I was just raving out in my journal about how to try to get my 7 year old daughter to eat "better." She is very in touch with her feelings and her taste buds, so it's not like it'll be easy, you know? I've been sorta slowly telling her about my new way of eating, not pushing it as a "diet" for losing weight lately.

Listening to Protein Power LifePlan is making me seriously re-evaluate what my babies eat. I'm not necessarily thinking of low-carbing for them, but rather less white bread, fewer sweet treats, & less hydrogenated fats in general - snacky foods.

I know that being a role model is the first step (so that throws my DH out the door, who, by the way, is a stay at home parent to my two little ones). My daughter, however, is too old for some of my behavior to rub off. On the contrary, I'm starting to be "uncool" in her eyes.

I reserved a couple of nutrition videos from the library. Will you wise LC Eaters give me a few nuggets of wisdom or experience?

Thanks in advance --

I am really hoping some of you LCers out there have had the experience of trying to get your families to eat better. Anyone want to share advice or experiences?

Thanks -- Ginger

I read your post and find myself sometimes in the same position with my kids.

I have a 7 and 10 year old who like most kids love snacks, etc.. I pretty much try to monitor what they eat but don't want to drive them nuts with my diet ideas. They've watched me bounce up and down the scale and I don't want to push them about it. I do try to give them "fruit" snacks and even fruit candies but other than that I really don't push other than to make them eat a veggie with meals etc.
I'd like my kids to have good eating habits but the world is so worried about weight I don't want my kids of have hang ups about it so I try to leave them alone.

This is my 2nd go round with low carb. I have three sons, 16, 12 & 10, and a great husband, all skinny. The first time I completely treated this woe as a diet, with seperate food for me and cooking regular (high carb) meals for them. At that time they were supportive of what I was doing but saw it as seperate from them.

This time I have decided to incorporate this woe into my families food as well. Often supper is totally low carb. I'm doing a lot of experimental cooking. Now, they still eat some junk food, and they all buy their lunches at school, but I decided to do this for several reasons.

1. Makes my life easier, not making multiple meals

2. There is a history of type 2 diabetes on both sides of the family and a history of type 1 on one side, so I figure that even if they don't totally eat this way now, any carbs I can cut out now will only help.

3. I want to set an example for my kids for the future, so if they do have a weight or insulin problem in the future, they will know that they can do something about it and have some idea about how to go about it.

4. In general our 'comfort foods' as adults are foods that we were raised on. Hopefully this way, my kids comfort foods will be healthy for them.


In general, the response from my family has been very positive. I present this in a very gentle way. This week my 12 year old even asked my why I get all the good stuff. I told him he was welcome to have some too!

Ginger, I just wanted to say that even though your daughter may act as is if she doesn't think you are cool any more, don't let that fool you. I'm sure your daughter is paying close attention to everything you say and do. You (and your husand) are her primary role models. If you respect yourself and what you believe in, she will respect it too.

Teresa

So true! I also have to stop underestimating my daughter. She is capable of all kinds of amazing things! And I'm sure a few well placed conversations are all we need. Thanks for the support.

Hi Ginkirk,

I applaud your effort in improving your daughter's eating habits early. I wish my parents would have done the same thing, but even *they* didn't eat vegetables. What goes on at your table will be forever viewed as "normal" into her future, so I think it's good that you're trying to form good habits for her. If you can ingrain it into her that junk foods are a *treat* every now and then, and not part of a normal everyday diet, you'll do her a huge favour.

I have been contemplating the same thing... how to get my kids to begin to eat better too. I am ashamed to admit that up to now they have eating just about anything they have desired... not that I let them have candy for dinner or anything like that. But, if they want ice cream and some cookies, then later a candy.... I have always said ok. Now, I am thinking that my parents got me on the wrong road to eating when I was little (I would eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner... sometimes for snack too). I don't want my children in the same battle that I have been in (yo yo diets - weight on and off all of the time).

If anyone has a suggestion as to how to get them to WANT to change their eating I would love to hear it. My two are 9 (who thinks she's 21) and my son is 12 (who thinks he's at least 25)!

Thanks!
KarenS

Diet has always been very important in our family. I've never given too many sweet treats to my now 7,9 and 10 year olds, but we all ate our share of breads, pasta, potatoes, etc. Since I've been cooking LC for the whole family, I've noticed that many of the foods I thought my children would miss are actually foods that *I* found comforting from childhood, they don't seem to miss them at all. I sometimes make mac and cheese (from scratch with whole wheat pasta) for my DH and children, but for the most part they're LCing too.
Also, as a parent, I don't let a frown or pout stand in the way of enforcing what I know to be right. I tell my children that good health starts in the kitchen. I let them give suggestions on what to make for dinner and they seem to really love anything they help to make! Our children are only under our care and supervision for such a short time, it is our duty to attempt to instill values that we can only pray they carry into adulthood. God bless us all.

I grew up eating what I wanted, mostly junk. My husband grew up on a farm and ate everything that is good for us. Fresh meat raised on their farm and fresh veggies they grew themselves. I hated so many foods and hubby loved everything, except seafood which is my department being from Florida. I learned to like everything by eating it as other people fixed it for me the "good way"- I'm getting better, but was not so good cook!

Food was a big deal for me becoming a mom. I see ALL my friends and family feeding their kids junk (how kids can live on crackers is beyond me!) I never want (and never have) made food an issue of tension. If Austin, who is almost 3, doesn't want what's cooked then he doesn't have to eat it, but no substitutes are made to accomodate him. If he's really hungry he will eat, and he usually does.- And likes things like salad, green beans and broccoli! And I think too, because he sees us eating it. Their desire to be like us is so huge.

