Do you restrict your kids food intake for financial reasons?

amother

↑ Carnation ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:56 pm

amother Gladiolus wrote:

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.

My kids do eat healthy food. Not every kind of food, and not every kind of food in unlimited quantities.

We do not have Tomchei Shabbos where we live. But even if we did, I doubt they offer unlimited quantity either.

amother

↑ Carnation ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 7:01 pm

amother Gladiolus wrote:

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.

Gram for gram, that is true. But comparing servings, not really.

Givat Yummy Kids strawberry yogurt (4 oz container) - 17g sugar, 12g added sugar, 4g protein

Kleins classic vanilla ice cream (1/2 cup serving) - 12g sugar, 9g added sugar, 3g protein

There's also the probiotics, but I don't know how much that makes up for the sugar content.

amother

↑ Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 7:05 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

So maybe I don't understand. What does healthy food in unlimited quantity look like to you?

Do you not serve chicken during the week? Do you only serve spaghetti for supper? Do you not make vegetable soups because of cost?

My yom tov bill is higher because I'll buy meat instead of chicken and checked broccoli/cauliflower instead of the cheaper mixed vegetables or a can of string beans, but I don't think its necessarily healthier.

Carrots, celery, chick peas, lentils etc are healthy and they're not expensive. I serve these things in unlimited quantities, but I don't serve Romaine lettuce in unlimited quantities. Is this what you mean or is there something I'm missing?

amother

↑ Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 7:08 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

Ok, I don't buy Givat yummy kids strawberry yogurt.

I'm looking at a yogurt from my refrigerator - 15 grams protien, 190 mg calcium, 19 grams sugar and no fat. And its flavored yogurt.

Anyway, my grandmother would buy us ice cream because she said its healthy LOL

. It probably is healthier than colored sugar ice water (or ices).

amother

↑ Carnation ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 7:13 pm

amother Gladiolus wrote:

In this thread, the emphasis was on NO healthy food being limited, including yogurt, chicken, or produce. I do limit all of those foods. I try to keep plenty of apples, clementines, bananas, carrots, chickpeas on hand, and don't generally limit those. But peaches, cucumbers, chicken, yogurt, those are all limited here.

I do not serve chicken during the week. Most of our meals are pareve at this point for financial reasons. I make quiche, various soups, shakshuka, tuna pasta, baked ziti, spaghetti and meat sauce, scrambled eggs, etc. Probably more pasta and rice than is objectively healthy, but I don't think to an extreme.

amother

↑ Babypink

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 8:04 pm

Wow, seems like so many people make tons of extra food so their children would feel like they can have an unlimited amount. I can't imagine how this works... Do you not cheshbon a normal amount of food for each person?
For example I made hamburgers tonight ( nice size ones) . I made 2 per person older than 10 ( that I knew would want 2) and one for under that age. Usually they are satisfied with that. ( There is french fries and Israel salad too) . If for some reason someone was feeing starving and wanted a third one... It wouldn't be available. I think that's pretty normal... Am I missing something?
There's the finances and the waste that could be involved.

amother

↑ Gladiolus ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 8:49 pm

amother Strawberry wrote:

This thread really puzzles me. If you don't have a supermarket in your home, there will be a natural limit to the available food. There's nothing wrong with that. It's good to learn to live with limits. People don't develop issues from the chicken being finished or running out of yogurt.

I don't understand this post. I don't ration food, I make enough, hopefully, so that everyone can eat to be full. Different people have different food needs.... I don't count how many pieces of anything anyone is eating. I hope for leftovers for lunch the next day... if my kids aren't eating supper, they're going to go around scrounging for junk food, which I don't want. I'd rather they fill up with healthy food.

My kids are all thin.... not sure what you mean.

amother

↑ Calendula ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 8:57 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

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.

What’s being described on this thread is enough to cause emotional scarring.

amother

↑ Calendula ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:01 pm

amother Narcissus wrote:

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.

Narcissus, you sound knowledgeable and I’m sure you have good intentions.

The restrictions you are describing are harmful. It isn’t called educational to restrict a child from eating more chicken. You are setting your kids up for emotional scaring. Healthy foods shouldn’t have any restrictions on it. Food should be plentiful and enticing.

No mother should be calculating the exact chicken portion that their kid is allowed to eat.
It’s really sad for kids to live like that. Controlling and restrictions with food is a very dangerous path to go down even with good intentions and wanting to be educating about responsible eating.

amother

↑ Calendula ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:04 pm

amother Firebrick wrote:

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.

Do you send her to school with snacks? Why are you so focused on having her wait ten minutes to allow her to have another portion.
You don’t realize it but that is very controlling and unhealthy.

amother

↑ Calendula ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:09 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

Carnation, I think you should reach out to your Rav and see if something can be done to so you can have more food for your kids. What your describing isn’t healthy for your kids. This is the best reason to tap into community resources, kids having enough food to eat.

amother

↑ Coral ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:10 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

Her meals sound perfectly healthy, for kids and for everyone.

amother

↑ Calendula ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:12 pm

amother Gladiolus wrote:

Same. You make enough food that there will be enough and maybe some leftovers. You aren’t rationing out food and having all these restrictions. My kids love eating healthy food and they are all thin as well. This happens naturally because there aren’t restrictions.

amother

Tiffanyblue ↓

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:13 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

It sounds like she is very realistic about her budget and shopping responsibly. Her kids are getting variety and nutrition.

I think you either live in a different financial bracket or just aren’t as careful with your spending.
You’re taking things to an extreme also.

amother

↑ Tiffanyblue

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 9:33 pm

amother Calendula wrote:

To be restricting cucumbers and only having pareve meals seem like it’s a situation which would benefit from community resources. That’s what they are there for.

Community resources can only go so far….

She’s not serving them beans and rice every single night. Then there would be an issue.