Low carb for kids

[Katy131]

Here's a thing that bothers me about trying to get my kids to
eat lower carb, which I'd like opinions about.

Since I have been converted to low carb, I have been trying to education my kids about the true healthy way to eat. They now eat more protein snacks and I limit their sweets and desserts, etc, but they still insist on a bowl of cereal for breakfast most days.

So, whilst I am re-educating my kids' eating habits, they are still
eating quite a lot of carbs (although less than before), and, since I have been re-educated myself about the eating of fat, good fats are a staple part of all our meals now. Thus, they are eating a high fat/medium carb diet.

I've read, of course, that combining high fat/high carb is the worst thing you can do, and this really bothers me. How low is low enough? It also affects my DH as well, who has a really stressful job and, together with the high fat, and not particularly low carb, diet, this could lead to problems!!

Any crumbs of comfort out there??

Katy

[Banana]

Hi Katy,

I have the same problem!

Kids love their cereal, and egg as well (sometimes) for breakfast, so does hubby. Trying to get hubby off the sugar and kids off the sweets, but they still have a fair amount of carbs. Also I can't possibly measure the carbs for all of them, it's hard enough getting mine accurate every day!

I'd be grateful for any info as well on this.

I know that kids are not so much at risk as they have not developed the insulin resistence as some of us adults may have so their bodies can cope better, but it's the hubby I'm concerned for now!

Banana :wave:

[Boogie65]

Hi Katy131

I completely empathise with you here - I have 2 kids of my own (Tom is nearly 6 and Emily is 4 on Saturday).

I've been low carbing since Dec 2000 and at first was cooking separate meals for them and hubby Stu.

Then Stu got into low carbing too so that helped a bit, but then there was still the problem of what to fix the kids to eat.

Since converting to this WOE I have tried to impress upon them the importance of not eating too much sugar and they seem to understand that quite well now although they still love sweets of course! But I do limit them and they're quite into nuts and cheese as snacks now and even seeds. They love bacon and eggs for breakfast (after a small bowl of cereal) and they never complain when I don't give them potatoes with dinner.

My main aim is not to restrict them too much cos I think it just wouldn't work at this age, but to try to get into their heads about healthier ways of eating and encouraging them to run around alot, ride their bikes and scooters etc. After all, it's not a weight issue with them so a higher amount of carbs should be acceptable and the good fats we use help to keep up the calories kids need to consume for energy and growth. Also, there's something in the BBC recently about kids benefitting from Omega 3 oils.

If anyone's got any specific authority on this subject I'd really welcome hearing about it too.

Chrissy
www.sugarlite.co.uk

[fiona]

We have a support section for LC Parents (http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?forumid=95) you might want to check out.

Eating habits are embedded whilst young and everything you do can only help to make it easier for kids to make the right choices. At least they are learning and thinking about these things instead of blindly falling into a routine high-carb diet and accepting it as normal.

Take care.

[tink]

Hi Katy,

I am a LC veggie (although I do eat fish), my fiancée is a meateater (who has recently cut carbs) and we have 2 healthy boys who eat anything ! The 2 different meals thing isn’t usually a problem as the kids tend to eat early and my other half has what I have with added meat.
The kids eat fairly well and they don’t have carbs with every meal, cereal for breakfast ( they love there bacon on a weekend !) veggies, protein, cheese bits, ham, cold sausages and yoghurt for lunch (it’s what they ask for and the occasional pkt crisps !), chicken, fish fingers and beans or something for tea, sometimes with potato, sometimes not. They eat fairly grown up food, chilli, dips, roasts and often asks for that rather than “fast food”. Any dairy products have always been “high fat” – full fat milk, cheese etc to get their calcium.
They have always eaten sugar free sweets and treats and they have a lot of “refined” carbs in their diet. We have also been told by friends they constantly “preach!” about the virtues of sugar free stuff and clean teeth ! (they are only 3 and 5 bless them !) Strangely enough they haven’t eaten all their “real” easter eggs, they ask for the sugar free stuff !
Without thinking I suppose their diet is heading towards low carb and certainly a lot less low carb than their peers and they have never complained !
I suppose it is all about educating them early, they are healthy and full of life so we must be doing something right !

Good luck

:roll: :roll:

[LittleAnne]

Katy I think what you are trying to do sounds fine. There is no point in severly restricting their carbs at such a young age if they are active and not particularly overweight. I agree, it is about educating them for the future, so reducing the sweets and puddings is great. They need their energy, so cereal for breakfast is fine.

I will be taking 20 7 to 10 year olds away for a weekend in July and have got to carefully think about their menu this year. I'm not sure what I am going to eat, either. I'll certainly be thinking a lot more carefully about what I give them, perhaps chicken rather than chicken nuggets, for example. However, I know they will be having a really active weekend, no sitting infront of the TV, so know they will need a lot of enegy.

Educate your children well for their own future, but don't alienate them from sweets, etc as this could lead to problems later in life.