How do we teach our children self-control on junk food..etc

[jedamum]

we eat junk food at home, but not in excessive amounts.

we have junk food at home in the fridge and on our snacks trolley.
my kids have to ask me permission to eat sweets or snacks at home. There is no issue on them constantly visiting the fridge to 'look' at the snacks because they know that other food get spoiled easily if the fridge gets open frequently. there are no issue on snacking constantly because they asked for permission and my basic home rules are no snacks before mealtime and after 8pm (and usually any 1 bitesize packet has to be shared among the 3 of us so each probably get only 2-3 pcs ).
i observed that when i have an abundant of a certain snacks (bulk buy) at home, after a while, they lose interest in them.
i permit ds1 to buy junk food in school, but limit him to once a week and alternate weeks if he wants to choose between soft drinks and snacks. he knows better that it is cheaper to get me to buy in bulk at home than to buy in school.
for ds2, he knows that he cannot eat more than a sweet in school when been offered (he actually rejected more nuggets during a Macdonald birthday party because 'mummy said cannot eat too many', he told the staff ). i borrow books on healthy eating and body systems and read with him so he knows what goes on inside his body when he eats healthy or junk food.

[BloomSchoolSG]

My kids eat many snacks like sweets and cookies. Unfortunately this habit started because my parents, husband and in-laws started giving these sweet treats to them. As best I can, I limit their consumption to only when they are around their grandparents. When I am alone with them, I do not give more than one candy, and no sweet drinks, except diluted Ribena (which has been a staple in our house). Lucky for me, we are not fizzy drink lovers, so the kids grew up without wanting sodas.

I think I should read them books about healthy eating too! I think it's brilliant that your son knew when to stop; I have issues with self-control and greed with my kids. Kudos Mummy!

I'd also like to share some tips I came across about healthy eating:

Universal Children's Day is established to bring awareness to children around the globe that have succumbed to violence in forms of abuse, exploitation and discrimination. In Singapore this first week of October, we celebrate our children, for who they are, and for what they will be.
Our children's health is of utmost concern for most parents. When we think of health, we also think about food. The quickest way to a child's heart, is through his tummy! Sweet treats are tempting and addictive, however, one's health can spiral out of control if not kept in check. It is important for your child to eat well now, to grow and eventually establish http://www.motherhood.com.sg/kids/juniors-6-8-years/509-feeding-your-preschooler.
As parents, we can also set the right examples for our children; eat http://singaporeschild.com.sg/why-having-family-meals-is-the-key-to-happiness/ together; cook together. Cooking is more than just about a meal; it is a lifelong skill, and to many Asian mums, even a rite of passage. Most parents are scared of kids using things like knives, kettles and ovens. But when we allow children to be involved in the cooking process, new foods become more familiar and less scary.
[quote]The more kids control the food preparation, the more they are likely to enjoy the food and ultimately eat better.
-- Bryan Urbick, CEO and President of the Consumer Knowledge Centre[/quote]With the right support and tools, children as young as age three (yes!) can learn to prepare food, and understand concepts (Math, Science and the world) at the same time. And as Lennie Malmgren, IKEA product developer and a trained chef, puts it: \"If you learn to cook at an early age, you will continue with it. It's like riding a bike or learning a language; if you learn it at an older age it takes so much longer and you might lose interest. And the core of cooking--and the kitchen--is the knife. If you have one and know how to use it, you can basically do anything.\"

https://s11.postimg.org/riypr56fn/IKEA_catalogue_2017_Features_p_51.jpg\">

This upcoming Children's Day holiday, have fun with your children making these Meatball Submarines!
Recipe by HPB, in Healthilicious Recipes, p. 10

https://s15.postimg.org/6o2xjehjv/Meatball_Submarine_HPB_Healthilicious_Recipes_p.jpg\">

[janice.040128g]

I think we should allow our children to eat junk food every now and then. But we have to monitor, and maybe set a limit say once or maximum twice a month. Because the more we disallow, the more they will crave for them. I feel it is natural for kids to like junk food, so cutting them off completely will have opposite effect. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest!

[jetsetter]

janice.g:

I think we should allow our children to eat junk food every now and then. But we have to monitor, and maybe set a limit say once or maximum twice a month. Because the more we disallow, the more they will crave for them. I feel it is natural for kids to like junk food, so cutting them off completely will have opposite effect. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest!

