Do you restrict your kids food intake for financial reasons?

amother

↑ Calendula ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 5:25 pm

amother Narcissus wrote:

Are you seriously saying you place no limitations on the quantity of junk food that your children eat?

They can eat as much candy, cookies, ice cream, chips or other foods that really only supply calories?

As I stated to me commercial flavored yogurt is essentially junk food. It is a lot of empty sugar calories.

The cost to me is irrelevant as I would rather have a child consume a whole pint of berries for $4.00 versus one yogurt although I am not banning yogurt but teaching a child that empty calories have a place in a balanced diet.

If a child wants to have one as a treat, fine but then they are not also going to eat a portion of ice cream on the same day.

Most parents try to instill some form of nutritional education on their children by serving healthy balanced meals and snacks and limiting consumption of junk food. Of course I don't limit on special occasions when it is a child's prerogative to make themselves sick on junk. LOL

I offer as much fruit as a child wants but only a small serving of chips or one ice cream or yogurt.

It’s so unhealthy your approach. Please for your kids sake reach out for guidance. I’m saying this because I care and I only wish you the best.

edited to add.
When kids have “pas bisalo” when they feel like they can have what they need when the need they have a healthy mindset with food and self regulate. My kids are great eaters. They eat a lot of healthy food and they have treats as well. If you want kids to want healthy food serve a variety and have healthy food available. Have fruits and vegetables available in a bowl on the counter or table. Salads and vegetables should be part of every meal.

I’m not saying I never restrict treats but I try to trust them and give them space. Restricting and controlling food causes a tremendous amount of emotional harm.

We want to think long term and not just short term.

Our goal is to have healthy eaters for a life time.

amother

Lemonlime ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 5:29 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

If I was your child I would be hungry. I think it’s wrong to restrict things like chicken.
I’m worried for your children, it’s not good to feel so restricted. A yogurt is considered a treat?
Please rethink your approach, it’s not healthy.

Yes an individually packaged yogurt is a treat. Yogurt from the big tub is not

amother

↑ Nectarine ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 5:33 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

It’s so unhealthy your approach. Please for your kids sake reach out for guidance. I’m saying this because I care and I only wish you the best.

And I am appalled that people are allowing children to eat as much junk as they want or that they are feeding a half chicken to a child.

I don't think it is restrictive to teach children about the nutritional impact of certain foods.

I am fully aware of how "restrictive" food can shame or guilt a child into eating disorders.

Restrictive is when you don't allow for any kind of junk or have occasions when junk or less healthy choices are part of the eating plan.

To me it is no different than teaching a child appropriate budgeting in that a certain amount is used to fun stuff just like a proper diet means that most foods need to have nutritional benefit.

I don't think children should count calories but the reality is that kids and adult have a limited amount of food they can eat before gaining weight. It is a parent's responsibility to make sure they learn appropriate nutritional habits. That is completely different than "shaming" a child or "demonizing" certain foods.

It is simply acknowledging that foods are different. On the most basic level, a person who is hungry will be happy to eat fruit, cheese, peanut butter etc. Someone who is not necessarily hungry will have a desire for cookies or chips even if not hungry.

amother

↑ Carnation ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 5:38 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

Having unrestricted food shouldn’t be related to finances. Reach out to organizations to help with food. No kid should go to sleep hungry nowadays and have basic food restricted. No matter the amount of $ in the bank account.

You are conflating two things.

Basic food restricted - by "basic" I assume you mean healthy food, like chicken, meat, produce. Many people are restricting these, because they are expensive. Not cutting them out entirely, not giving a sliver of chicken and a quarter of a banana, but not having unlimited quantities either.

Children going to sleep hungry - I agree. This should not be happening. And for the most part, I really don't think it is.

amother

Denim ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 5:42 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

At $2.59 for 6 oz, yes yogurt is a huge treat.

The big tub is not that much cheaper by me.

amother

↑ Carnation ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:00 pm

amother Banana wrote:

Food insecurity is a dreadful problem. Please please don’t restrict food. I’d faster feign a stomach ache (and I have on multiple occasions) than restrict my kids food intake.
Children can not grow up emotionally safe if they feel like they don’t know where their next meal is coming from

Telling a child that there's plenty of pasta but that you don't have more chicken, or that they can have one yogurt and no more, is not exactly the level of food insecurity you are fighting against.

I don't think anyone here is saying that they starve their children or lock up all the food in the house.

amother

↑ Firebrick

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:01 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

This post is so sad. Why don't you just cook more so that everyone may eat until they are satisfied? Then your DH doesn't have to but take-out.
Doesn't your daughter get school lunch or is she having only snacks during the day? No wonder she's hungry by the time she comes home.

