Children eatting habits today .

1. 61

   ErikJuarezposted 10 years ago

   Is it me or are children eatting habits today.Worst then ten years ago. I thinks so when kids love to go to McDonald's and Burger King then feed a nice home cooked meal. Maybe it just cause now a day parent's are to busy to cook. I'm looking forward to everyone opinion on this subject.

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   1. 78

      Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Whatever is easy and tasty. I still cook macrobiotic ally. I cook every single day. I still set the table with plate, fork, knife and spoon and sit down to eat. I am very old school. I have heard and have witnessed that mothers, since most work, pick up fast-food dinners after work and get what the children will willingly eat. The family eats while watching TV or wherever they are when mom comes home, handing out her catch of the day. Sometimes they are made to sit down at the table, but not as a unified gathering, as some of the children will be off in their rooms with tummy aches.  Recently, I babysat for a family where 2 out of 3 of the kids were routinely taking Tums.
      At Home:   
      What are they eating? Food sprayed with pesticides, processed until there is no nutrients whats-so-ever and who knows what done to the burger paddies. They eat sugar like it is going out of style in the form of candy, (which is stashed everywhere throughout the house; in drawers, cupboards, corners,) vitamin drenched gummies and processed bakery goods from Von's or Ralph's which are loaded with preservatives, bromides, and... have you ever read what all is in those cakes/cookies? They eat sugar-coated cereal and milk every morning. The kids have free range in the kitchen and graze consuming whenever and whatever they want and if their favorite cheese balls or cereal is not in the cupboard, heaven help the family!
      
      At school: They eat pizza which looks miserable to me. They drink chocolate milk packaged in plastic baggies; mostly they are thrown or dropped/ wasted, anyway. They eat chicken nuggets coated in fried who knows what. They eat white flour rolls, cookies, and sandwiches with nitrated Baloney and yellow chemical squares of so-called cheese. These students can be observed to be either too skinny or too fat.
      
      If you look at old pictures of baby boomers of the 1950's, anyone can see they (we) were beautifully proportioned smiling creatures of good fun and humor. Kids today are skittish, demanding, insolent and grouchy.
      Our diets have changed drastically and so has humanity.
      
      Boy, do I hope I am exaggerating. I would LIKE to be corrected and given a word lashing.
      PLEASE!

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   2. 88

      raymondphilippeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Most (fast) food is manipulated to taste good. (SugAr,salt and fat). It isn't necessarily healthy. Stimulate children to eat healthy home made meals. It might be one of the most important things you can do for a childs wellbeing in the long term.

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2. 61

   Cash Krysztofposted 10 years ago

   The problem isn't with children's eating habits, it's with parents' feeding habits. A five year old does not choose what they have for dinner, as much as they might like to think they do - that's all up to the parents or other adult in charge. It's perpetuated by available school meals, but parents have the option to send their kids with packed lunches if they don't approve of what's available in the cafeteria.
   There seems to be, these days, an idea that there isn't enough 'time' to eat healthy home cooked meals because parents are working longer hours. You can whip up a meal that's balanced, tasty and nutritious in 15-30 minutes with a bit of know how. TV chef Jamie Oliver has done TV shows based on exactly that concept
   There's also an idea that children are either in charge or that they need to be satisfied. Parents have become afraid to tell their children 'no' or have taken to bribing them with sweet treats to get them to co-operate, feel better about something or put their best into things.
   We need to stop looking at children and saying "Look how bad their eating patterns are" and start looking at parents to say "Look how badly they're feeding their children."

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   1. 86

      rebekahELLEposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly.  It is sickening what some well educated, professional parents feed their children.  There is simply no excuse.  Don't blame the schools and teachers for your child's poor performance and behavior if you continue to feed them overly processed, starchy, sugary food stuff and 'juice' bags and think you're feeding your child.  Children need nutritious foods, not empty calories.

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      1. 78

         Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Yes. But instead they are given Ritalin or Adder all.

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   2. 79

      kerlund74posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with you. And i can see that it also take some time driving to the fast food place... I cook all days and it takes, yes about 20 min. And we enjoy sitting at the dinner table chatting about our day. This is so much worth it.

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3. 70

   cecileportillaposted 10 years ago

   Well said Cash Krysztof.  If parents say "no" then kids will be forced to eat the nutritious meals that their parents prepare. Many nutritious meals can be prepared at home in minutes. There are a lot of quick recipes right here on hub pages.

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4. 85

   DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years ago

   I had a saying in my house when my kids were young:
   "You have two choices for dinner:  take it or leave it."  If they chose the second option, they got nothing.
   Guess what?  They never chose the second option--they ate what was served.
   
   By the time they were in high school, if they asked, "What's for dinner?" I'd sometimes reply with, "What are you cooking?"
   
   Parents need to stop kowtowing to kids and be the parents!  It is up to the parents to teach nutrition and proper eating habits, and enforce same.  If the parents are too lazy and opt for fast food and convenience foods, then that's their own fault, not the kids'.
   Being busy/harried is no real excuse.  There are plenty of nutritious dishes that can be made ahead and frozen, if desired, for much healthier, home-made "TV dinner" type quick meals.

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   1. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      +1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 !

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      1. 78

         Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Reaon for hope!
         PS Tylenol (acetamycin) stops the production of glutathion within the liver which contributes to a healthy brain/nervous system.

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5. 79

   kerlund74posted 10 years ago

   I of course meant that I cook every day, not all day...

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