Kids Don’t Need a Diet
Photo by Providence Doucet on Unsplash
Kids do not need a diet. They need basic education about food, adults who model balanced nutrition, and daily movement or play.
I hope this statement doesn’t come across as bossy, and I certainly hope you don't think that by offering this advice I am insinuating I have perfected this philosophy with my own kids. I wish!! The truth is that I made a lot of mistakes (and will continue to) with my own kids’ nutrition when they were younger. I wish I knew then what I know now!!
When it came to my kids I often used food as a reward, a way to soothe my “mommy guilt” (read as “I didn’t have as much time as I wanted to spend with you today, but I can get you this candy!”). I bought into the belief that kids don’t eat what adults eat, i.e. “the kid menu”, and I stocked the pantry with sugar-loaded cereals for breakfast because it was convenient.
The reality is that we’ve all made mistakes when it comes to modeling balanced nutrition for our kiddos. Worse yet, I realize I completely sabotaged the ability my kids had to make decent choices when I brought home the junk food from the store. After all, who is buying the food? Us….the adults. (That junk food, by the way, is purposely made to be highly palatable and addictive to our brains. It literally creates a craving for more, and in the long run creates distaste towards healthy food. That’s a whole post on its own!)
I don’t share this opinion to make any parent feel guilty. I share it as a piece of advice or education that I wish I would have read when my first baby was in the womb. It’s the advice I find myself sharing with my patients and families as much as discussing other safety measures like car seats and childproofing their house.
So, what if, like me, you have found yourself in the midst of a few of these common parental mistakes?
First, show yourself some grace and know that we are all often doing the best we can. Second, make yourself believe it is never too late to turn bad habits around and start making better choices. Third, evaluate your own nutrition and start with yourself in order to be that model for your family.
Bottom line….just start. Choose one or two small changes or “pivots.” Talk with your kiddos who are old enough to understand about healthy foods and not-healthy foods. Explain why you want to make some improvements in the family’s nutrition.
One big start for our family was eliminating the cereal. If it’s not in the house, we can’t eat it. The kids are forced to make another choice for breakfast (and after-school snack), which leads to better choices all day. I found out how much a few of my kids like hard boiled eggs, smoothies, and eggs when Lucky Charms was not an option! Who knew?!?!
Focus on WHOLE foods, daily movement or play, and see what happens!
This article is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to supplement, nor replace, the professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of conditions from a trained healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning or changing any health or fitness programs or stopping medication to make sure it appropriately meets your needs. If you have concerns or questions, you should always consult with your physician or other healthcare professional.