My kids are constantly asking for food. Sometimes it's out of boredom. Sometimes it's because they are growing little weeds who actually NEED fuel for their bodies. Lately though, I've adopted a new line to respond to their look of horror when I say it's not time to eat again...
"It's okay to be hungry."
It was as if a shovel hit them over the head, the first time I said that. They were stunned. Confused. Concerned. But they come to meals and snack-time with true hunger and appreciation for what's in front of them. They are more inclined to eat the veggie snack when it's been 2 to 3 hours since they last ate.
I loved a recent article titled "The Snack Epidemic" posted on Parents.com from another Registered Dietitian mom that was fed up with the constant bombardment of "treats" on her Kindergartener. Highlights below. Okay, more than "highlights" - You should just read the article, but here's what stuck with me {bold emphasis added by me}...
* Every Saturday, I had watched quietly as a convenience store's worth of
junk food was handed out after my son's peewee soccer games: cookies,
chips, doughnuts, cheese-filled pretzels, fruity drinks.
* The next season, I asked my son's coach if we could eliminate
junk-food snacks in favor of fruit -- and then I held my breath. To my
relief, his response was "I couldn't agree more!"
* But not everyone liked my plan... The message: You can bring
fruit for your kid, but our kids deserve a treat after games -- and
after all, it's just once a week.
* My kids were being fed junk food everywhere: vanilla wafers at their preschool
snacktime, lollipops for class rewards, gummy fruit snacks at
after-school clubs. And that was on top of the snacks I was already
giving them.
* Of course, snacks have long been billed as a healthy part of a child's
diet... Still, even if you're serving relatively benign snacks like
string cheese or graham crackers, continually feeding children can have
negative consequences. "When kids are allowed to eat all day, it robs
them of the chance to ever develop an appetite," says Dr. Rowell {a childhood feeding specialist
in St. Paul}.
* "Our children are being offered food at every turn," says Yoni
Freedhoff, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of
Ottawa. And adding just one extra snack each day can make a big impact.
In fact, it's possible that childhood obesity
is driven by as little as 165 extra calories a day for kids ages 2 to
7, say researchers at both Harvard and Columbia universities. That's
roughly the amount in a handful of potato chips.
* "One small sweet treat a day can help teach kids about balance and to
not see sweets as forbidden foods that become even more alluring," says
Kathy Isoldi, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of nutrition at LIU Post
in New York. The trouble is, there seems to be no balance, with every
gathering cause for a special snack. According to Dr. Isoldi's newest
research, kindergartners gobble up more than 450 calories -- 35 percent
of their daily calorie needs -- during one typical classroom birthday
celebration.
* ...an 8-year-old burns about 150 calories in an average soccer game -- yet
the typical postgame snack has between 300 and 500 calories. "It's so
strange that sports have become associated with sweets," says researcher
Toben Nelson, Sc.D. "And parents are practically competing with each
other to see who can bring the 'best' snack."
* Toddlers
and preschoolers can go two to three hours between meals and snacks,
older kids three to four. As much as you can, avoid on-the-go snacks --
in the car and the stroller, in the shopping
cart, or as you're going out the door. "Grazing this way makes it
harder for kids to eat the right amount because they're so distracted,"
says Dr. Rowell. Mindless eaters don't have the chance to really savor
food or pay attention to their body's hunger or fullness signals, so
they often end up over- or under eating.
{My own note here: It takes 20 minutes for your tummy to communicate to your brain that it's full, and yet young kids aren't exactly the most patient eaters.}
* The foods you serve as snacks should be just as nutritious as the ones
you serve at meals, says David Katz, M.D., director of Yale University's
Prevention Research Center.
* Start by bringing fruits and veggies when it's your turn to be snack
mom. If you think a gathering doesn't warrant a snack, suggest to the
organizer that you skip it entirely (most parents welcome the chance to
downsize their to-do list).
* All schools that receive government funding for school lunches must
have a wellness policy in place. Though preschools don't have the same
requirement, many at least have guidelines about nutrition.
* Experts agree that the only way to create real change is for moms and
dads to speak up -- both at school and at home. "It's a lot easier to
just give in and let your children eat this junk," acknowledges Dr.
Popkin. "But parents need to take on the battle and either create
healthy snacks or get angry and not allow their kids to eat so
frequently between meals. They need to do something about it."
It is okay to be hungry. Phew.
.molly
