Treats & Sweets

[MamaKanga]

I do not have a normal relationship with food. As a carb addict who has struggled since childhood, I have no concept of what is normal and what is not. I've done very well with DS up until this point. I made all of his baby food, he ate only organic for the first 2 yrs, he eats a lot of natural whole foods, etc, etc. We are lacto-ovo veggies, and he drinks organic milk. But he has discovered the wide, wonderful world of treats. The main treats he has are the small lollipops, gold fish crackers, and animal crackers. I figure these are "better" than, say, twinkies & chips. I just recently found out that DH has been giving DS 3 or more treats a day. Combined with the 2 I normally give him, this is a lot of treats.

DS asks for them a lot. Every time he passes through the kitchen, when we're in the car, even random times. I'm scared he's going to have trouble with sweets and food like I do. He's not overweight at all, and he does eat lots of healthy foods. But I'm not sure how to prevent an obsession with sweets from developing in him.

Should I limit the number of treats per day? Should I tie them to anything (ie, "After you finish your dinner you may have a popsicle.")? I confess they are wonderful bribes. :blush Any other suggestions for me?

Thanks gals. :)

[MarynMunchkins]

I'm really very laid back about food. :) I don't keep very many things like that in the house. When I do, they get one "junk food" treat (and that includes drinks) and than they can have fruit or veggies. So if they want Goldfish in the afternoon, than they eat strawberries for morning snack. Or if they get a lollipop at the bank ;), they'll eat carrots later on.

And I have no problem with "After dinner, you may have a popsicle." Not as a bribe, but just because healthy dinner food is more important. It often motivates my pickier eater to finish her food. :)

[Lady TS]

I wouldn't offer treats as a reward for doing something--at least not on a regular basis. That would make them something he 'can't have' so he would want them more, kwim? Not that I don't reward myself with chocolate or a Coke ever so often...

I start out by not buying the 'junk' to begin with. I made the mistake of buying spice drops about a month ago and was going nuts hearing the ds' beg for them. It reminded me why I don't usually buy that stuff. *sigh* Ya live and learn. I do buy Cheez-its and pretzels on a monthly basis, so they do get those non-whole-grain snacks. But they are better than sugar, IMO. I would consider goldfish crackers and animal crackers a decent snack(not a 'treat'), especially if you gave him a chunk of cheese or cup of milk or piece or fruit with it.

I limit 'treats', ie ice cream, cookies, candy , to once a day or less. Depends on whether I've made cookies lately--and I often make them with whole wheat flour. :P (How's that for justifying eating another one? lol) I don't buy suckers. I figure they get enough on my random trips to the Post Office and sometimes the checker at the grocery store has one for them.

That's my take. ;)

[Soliloquy]

Try (I know it can be hard) not to have anything in the house that you don't want your kids to eat freely. I believe that most food issues/hang-ups come from homes where food is controlled. If something they want is forbidden, they try to circumvent the "rules" and get sneaky about it.

This is my 2 cents: If you buy a treat once in awhile, say popsicles, give him one when he asks for it. Keep busy playing outside or doing projects in the house, so he doesn't ask for one out of boredom. When they're gone, say they're gone. If he asks you to buy more, explain that it's a treat and not good for our bodies to eat too many of them.

I'm also learning to make healthy snacks--fruit juice popsicles, baked goods w/o any sugar (using fruit instead), and frozen bananas taste just like ice cream! Fresh cantaloupe & watermelon taste better than any candy to me, now. Processed foods overstimulate our senses and make us want more. When we eat natural foods the way God made them, I think it's very easy to keep everything in balance without even trying. I really hope to give my daughter the gift of craving natural foods. I don't want her to have the food issues that DH and I have.

Sidenote--on DD's 1st birthday, MIL called and asked if we'd given her some cake. DH told her no. She said, "Aww! Give her have some! We gave you cake and it didn't hurt you any!" DH replied, "We don't know that." I :heart him!!

[godsgracegiven]

We always say treats are for after lunch. Sometimes on Friday we let them pick a treat at the store but I try really hard to only allow treats when they have eaten well that day.

[Mama Calidad]

We try to keep healthy treats on hand...some that the kids can have whenever they want. It's pretty hot right now, so their favorites right now are the frozen treats. Wash some grapes and freeze them. :yum Toss fresh pineapple in the blender and pour that into popcycle molds (you might need a little water). Even plain ol' frozen peas are :tu right now.

[Mother of Sons]

If he eats a healthy diet, I wouldn't worry that much about it. We have candy and other junky foods around the house. In fact, my oldest was given a large ziplock bag full of 'golden' candy for his golden birthday (chocolates and carmels wrapped in gold wrappers) That was over a week ago and it is still mostly there. There aren't any restrictions so he doesn't feel the need to gobble it all up.

We didn't have very many treats or candy growing up. It was ocassional and not usually in the house. As soon as I had a job, I was spending all my money on tons and tons of junk food. I've taken a lesson from that experience and with my own kids, I just don't give any power to food at all. I don't play up healthy foods and I don't villainize junk food.

[LadybugSam]

in our house, this is what we try to do. I try to buy better snacks. graham crackers are sweet but are fro whole grains, i try to buy whoel grain crackers etc. etc. We don't keep candy but occationally we have icecream in the house and we usually save that for after diner.

When i tell my son that he can have this or that after he heats his diner i don't force him to eat anymore than i think is nomal for him. sometimes he won't finish his meat or something else but as long as he ate some of it (one bit for foods he doesnt like, and a few bites of anything else) i'll let him have something a little bit later. My son LOVES fruit, and i've got to make sure that i give him some protien or grains before hand or he will completely ignore them.

when we have cookies, we usually limit them, daddy says 3 cookies a day (cookies are animal crackers and graham crackers, sometimes gerber cookies)

i have baby carrots, chopped brocoli, and other healthy snacks that i consider "free food" that he can eat whenever he wants and how much he wants. I have to limit juice and fruits

[Blue Aurora]

We haven't really had to deal with this yet but it's an issue that I'm unsure about. I remember when I was in hs my mom started keeping candy in the house and ice cream. At first we gobbled it up as fast as she bought it b/c it had been so rare then after a while it stopped being a big deal. Even now I'll eat a bowl of ice cream and then not have any for weeks, same with candy and other sweets but I wonder if that's b/c I had plenty of access to it or if it's just my personality. DH can go through sweets so fast no matter how much he's had and he tends to be an emotional eater just like his sister. I'm not sure what the balance should be. I like the way I am and would like my children to be similiar in reguards to food. I don't want them to be emotional eaters but that is another issue. Anyway, my 2 cents. :)