junk food

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These are the 3 food critiques I have taught and still encourage my kids to evaluate when we eat- whether it is a fresh homemade meal, restaurant meal or a quick snack .

My kids are kids, so they like the candy and junk food all around  them- at school, church, in their friend’s lunch sacks and of course some at our house too!

Well aware that I don’t want to create little foodie snobs. I do try to help them be aware of their palates and teach them the not so healthy tastes they should watch out for and avoid.

They know that the candy and juice is mostly sugar and chemicals and that this can cause obesity, cavities, headaches, stomach aches and the jitters.

I see my daughter independently scrape off the excess cupcake or cake frosting she gets served at birthday parties since this makes her “sweeted out”  (TOO SWEET)  and my son will always pick fresh fruit over jello.

We have never had table salt at meals and we point out how salty most canned soups, processed tortilla and potato chips can be (TOO SALTY).  We top off salty restaurant soups that perhaps sat percolating too long with water from our glass or pop a couple ice cubes into the soup to dilute the saltiness and cool the heat a bit.

We trim off the excess fat and gristle off meat cuts and show much grease comes out of a donut or french fry when squeezed onto a napkin (TOO GREASY). We talk about how the oils in fish, seeds and nuts are better for our bodies and easier on the digestion.

Once kids learn that the overly sweetened, overly salted and over greased foods taste unpleasant and are also not healthy they try to avoid these on their own- their palate  gets more sensitive and better at distinguishing these differences.

They become supertasters which help them taste the subtle natural sweetness in fruit, veggies and seafood and they learn that bitter and sour are delicious and can be enjoyable contrasts to other flavors- this wider and healthier palate will serve them well their whole lives.

Try it and pass on your healthy eating and tasting tips to your family.

About the author

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Dr. Carol

Dr. Carol- doctor, wife, mom and maker PB&J!
One of my passions is to help people Embrace change, Try new things and be BOLD for a healthier and balanced life!

15 Comments

  • Your kids are so good with their sweets! Mine can’t get enough of cupcakes. I’ll certainly take your advice to mind!

  • Your kids are so good with their sweets! Mine can’t get enough of cupcakes. I’ll certainly take your advice to mind!

  • This is great. It’s a seemingly constant battle to try to teach young children about the foods that are healthy for their bodies (especially considering the fact that so many of the unhealthy ones are marketed directly towards our children). Loved this post, thanks for sharing!

  • This is a great tip! My mom always taught me to avoid foods with dripping grease on them. 🙂 And I always took the topping off cake and cupcakes, but I’m not sure where I got that one.

  • Great tips! I didn’t eat well until I was an adult. Now it’s a preferable way to eat. All lessons are easier to learn as a child when your brain is most active and the consequences are less.

  • Really good tips! I never would have thought to add water if my soup at a restaurant is too salty. I would probably be difficult and ask for something different. I love that you are teaching your kids how to take charge of their health in this way.

  • I give my kids healthier options when I can like organic milk in moderation. I’ve been feeding my baby son avocados, sweet potatoes and fish. Plus we bought him organic HappyTots squeeze pack organic baby food. But I agree. I try to be very health conscious. If I were single again, I’d have a totally different looking cubbard and refrigerator. Thanks for the reminder. =)

    • Thanks for contributing Meredith.
      We have to train those little palates to crave healthier food choices.

  • I hide the sweets, my little one goes on a mad search! I am for sure leaning towards a healthier palette for her!

    • Very celebration these days have candy tied in- Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and those birthday parties! It’s a constant battle with my kids as well.

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