It is understandable that kids cannot completely swear off junk food, but there is always a middle ground that both parents and kids can reach about how much junk to consume and when
Junk food is the perpetual bone of contention between parents and kids. It is understandable that kids cannot completely swear off junk food, but there is always a middle ground that both parents and kids can reach about how much junk to consume and when. Parents need to sit down with their children and make a list of their favourite junk food, and then mutually agree on spacing them out through the week so that the child's nutritional needs are not compromised, and at the same time the child is also not deprived of his favourite treats. For example, soft drinks could be consumes on weekends, Wednesday can be marked as Pizza Day, and may be chocolates only on Sundays.
How to Unjunk the Below-Mentioned Junk Foods
Following are some smart tips by Suman Agarwal:
- Don't banish junk food from your child's diet. Pick and tweak your junk food smartly
- Till the age of eighteen, girls and boys should limit their coffee, tea and coke intake to two cups/glasses a week.
- Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame are found in various sugar-free products in market. Even adults are cautioned against overconsumption of these chemicals. Very popular diet sodas are a total no-no and I tell all my adolescent clients to rather choose regular sodas than diet sodas.
- Parents must be vigilant about checking chocolate labels for high HFCS content and only choosing chocolates for your kids very carefully. Encourage kids to replace dessert and chocolates with fruits or frozen fruits like grapes and strawberries. I have included many low-calorie food options in the dessert section of this book which are easy to make, rich in calcium and iron and which could easily satisfy their sweet cravings.
- Strike out Maggi from your grocery list. In fact, go for regular noodles and pasta which are not instant, for bringing in the zing of noodles in your kids' menu, instead of a shortcut like Maggi. Don't be mistaken, the healthier 'atta noodles' are just as bad.
- It is difficult to stop kids from having products like imported chocolate bars, ketchups, packaged and genetically modified wafers, sweetened cereals, candies, carbonated drinks and certain ice creams. But limiting their consumption and making the kids aware of their side effect can lead to better health and a world of super kids.
- Microwave popcorn should be struck out from your grocery list. It is better to make popcorn the traditional way in a cooker. I even avoid heating food in a microwave due to harmful radiations. I threw out the microwave from my kitchen years ago.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Junk food")
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}