Comments on: The Doritos Dilemma: Giving Kids Junk Food

By: Denise Lincoln

Denise Lincoln — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:02:08 +0000

Hi d — I agree that providing information is really the best thing you can do, but in my situation, my daughters (particularly one of them) was yearning for those Doritos, even after she got all the information. The good news is that after eating them a few times, the allure is gone and neither of my daughters has requested them for weeks. I think years of eating fresh food has paid off (hopefully!). Thanks for writing and I hope you’re enjoying Hong Kong.

By: d

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:30:40 +0000

hi everyone
i just found this site and love having the bit of san francisco i miss the most at my finger tips, as i now am residing in hong kong.
My comment is this ..I have an 8 year old son as well as a 6 and 4 year old, and strive to feed them healthy organic diets. My solution for the junk food requests was teaching him online by an independent (read not just mom’s word) food website how to compare foods. He was so shocked to find out that it would take 150 apples to equal one large fries from McDonalds by calories and still not even come close to the fat and salt. Which is something he discovered on his envirokidz cereal boxes to compare. My point is this, teach them how to use the real info/data and they will be so much more impressed. He has not asked for anything such as mcdonalds since that experiment and has as yet never eaten it. I too worry about later when he goes to college and could rebel but I truly believe if your palate has never had that junk, that they will make better decisions based on what tastes good to them and makes them feel good too.
cheers,d

By: Shaping Youth

Shaping Youth — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:47:21 +0000

Denise, as I sit here chomping chips (yes, believe it or not, I found these RiceWorks gourmet brown rice salsa fresca crisps at Costco as a knock-off healthier version of your snack pack above) I have to agree that moderation and the ’switch pitch’ to healthier snacking can keep the ‘forbidden fruit factor’ at bay.

I learned the hard way with ‘media’ stifling that if I put too much ‘heat’ on an issue it ends up with more power and allure than I could ever give it, so I’m a big fan of ’swap outs’ for snack attacks and grounded moderation…we even use ‘em in our counter-marketing tactics at Shaping Youth.

This one thankfully does NOT taste like bland cardboard the way some ‘healthier rice derivs’ do, and I’m even served ‘em to a wide age range of kidlets w/a 9-layer dip on Memorial Day/BBQ and not a one blinked, they were all ‘dust’ by day’s end (just don’t tell ‘em they ate whole grain/wheat & gluten free/vegan stuff!)

Although one wise one came up and said, ‘Auntie Aim, you NEVER serve chips, what’s the deal?’ And I coyly replied, “meh, everything in moderation, no biggie…”
;-) Give ‘em a go…

By: kate

kate — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:29:26 +0000

my mum believed in guiding nt instructing us.of course when were were very little we just went along pretty much with what she gave us.i beleive me and my siblings were very fortunate because yes we were allowed snacks at the school tuck shop like crips and chocolate,bt when we were at home we always new we would all sit together and eat a good meal with veggies and other healthy stuff.my parents both beleive healthy eating means both indulging for pleasure and eating healthy foods for pleasure to,and they also believe healthy eating means sitting together and making it a nice enviroment too.they have both witness family with eating disorders so have never wanted to restrict either side of the healthy/junk food spectrum knowing eating jst healthy healthy food can be jst as unhealthy as all junk food diets.
i think the dilema is a huge one because the line can be easily crossed on both sides,but you obviously care greatly for there wealthfare and this alone will come through for you i think,knowing your so loved will helpo thenm want to look after themselves too!!
good luck!!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:40:25 +0000

I agree with Ingrid. I grew up being allowed to eat — but not overindulge in — cookies, soda, chips, etc. My mother taught us moderation in all things, and while we didn’t have access to all the fresh produce and meat in Minnesota that I now have in California, my mother still managed to cook fairly healthfully and as well as teach us about eating balanced meals.

I’m glad my mother allowed me to make my own food choices as I grew up rather than forcing anything on me as a child. I eat more healthfully now as an adult than I did as a kid. If I ever have children, I will probably do the same thing. I will not keep chips and Twinkies away from them, but I also won’t let them eat only those kinds of foods. It’s how my mother did it and all three of her daughters grew up healthy and with a good food perspective.

By: Diane

Diane — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:26:11 +0000

Ingrid: I never said having health food parents makes you what you are, or that it’s the only way to discover healthy eating. I said having health food parents made me what I AM. It was a direct influence on me. So one can extrapolate from that or not as one likes to ones own experience, but for me it was a key food influence.

By: Shaping Youth » Childhood Matters: Moms Speak Out On Food and Love

Shaping Youth » Childhood Matters: Moms Speak Out On Food and Love — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:29:59 +0000

[…] by the sheer PRESENCE of competitive junk vendors and contracts. And then there’s the whole ‘forbidden fruit’ dilemma if junk is banned from homes […]

By: Ingrid

Ingrid — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:57:05 +0000

We are pretty health-foody, particularly for the Midwest where we live. I grew up in the South and lived on hamburger helper, cheeseburger pie, and fried chicken. So, I really disagree with the commenter that having health-foody parents necessarily makes you who you are. Certainly I found my way without it.

We have a four-year-old, and tend to have stuff like Doritoes only when we are at a sandwich place that sells them, or occasionally on a road trip. We try to keep junky food like juice boxes, chips, etc. as special occasion food. (Not like Christmas, more like birthday party, or camping). I figure either demonizing or glorifying junk food isn’t the answer.

By: Lando

Lando — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:24:59 +0000

I still remember the days where I would take lunchables to elementary school lunch. Cheese, crackers, ham, and a Reese’s cup would make my day. It isn’t the healthiest option, just convenient.

I admire your concern for your daughters food choices. Its great that you step in and try to guide them to eat healthy. I started late. I used to eat a lot of junk food when I was younger, but I turned myself to eating healthier. Healthy food can be delicious and full of flavor. We just need to guide kids to see the same way. The earlier the better.

By: Diane

Diane — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:51:39 +0000

I don’t have kids, but I grew up in the 1970’s with a full-throttle health food Mom. I remember the day at age 5 when our twinkies went away. I never was allowed to have any kind of junk food - no chips, no ding dongs. Nada. Yogurt was as decadent as it got.

And while I remember not being very happy for a while at the time, and using my pocket money to buy candy in my teens, I would say that that regime has made me what I am today - someone who cooks all her food from scratch, who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, and who drinks soda or eats junk food extremely rarely. I don’t think kids need Doritos. They’ll get them at picnics and birthdays anyhow from time to time, and can enjoy them there. They don’t have to have them in their lunches too.