50. So you were better off eating the whole, unadultered orange, than you were drinking Mom's orange juice.

[erinonatkins]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

when i was a kid there was essentially a sugar ban at our house. i had my first soda when i was in junior high. i had shredded wheat for breakfast and to this day i've never had a sugar cereal, and i don't believe i've ever set foot in a mcdonald's. i started putting on weight when i went to college and started making my own food choices on a regular basis. i was poor and boxed pasta was cheap. i was vegetarian and lived almost exclusively on starches for years - and of course, what's college without soda and beer. i didn't load on the weight quickly, but every year a couple pounds crept on. i've been a student for 7 years. a couple pounds yearly for 7 years for me added up to a fairly outrageous 40-45 pounds. luckily i've come to my senses and realized that soda, vodka tonics, beer and pasta are what did this to me and the way to get it back off is to try a more balanced approach. give me my salmon and green beans any day. i love to watch the scale go back down and it's a lot tastier than pasta roni made with water (no milk, no butter - those have FAT in them!).

[teejay]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

Because ADHD and Diabetes run rampant in my family, my children have always looked at fruit as a "treat" because that is what I taught them. It was fairly easy really. I told them that the fruit was for mommy and so of course that made them special. I worked im a bagel factory when my kids were babies. They cut their teeth on mini bagels. None of those teething cookies, they were just that cookies. We always have a big bowl of fruit on the table and more in the fridge. More often than not, dessert is fruit. Preferably fresh, but canned occasionally. That is how I was raised, growing up on a farm and growing out own food and how I try to raise my kids. My ex on the other hand.... well that is a whole other rant.

TJ

[mirna05]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

We take our kids to McDonalds just ocassionally, my 4 year old daughter already knows that sugar, icecream and fryes are not good for her. People get surprised when they see them eating raw vegetables, and any kind of salads, we have that everyday. They love nuts, and almonds.

[BeccaResRN]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

You know my pediatricain said something very similar to me, who in the house needs chips and sugar sodas? well not me and not my kids. So I have been making a concerted effort and have not bought any diet or regular soda or chips..insted I bought cheese sticks, celery and carrots and apples (for the kids) and a big flat of bottled water for me and small kid sized waters for them. they think the waters are cool and they are perfect size for small hands. i am also trying to get them out of the idea that they need to snack all the time, because they think snack means junk food, so I offer pickles, apples, vegies and ranch etc..

You know it cost me more money to have my whole family eat better, which is sad the healthier cost more$$$ but they and myself are worth it. I also stopped buying regular bread at all, it wont hurt them to eat the whole wheat lower carb stuff

[ttdriver]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

CRAP FOODS ARE ALWAYS CHEAPER INITIALLY .. UNTIL THEY TAKE A TOLL ON YOUR HEALTH!! And *that* is the ultimate high price.

Betty

[changing]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

I don't have any children but as a former child (I know, I know, aren't we all?), I want to say that I think it's great that you guys are modeling good nutrition for your kids and giving them healthy meal choices.

I really wish my parents had done the same for me, though at the time, I'm sure I might have griped about the health food or been generally ungrateful.

[LC_Dave]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

I've looked at the cost factor,

yeah sure - quality meat and veggies cost more, but you are actually eating less,

I'm not binging on take anymore!

[sadie147]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

One in every three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime

The average child sees 10,000 TV advertisements per year

Only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain no sugar

McDonald's distributes more toys per year than Toys-R-Us

Before most children can speak they can recognize McDonald's

from http://www.supersizeme.com/home.aspx?page=bythelb

Of course, it's not just macdonalds..though apparnetly they hold 43% of the market..

I have a stepdaughter and yes we do occaissionally take her two macdonalds (very occaisionally though). I try to make healthy food choices for her at all other times, no pop in our house, no chips candy etc. But i do allow her the occaisional treat.

[mirna05]

Re: Why is Junk food for the kids ?

Same here Becca, at my house there are no cereal, no sugar (i give them fructose in case they want it for their yogurt ), no cookies, no pasta. My 2 and 4 years old, eat the same as me plus more fruits and milk. It is one of the best things we can do for our children.