The winter holidays are upon us which often means lots of sugary foods. When my kids were little, I really tried to manage what they were eating when we were at holiday gatherings, and I am here to tell you that it was hard. Trying to make sure that my kids didn’t binge on sugary treats made me frustrated. I wanted them to learn how to enjoy a couple of things at this time of year without going overboard. I tried to encourage eating healthy foods first and always including veggies if available.
I have a feeling I am not alone in this frustration. I hear from parents all the time that when they go to a party, potluck, BBQ, or any group meal that their kids will eat one roll or mac and cheese and then fill up on desserts. What to do?
Having made it through the littles stage, the elementary school age, and now to the teenager/young adult age, these are my thoughts looking back.
I would still emphasize eating healthy foods first every day. Talking about what foods give you nutrition and help your body helps lay the groundwork for positive eating habits. Snacks would still be nuts, cheese, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. We still wouldn’t have ice cream or cookies or chips as a staple in our pantry. I also wouldn’t have sugar-free options of those foods just so they could have them with less sugar. I am not a huge fan of artificial sweeteners and if you are going to have a cookie, have a real cookie. Just not half the package and not every day.
I would place less emphasis on limiting the sugary stuff. I would just remind them, prior to arriving at the place where we are eating, to think about how they will feel if they eat too much of it. I read an article by a dietician recently who said she put dessert right on her children’s plates with the “regular” food to make it less of a big deal. Yes, the kids would often eat that first, but they also ate the rest of their food. There was no value attached to the dessert so it wasn’t an item they had to earn or that seemed better than their main meal. There was no arguing over eating one more bite or eating veggies to “earn” the dessert.
I would stand by my thoughts about sugary/junk foods being just one time. It’s not. It’s actually several times a year. The reason these kinds of foods are cheap and so readily available isn’t just because the ingredients are cheap and easy to attain, but because there is so much demand for them. The more demand, the more are made, and a saturated market offers cheaper options. Just imagine if vegetables were in that high of demand and priced similarly! We would be much more inclined to purchase and eat those for meals and snacks.
Teaching a balance between healthy eating and having a sugary treat every now and then is hard. Our kids have so many messages and influences around them telling them all kinds of conflicting information. Healthy eating doesn’t need to be hard. Enjoying special holiday foods doesn’t need to be a battle. Once we take away that power struggle sometimes the result is your kids not wanting the sugary foods as much because it is not as forbidden and therefor not as attractive. Food shouldn’t have a moral value. The “bad foods” shouldn’t be more attractive. (Just like the “bad boy” shouldn’t be more attractive but that is another story for another time.)
Enjoy your holidays no matter which ones you celebrate. Eat the foods you like. Be sure to have some protein and veggies. Make memories with your family and friends.
Peace from The Edge,
Julia
