I’m not going to lie, this family, sometimes, has (!gasp!) fast food for dinner. We allow our children to have pop (you crazy people call it soda) while at a theme park and occasionally at home or elsewhere if the situation warrants – we love pop for belly aches, or to wake up sleepy kids who were up late gaming (another no-no) because they like the flavor or because Mom or Dad has one sitting on the table and they want a sip of something. We even, now sit down when I tell you this, feed our children junk food, sugary cereal, sports drinks filled with sugar! I could go on and on and on. Fingers would be pointed. You’re already judging me… I know you are. Here’s the thing – we don’t care. The kids are healthy, happy, and know these are treats. Heck, sometimes even their pediatrician says to give them some of these things because my kids are skinny and could use a little extra.
Yes, I realize I’m lucky. Obesity is not a problem for my kids’, but I attribute this not just to their good metabolism, but to our reasonable food and drink expectations. Sometimes it’s really ok to say ‘Yes.’ Just like the First Lady will tell you she allows cake and candy, she pushes veggies and water. For the most part – 75% of the time – our kids eat and drink appropriately and within the guidelines you see coming from most doctors and officials. However, that other 25% we are just fine with junk food night. Just fine with those drinks, so long as it doesn’t mess up bedtime. If you say ‘No’ to all of it, they are going to see it as some taboo, rebellious act simply to eat what is advertised. No one wants that. Kids absolutely love to do all the things we as parents want them NOT to do. I’m certainly not going to make food and drink a battlefield when there are so many more important wars to be fought from drugs to sex to education. You want a Friday night of nothing but licorice, soda, & lollipops… with a side of pizza, burgers, and fries? No problem. We’ll even make a celebration of it because it can be so much fun. The next day they are back to drinking water and eating all of their broccoli with the fish Dad grilled. 
Food and drink have become political due to the very serious problems we have as a nation finding balance and moderation. As a Mom, I hope I’m sticking that balance early and with some silly fun… because sometimes it really is only food and drink and it really only is silly fun, not a war to be won.
How do you keep your kids healthy yet not make this issue a fight at the fridge? I’d love to hear you tips and tricks… Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!
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we have junk food friday… where anything goes. the rest of the time it’s pretty healthy…
My daughter is almost 4 and my son is nine months – we have what she calls “triangle pizza” nights when Disney Junior (tv! oh no!) has an hour long special – and the nextiday it’s eggs and fruit for breakfast, or oatmeal. We don’t do too much fast food simply because we don’t live near any fast food restaurants but I just threw in some chocolate chips into the banana bread I am baking. We take a moderate approach in all things here. I like that my children eat a wide range of foods, most good, some junk (well okay, not the nine month old, obviously) – I’ve been on a low carb diet myself and recently vented a bit of frustration on facebook at only losing nine pounds. a friend from high school recommended kale smoothies – I mean, really. Life is only so long. I’m not drinking kale smoothies.
Your kids are gorgeous!
We limit junk food and soda. Most of the time my kids prefer veggies anyway.
I stock healthy snacks that I know they like in a special drawer in the fridge, such as yogurts, grapes and cheese, and I limit their snacking.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/533004647057743872
After having a child that would not eat anything and had to have a G Tube to gain weight, I am pretty relaxed when it comes to what they eat. We mix healthy with a side of wild. But I do have a strict no caffeine rule until High School.
Mostly just by having good food around, so it’s what he’s accustomed to eating most of the time. It’s awfully easy to fall into the the trap of quick and easy foods, so I do everything I can not to go there.
When kids are allowed to have junk food and pop (we say “pop,” too!) once in a while, it’s no longer something so rare and special that they’ll sneak it or beg for it. They know they’ll get some soon, and in the meantime, please pass the brussels sprouts. There are always (well, usually) grapes, oranges, bananas, and granola bars to snack on here, and even though Mommy’s staple food is Diet Coke, the kids know their own intake is limited. I do count the Cokes, but because they go with junk food days, there are usually enough left. 🙂
This is a total cop out answer but we make it not an issue by making it not an issue. Foods have been a bane of my fat existence but starting my kids off super natural and then adding in occasional processed foods has been a winning combo and I’ve got two average kids and one that’s a little too thin. My fervent hope and prayer is that watching them choose a banana/apple/oatmeal over pop tarts for breakfast almost every single morning is a habit that will last into adulthood. I mean, why wouldn’t it? They could have the pop tarts if they wanted them (we have them on hand for fast emergency fuel because sometimes we oversleep) any morning but they only have them once in a blue moon. Give them options and knowledge, keep them active, model good habits (how I do that and stay fat I’ll never know but I must be eating more while I’m in the kitchen cooking or something) and pray it’s not something in the air or it’s all going to mean nothing anyway. LOL Oh, oh oh! I also think that when you make soda (pop is onomatopoeia!) and other snacks “not evil” you make it so when they are alone they don’t make the “naughty” choice. No naughty foods means no thrill from sneaking them or buying them when they move away or go to college.