Im sorry u find it sad but bh there is no lack here. I refuse to cook extra supper every night on the chance that someone will want triple and not one of my kids will eat the leftovers another day. Doubles theres always enough for. If an 8 year old is wolfing down food, way more than a child that size should need, there's no reason not to ask them to take a break and let some food settle before taking more.
She gets multiple snacks and school serves fresh hot lunch every day and its mostly carbs. But lunch is served 12 o'clock. She gets home at 5. Even if she ate a potato knish or a couple fish sticks at lunch, she's long hungry. Bh bh noone is going hungry here. After waiting 10 minutes, I dont think she ever came back that's she's really still hungry.

amother

Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:02 pm

amother Denim wrote:

At $2.59 for 6 oz, yes yogurt is a huge treat.

The big tub is not that much cheaper by me.

Yogurt is less than half that price in town, cholov yisroel.

I just checked online, a 5 oz yogurt can be gotten for 79 cents. Around the same price as an apple or orange. Or a bag of potato chips. Not sure what the big deal here is.

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:11 pm

amother Firebrick wrote:

Agree with you in everything Smile

Nobody eats leftovers in your house? In that case I see your point although over here we see leftovers as a blessing Smile

amother

↑ Hunter

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:19 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

OK, frying schnitzels does take it's time that I admit but do you fry every supper?
Teenage boys eat a lot and that's totally normal. They need its because they grow. Be glad he wants real food as snacks like pretzels and biscuits aren't really an alternative to genuine food.

No I hardly fry at all, I take every little horrible thing off of the shnitzel, every white and red thing so it takes me a while until I even start breading them . I often buy the ready breaded ones because I find it such an unpleasant, time consuming job. My kids really love shnitzel though so I try my best but there isn't always umpteen pieces of it, and I give it with other food Wink

am I really so wrong? I usually have leftovers of every other supper though. Meatballs, shepherds pie etc. My oldest teen son is actually on a diet now. His Rebbe told him how to do it. Regular meals, but snacks are almonds or fruit. He said he's only doing it until Pesach lol. No idea why. He's chunky but not huge. This is what he wants to do.

Also if they don't like the supper they know there are other options like cereal, (if they are a bit of the meaty supper then we have soya milk anyway) or ready boiled pasta in the fridge, or bread, they can make a sandwich or toast. There's plenty food!

I bought a Betty crocker for Pesach because my teens can make themselves eggs, veggies, matzoh pizza etc when they're hungry on motzai's,erevs etc..

amother

↑ Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:23 pm

amother Narcissus wrote:

Yes - in my opinion as it is essentially jam mixed with yogurt.

Very high sugar content and there are better ways for children or adults to get dairy in terms of nutrition.

You can mix yogurt with frozen fruit - for example - and have a really delicious much healthier dairy and fruit "snack". I mention frozen fruit because when it defrosts it gets mushy and is generally sweeter than a lot of fresh fruit. And defrosted fruit generally has fruit liquid which is also very sweet.

Bananas are a naturally very sweet fruit to add to yogurt.

Some yogurts ARE jam mixed with yogurt and some are not, either way I don't see anything wrong with jam.

I'm curious what better ways there are for children to get dairy in terms of nutrition? I'm one of those mothers pushing my kids to eat yogurt because its healthy....

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:25 pm

amother Gladiolus wrote:

Yogurt is less than half that price in town.

I just checked online, a 5 oz yogurt can be gotten for 79 cents. Around the same price as an apple or orange. Or a bag of potato chips. Not sure what the big deal here is.

If you refer to the ultra sweet flavored yogurt it's like ice cream as Narcissus stated. It's dessert in my world.

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:32 pm

amother Gladiolus wrote:

Plain unsweetened yogurt it's definitely healthy.
Jam=fruit and sugar. Usually lots of sugar.

amother

↑ Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:35 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

If you refer to the ultra sweet flavored yogurt it's like ice cream as Narcissus stated. It's dessert in my world.

There are so many different brands and flavors of yogurts... some are sweet and some are not very.

In any case yogurt is much more nutritious than ice cream, read the label.

I wish my kids would eat it... I buy yogurt but it can last a really long time in my house. I also buy greek yogurt for those who are lactose intolerant (including me). They're often on sale for around a dollar.

amother

↑ Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:38 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

I'm curious, for all of those who advocate for allowing healthy food and protein in unlimited quantities, how would you feel about a family paying less tuition to provide for a bigger grocery budget?

I already know how much it would cost to have healthy food in unlimited quantity. I do that on Pesach. It's over three times our normal weekly food budget, even after excluding the cost of matzah, wine, and paper goods.

Something would have to give in order to make that happen.

I hope something like Tomchei Shabbos would be available so that your children can eat healthy food. When I was in your situation that's what our Rav advised us to do.