I dont keep hubby or son (who are normal) on strictly LC meals, just me. I make some carby stuff for them, but mostly whole grain.

Hubby is a big snacker and son is following in daddy's footsteps. It's kind of cute. There is always fruit in my house (fresh and canned), and that is consumed quickly. I have bought a dehydrator and the popular snack right now is apple chips - and they are so good frozen! I also make specialty breads, like Whole Wheat Banana bread with nuts. My son loves that as a snack. With my dehydrator I make fresh fruit leather with no additives( like fruit roll ups). Son likes those too! But I always have a "list" either mental or written, of healthy snacks. It helps eliminate that feeling to just wander the cabinets in search of the first thing that jumps out. Looking at a "menu" of snacks will help keep everyone on track.

If I don't want our family consuming junk on every day basis, I don't keep it around. I am starting to have a family treat night, and will start planning a monthly cheat for me on this night as well. Like make sundaes all together as family. If my hubby really feels like he wants PIE, that's his favorite, he can go to Shari's and have a piece if he really wants it. Or take our son out to McD's for an ice cream. That's a rarity though.

I hope I'm somewhat helpful. I've made mental notes as I've watched others make well meaning mistakes with their kids. My sister has always given her son the option of having a PB&J if he doesn't like the dinner. It's no surprise that he doesn't EVER like the dinner and he's overweight and addicted to PB&J!

I agree with only having one dinner. Making separate meals for those with particular taste buds enables manipulative behavior & it's a pain in the patootie. Part of me thinks that kids who are super picky eaters are actually trying to gain a little bit of control over someone or something.

In our house, we try to enforce eating meat, fruit & veggies as much as we can, but we don't want to start some kind of revolt against heathing eating habits. Our 7 yo sometimes tries to avoid dinner, but we're not falling for it. The Toddler (with a capital "T") will eat just about anything & we're just glad when the food actually makes it inside her mouth.

You hit the nail on the head. I don't think it's about being picky when kids refuse to eat what's on the table. Usually for our meals (and most people I think) is that there is more that one food item to choose from. If all are refused you know you have a manipulator on your hands!

I'm reading a book (also went to his parenting seminar) by Kevin Leman, it's called "How to Make Your Children Mind, Without Losing Yours"! I love it! So many practical and creative tips from this experienced father. He's a real crack up. He's helped me gain a new perspective on some tough things for a first time mom.

Speaking of which, Dr. Phil is suppose to give the secret for potty training your child in one day on his show and it starts in a few minutes! Hope he's got a good one!

Hi everyone,

I'm lucky to have two children who are too young to complain (1 and 3) about what I'm feeding them, so I can't offer much advice for a 7 or 10 year old.

We follow the Schwarzbein Principle, which has some leeway as far as carbs are concerned (approx. 15-25 grams per meal for adults). Potatoes, brown rice, whole grain bread and crackers are all okay in small amounts. Sometimes we cheat and have whole wheat pasta. I give them whole oatmeal for breakfast with a teensy bit of brown sugar, butter, and cream, (and bacon on the side) or sometimes we have scrambled eggs and whole grain toast.

For lunch, they get a plate of cut up vegetables (very soft ones for the 1-year-old), cheese, peanut butter and celery, fruit, and nitrate-free ham or turkey lunchmeat. We dilute their juice, too.

They like peanut butter apples for snacks.

I think it's great that you all are trying to do this for your kids. Hang in there! They will appreciate it later.

Hi everyone... enjoyed reading everyone's posts on this topic.

I follow Atkins and have been on this way of eating for over six months now. A couple of weeks ago I had a heart to heart talk with my 10 1/2 year old DD and told her I would really like her to try cutting out sugar, and refined carbohydrates. She has been watching my success and woe for some time now... so she was very receptive to my suggestion. We talked about what she could substitute and how she should NOT go hungry... but rather make better choices throughout her day. She is not heavy, but I want her to live a healthy life that is sustainable in the long term. I don't want her to have to go to super low carb to lose weight like I did... rather I would prefer she not become insulin resistant in the first place.

So now we are looking at her school lunch menu and together we figure out what her best choices are for each day. She packs a one ounce serving of almonds in a zip lock bag for each day of school in her backpack - so she has an additional "crunchy" food that is legal when she has to pass on the cinnamon rolls and cake that they serve with her lunches. She has been remarkably very good about just walking away from it all. I do make sure she has tasty alternatives - because realistically this kid is bombarbed with sugar pressure every day at school and on tv. I purchase fresh berries and keep them in the fridge. I have an ISI cream whipper that I keep whole cream sweetened with splenda in. She often slices up fresh strawberries and has a dollop of the sweetened cream on it. In addition, I keep the SF bluebunny yogort (made with splenda) in the fridge for her... along with string cheese, fresh apples, and celery sticks that she puts natural style SF peanut butter on. I have been buying a whole grain bread with flax seed, and whole grains and beans. I think if we can help her to shun the sugar and refined starch/highly processed foods... she will do just fine. The other thing I have been doing... is making sure she gets outside and exercises everyday. Either she walks with me on the weekends, participates in P.E. / sports at school, or I have her cultivate one of my garden beds for some extra spending money! She loves her tv and internet... so I work hard to make sure she balances those things with some activity. (She's just like me! LOL!)

We have a good relationship... talk about everything... and she has been asking me questions about why low carb works, how does it reconcile with the nutrition info she learned at school... and I think this open communication has gone a long way to making this transition easier.

I know she will face lots of challenges ... and she will make some bad choices now and then... but I feel so much better about her outlook health wise then I did before. I wish someone had helped me when I was her age to begin eating in a more balanced manner - particularly abstinance from the sugar poison and refined carbs.