My son only drinks water (maybe once a week he’ll want chocolate milk). This wasn’t a thing I made him do.. Kid’s crazy. 😉
I’m a soda (pop, what’s that?!) drinker when i’m not drinking wine…
He asks for fruit for snacks most days but when he reaches for a cookie or chips I certainly don’t say no. All things in moderation, right?
*I honestly don’t know how he made himself so healthy … i’m eating cheez-its right now!*
I try to limit soda and sweets. I have to offer veggies with ranch for dipping them in.
I don’t buy junk food and soda. If there is no junk food in the house there is nothing to fight about
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/533060028404465664
It’s hard to fight over at the fridge if the junk food isn’t in the house. We’ve never been overly health food conscious but do cook the majority of meals at home and eat lots of fruits and veggie because we like them. Our son doesn’t like any flavor soda or tea. He drinks water, milk, and lemonade – in that order. When I buy a bag of chips they often go stale before the bag is emptied. From time to time someone says let’s have a snack food night and we can choose anything from the grocery store. Son’s favorite pick is one doughnut, never a whole box. Not sure how we got so lucky but he’s now a healthy 15 year old who stretches to 5′ 11″ so we’re doing something right.
We don’t battle over food. Instead, we give choices and for each healthy choice he makes, he gets to pick a snack of his choice that day. If he eats broccoli with dinner, he can have a piece of candy or something later or vice versa. We don’t buy lots of “junk”, and all the food in our house is organic, but indulging once in a while is important to avoid obsessing over food. Being active, and encouraging all around good health (physical, mental, emotional, relational) is a bigger priority for us and we find moderation in everything keeps us on track. That said, I have 25 lbs I need to lose so the bigger food battle is the one I have with myself 😉
I pack their lunches and include fruits and veggies. Also, I encourage them to drink lots of water. That’s not to say that they don’t have pop and chips on occasion. They love all fruits, so that part is easy.
We love to plant in our garden and grow healthy foods it makes eating veggies a lot more fun.
We sneak veggies in their food.
https://twitter.com/618mom23boys/status/534505506602094592
My kids are not picky eaters, though they do have preferences when it comes to some food. To solve this problem, I put them into fruit smoothies.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/534916943535296515
We have always treated fruits as desserts, so they still think of it that way.
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
My family is actually pretty good about liking healthier snacks like fruit or yogurt so I make sure to always have snacks like these ready to go so they have no excuse not to have them over junk food!
We’ve learned that less is more, in everything it helps keep us balanced.
We try to keep our fridge stocked with healthy foods because I think that the more they surround you, the more you’ll eat them.
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/536366500668387328
i give them many options to choose from, that way they can pick how to balance their meals.
https://twitter.com/raggammuffin/status/536502054471348224
we try to eat healthy dinner together as a family and go for a walk after dinner.
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/536613021766778880
We try to eat healthy and we try to keep our schedules organized to allow for family time
https://twitter.com/sweetums82/status/537771141033508865
https://twitter.com/HeatherHollands/status/538909084318044160
We struggle with getting plenty of time outside, so we have made a point to take evening walks as a family for fresh air and exercise.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/538968384718012417
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
we find balance by keeping a calendar of all our activities
We’ve always followed the policy of just try it for fruits and veggies.
This has worked quite well for me.
thank you
Tweet https://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/540289353549750272
I keep healthy foods in my kitchen and leave out junk food. We eat together as a family every night and go for walks on nice evenings.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/541296352752566272
My step-son is old enough and fascinated enough by the ninja blender that if I makeup a drink the night before with fruit and (gasp!) yogurt and even some oatmeal in it with juice and screw the blade assembly on and leave it in the fridge he will blend it and drink it in the morning. I even put chia seeds or peanut butter in there sometimes.
I posted a tweet too: https://twitter.com/AnnaZed/status/541388833535696896
Limit the amount of junk food eaten and offer healthier snacks.
i’m still working on that, my oldest will eat pretty much anything i give her now but it took several years of struggle pryfamily5@gmail.com
i tweeted https://twitter.com/thepryfamily2/status/542863297494523904 pryfamily5@gmail.com
I try to sneek veggies into their food even though its super hard!
lol
thanks
tweet
https://twitter.com/MeandBells/status/544602555179753474
We focus on drinking mostly water and staying active! truckredford(at)Gmail(Dot)com
https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/544691792826757122 truckredford(at)gmail(Dot)com