Category Archives: Nutrition

NPR reports that the Center for Science in the Public Interest has threatened to sue McDonald’s unless it stops including toys in its Happy Meals. They argue that it encourages brand loyalty in kids towards a product that is not healthy for them.  When I saw the headline my first reaction was  positive. No toys would mean no more pestering to go and buy junk food. On second thoughts, however, I am not so sure. It is good that this issue is being brought into the public conversation: we are all aware of where McDonald’s food  stands from the nutritional standpoint and the toys are not always the best quality either. Having said that, it is still the parent’s decision to allow the child to have a Happy Meal. We need to say, “no” and also explain why not. I don’t think this can or should be legislated.  If you don’t like the Happy Meal concept, do not allow your child to have one. The problem is not an occasional treat but regular stops at McDonald’s and that is something that parents need to think about. McDonald’s business is to encourage brand loyalty, our responsibility as parents is to encourage independent thinking.

Spring is in the air and our thoughts turn lightly to…school lunches??  Well, spring or snowstorm, with kids around food is always paramount so I have been reading about the school lunch program this week. A lot has been said about the need to fix the lunch system and get healthy food to our kids but then comes the news that Jamie Oliver’s attempt to do just that in his reality show, set in a school in West  Virginia has not been a resounding success. One of the reasons might be that  kids like to eat what they like to eat: and no amount of lecturing or demonstrating what is healthy will have an impact. So if  we want the kids to eat their veggies we have to do it with them. Eat healthy meals together and kids will make healthy choices when they are on their own as well. Fixing the lunch program is a complex and mammoth task. The D. C. school system has taken an innovative approach to it by hiring a former restaurateur.

The first step would be to actually cook the food at the schools which might pose some problems as school kitchens are not equipped for cooking. Yes, you read that right! There are freezers and steamers galore but no stoves or ovens.  Then there is the question of sourcing the produce: local? organic? And , of course, the old,old question of the funds to make the changes. So what can parents do in the meantime? An easy answer: go over the lunch menu with your child and encourage him/her to make good choices. And also consider this: fixing a sandwich and chopping up some fruit or vegetables for a side is not an impossible task. Yes, it might make your mornings even more crazy but hey, it’s for  a good cause!

Most parents found themselves nodding assent as they read Jennifer Steinhauer’s excellent article on snacking. She makes the point that snacking has assumed a huge role in the daily nutrition of kids and worries that a lot of the snack demands are met by processed or junk foods. Yes, snacking is all-pervasive. The pace of life is hectic and rushing from one activity to the other is almost always punctuated by snacks. but, as Thomas Rogers points out, one can try to pick healthier options say apple slices or carrots over vending machine horrors. The problem is one of time. For the parents juggling a job, errands and multiple kids activities time is dear. After a long day the idea of cleaning , peeling and chopping fresh fruits and vegetables is hardly appealing. Also, the allure of ready to go snacks which will please the kids is hard to resist. But you know what is even harder? Just saying NO! Some of us will remember living by the rules of eating your dinner even if it was not your favorite thing, no snacking later to make up for it but as any parent will vouch that is a hard option. Perhaps the solution is to try to provide healthy snacks and limit them to whatever is actually required to prevent the development of a grazing habit. Tackling a full on snack tantrum in sight of the vending machine and the eyes of the entire room is hard, squeezing out a few more minutes to chop up apples instead if paying through the nose for pre-cut stuff at the grocery store is also hard but filling up the kids with junk ia\s not an option at all. Oh well, no one said parenting was a piece of cake!