Not too much.. Diabetes on the rise among kids.

http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/im-kid-and-i-have-type-2-diabetes

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/rising-obesity-among-young-set-to-worsen-diabetes-rate

[pokoyoko]

Recently I’ve been experimenting with "healthier options"… I think the cooking oil etc is as important. I try to shift their attention from chips to dips. I know if I tell them NO, they will sneakily eat in school hahaha…

[jetsetter]

pokoyoko:

Recently I've been experimenting with \"healthier options\"... I think the cooking oil etc is as important. I try to shift their attention from chips to dips. I know if I tell them NO, they will sneakily eat in school hahaha..

I wonder why they sell unhealthy snacks in canteens in the first place? I know pupils snack a lot after their meals, from the whatsapp photos I'd been getting from other parents who brought food to school for their kids. :evil:

I think a small pack once in a while won't kill. Not like asking them to finish up one jumbo pack everyday. I do stock up on kids' snacks from Japan, e.g. Calbee potato sticks, Glico Pocky, Meiji biscuits. I dunno, but I tend to trust Jap food manufacturers more. :shock:

[pokoyoko]

jetsetter:

pokoyoko:

Recently I've been experimenting with \"healthier options\"... I think the cooking oil etc is as important. I try to shift their attention from chips to dips. I know if I tell them NO, they will sneakily eat in school hahaha..

I wonder why they sell unhealthy snacks in canteens in the first place? I know pupils snack a lot after their meals, from the whatsapp photos I'd been getting from other parents who brought food to school for their kids. :evil:

I think a small pack once in a while won't kill. Not like asking them to finish up one jumbo pack everyday. I do stock up on kids' snacks from Japan, e.g. Calbee potato sticks, Glico Pocky, Meiji biscuits. I dunno, but I tend to trust Jap food manufacturers more. :shock:

I don't know why but I also think Jap and Korean snacks are healthier than the ang mo ones. :drool:

[BloomSchoolSG]

janice.g:

Not too much.. Diabetes on the rise among kids.

http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/im-kid-and-i-have-type-2-diabetes

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/rising-obesity-among-young-set-to-worsen-diabetes-rate

Contrary to popular belief, sugar is actually the most dangerous household staple, as compared to fats. Excess intake of sugar can lead to many health problems such as diabetes, tooth decay, to name a few.
Also, pokoyoko is right, the type of cooking oil used is important. We have been believing that vegetable oil is \"healthier and better\" than fat oils. But in actuality, oils such as olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil is healthier, and less invasive.

Reading materials:
https://authoritynutrition.com/11-serious-concerns-about-vegetable-oils/

https://authoritynutrition.com/healthiest-oil-for-deep-frying/

[TopTutorSG]

We went through a phase where junk food was allowed at home and outside the home - eat all you want, I will give you the money for it. So they ate, and they got tired of it. We eat junk food maybe once or twice a week nowadays, but only as occasional snacks. No cravings.

[zac's mum]

Hi…the link did not work when I clicked on it.


But I agree that restricting them too much on food can cause problems. Forbidden fruit tastes sweeter after all.

I just want to share my story on how I “trained” my son not to crave junk food. This was in prep for P1 onwards, where I knew that there’s no way I can monitor or control what he buys at the canteen for recess.

I did it by teaching him about what contitutes nutritious food. I’m not excessively into health foods. But having a bioscience background, I have always (since preschooler days) taught him during meal times which foods give us which food group and how that helps our body. Eg carbohydates like rice and noodles give us energy for physical activity. But too much will be converted into sugars, and subsequently into fats if we are too inactive. Eg proteins like meat and cheese help our muscles to grow so we can be stronger. Eg veggies are good for fiber so we won’t have difficulty in the toilet. And of course I encouraged Vitamin A from carrots (gives u superpower vision!) and Calcium from milk (gives u nice and straight teeth!)

So he would get curious and ask about each food at the table. I did not stock junk food at home, but I did not ban him from consuming them either, eg at parties or when we ate out. Eg if someone gave him a bag of potato chips or chocolates, he would ask me, what food group does it fall under? I would tell him it doesn’t have any positive nutritional value. It doesn’t contribute to his growth or development. You can eat it if you want but too much is not good for you, people call it junk food for a reason. So treat your body well by feeding it mostly good stuff.

So far this strategy has been working well. He will eat a few French Fries or Cheezels if they are offered to him, but will soon say I’m full or no thanks. I’ve never known him to binge or overindulge in junk food, even when I’m not around.