A diet under scrutiny keeps you on your toes. Fresh Mouth was mentioned on Marion Nestle's informative food blog What to Eat, and a user offered some constructive criticism:
"It’s great that they are trying to teach their kids awareness of real food, where it comes from, how it’s prepared, and so forth.But I have to tell you, when I read their list of allowed foods and that sugar was not only on it, but at the top, I kind of rolled my eyes.Especially after reading this on one of the early posts: "We’ve decided to do an experiment and teach the kids about healthy eating and real, whole food as a way of life and not as a means to scoring sugar." And then on day 1 she rewards the kids with chocolate chip cookies! Why not reward them with a non-food (and non-sugar) item like their favorite video or book? Isn’t she working against her own purposes?"
I agree. We definitely don't want to restart tit-for-tat eating and reward good food with sugar or "treats" as we had come to call them. Point taken.
We want to reduce consumption of processed foods and make fruits and vegetables mainstream in our meals and lifestyle, not exceptional. As for sugar? We've definitely cut back. Dessert was out of control. One week we topped out with something sweet served after every dinner and more than a few lunches. I can't recall how that habit started, especially since neither Dirk nor I grew up that way or even ate like that when we were young adults. The kids mind controlled us into it, I guess. They have a way of doing that.
There were some outbursts today. Patrick found a rogue Valentine lollipop in all it's red-dye extravagance in his room. I told him he couldn't eat it because of Fresh Mouth, but he could put it away and save it for another time. He said, "You're mean." But he also ate everything I offered and all of his portions willingly. And happily. Aidan did well, too. But when did the carrot become exotic? When he found out I was making them for dinner, he said, "But I haven't seen one of these in years." He nibbled a small piece and then did deep, exasperated breaths like he survived a near-death experience. This from the kid who ate broccoli every day until he was three.
I'm working on balance and choices. This meal plan is a work in progress not perfection. I'm serving long-lost or forgotten foods, but not forcing them. Food and family meals should be about pleasure, not anxiety.
But what if they don't eat the food I offer? I try to serve a mix of "sure things" with the new stuff to make sure they're eating enough. Tonight I offered Aidan more yogurt after he only ate his chicken and the carrot crumb.
We're all still on the wagon. And we're sticking to the rules. That feels good. But sugar is still a sticky subject for consideration, isn't it?
Menu
Breakfast: Homemade blueberry muffins, yogurt and OJ with fish oil.
Lunch: Leftover lemon, garlic chicken breasts, mac and cheese (I called it this but it was really reheated couscous leftovers with some melted cheese), mandarin oranges, applesauce and Snyder's hard pretzels which I sent in Aidan's school lunch.
Dinner: Whole roasted chicken with rosemary, lemon and garlic, roasted potatoes and carrots and yogurt. A sample taste of the granola bars the kids helped make for tomorrow's breakfast. (This was not tit-for-tat, I swear.)
Nugget o' the Day: "Carrots are sweet!" - Patrick
11 comments:
I think your response to the comment was great. All things in moderation. You are making some radical changes for the boys and also for you, with additional cooking.
Keeping sugar on the list enables you some buffer with the kids. But it also keeps you from learning an entirely new way of baking in the midst of this change.
Don't second guess yourself until after the 30 days. (no changes in project scope) Then do an assessment and decide on new rules.
I agree too, Eileen. Eliminating a good deal of the sugar intake is a good goal, but it isn't going to happen over night as you know. Expecting a 4 and 6 year old to quit cold turkey is likely to cause a lot of the anxiety you are trying to avoid. Keep up the great work!
People are so persnickety! But you are so open. Man, I’d hate to be so harshly judged by strangers. I’m impressed with your willingness to put yourself out there. Just know, I’ve got your back if you need me. And as you know, I’m really, really tough!
p.s. I’m surprised Dirk is getting so many votes – Mr. Healthy who grew up vegetarian.
p.p.s Tell Patrick that carrots think he's sweet, too!
In the second to last paragraph before the menu, I have reservations about your placement of "only."
Normally I wouldn't give feedback, but knowing your background, you can appreciate criticism. If there is an explanation for its use before the verb, then I am all ears. I would hate to screw up the writing portion of the GRE cause I used "only" inappropriately.
By the way, I voted for Dirk.
In the previous comment, I have reservations about my use of cause. If there is an explanation blah, blah, blah...
It's hard to put yourself and your family and your parenting and your cooking out there, but hey that's the beauty of blogging, right? We all think it's all about "me," and then you can have everyone else comment, too. The good and the bad. You know ... enough about me, now what do you think of me? Thanks for the encouragement! That helps with the doubt, guilt, self-loathing, the works.
Best of luck with your experiment! You might want to also check out The Great Big Vegetable Challenge. Maybe your kids could bond.
Do you know who "Nathan" and "N8 is GR8" are? He is one and the same. As is the person typing this. If you are to be my aunt, then you will be held to larger than life expectations.
Nathan - the boys will be excited to hear that their "big boy" cousin is contributing! Thanks for the grammar tips, but where are the recipes?!
Well, I wrote that comment. To be fair, I didn't say that kids should never ever eat sugar ever ever ever! (Though of course less is better, and less than that is better still.) My concern was much more that Eileen is trying to teach her kids that sugar is not a reward for eating the stuff they don't like, but then gave them cookies for eating foods they don't like. You don't have to be a trained psychologist to see why that won't work.
I love the salad bar idea!
Psipsina, I agree with you. Amazing how perpetuating bad behavior can sneak up on you! That's why the blog is an interesting component to this. On your toes, folks! I appreciate your feedback.
Post a Comment