Is it healthy?

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about “trans fats” and overweight kids in the news, here in Canada at least. I came across a mom writing about the issue of kids diets. I agree that it seems to be mainly a problem of parents not teaching kids to make the right choices when it comes to making decisions about what to eat.

Now, I realize my kids are pretty young, but I think the training starts really early, and although I am no expert on the subject, I have learnt some things along the way. As my kids got old enough to eat a few meals a day, I started to care a lot more about the choices that I made for my family. A couple major changes are…

1. no more microwave!


2. significant decrease in the number of packaged food and snacks


3. increased fruits and vegetables


4. fast food only 1 time per week, and in very small portions

I don’t like microwaves. I don’t think that there is any benefit to them. Read more here. Packaged and processed foods are full of trans fats, and other undesirable stuff.

And no, I am not anal about it… but I think that making healthy decisions starts at home, and starts when they are young, so at least I want to do my part to help them. I do let them have snacks… I give them what they like in small portions, as a treat, and they respect that. When planning meals, I try to follow the Canada food guide, and make sure they have a balanced meal… that is key. Simple things help to go a long way, like carrots and broccoli, baby spinach, corn… I try to keep veggies that my kids enjoy, and incorporate them into our meals.

Knowledge is key to making the good choices… stay informed!

Thoughts from Robin P

Obviously,I completely agree with you.
Part of being a mother is educating my child. If I don’t teach her about food,who will?
One day Lillianna said she was eating because she was bored. I explained that I used to do that but I had to change my bad habit. You need to eat when you are hungry not tired,bored,stressed or depressed. She put the snack away and found an activity to keep her busy.

She also knows that at a party,she can eat anything without permission….juice,candy,snacks. She is really good about eating in moderation. She never over eats. I feel confident with her food choices. If she is this responsible at 8 1/2,I think she’ll be ok.