to let 7 y/o follow a juice diet

[twistedsista]

As per the other thread I'm struggling with my ds and especially for breakfast.

Was following the advice to make sure he gets complex carbs (whole grain cerial), skimmed milk and sugar free squash. Now looking into it more this seams bad old advice, I've gone back to normal juice.

Myself and dh have been following a juice diet for the last few weeks, basically a fresh juice of 5 vegetables and 2 fruit for breakfast and we feel amazing for for it.

D's really doesn't like eating in the morning, would it be OK to just let him have juice only like us?

No

I think that would be a spectacularly bad idea

Why would it be a bad idea? It sounds healthy. Would he drink it do you think. I presume you just mean for breakfast and that he would eat food for lunch and for dinnner. I can't see anything wrong with it myself.

Just at breakfast ? Don't see why not. Lots of people including children can't or don't want to eat so early.

If he likes to juice will he drink smoothies? Juice diet bad plan, but smoothies might work (you can hide loads in a smoothie)

No. That would definitely not be ok.

Young children need more energy-giving carbs/protein than adults. If he goes to bed at say, 8pm, and has juice for breakfast he will not have eaten anything of substance for 16 hours. Far, far too long.

My eldest didn't like eating breakfast so he'd have a banana on the way to school.

Is he allowed to eat at break time?

Smoothie for breakfast might be a plan but most definitely not juice for all meals for a growing child, unless it's under the advice of a proper nutritionist.

Do you have to call it a 'diet' and make it a big thing? Nothing wrong with fruit and veg for breakfast. Sometimes that's all DD has because that's what she wants. It's not a 'diet' though. It's normally appetite and healthy preferences.

I can't see the problem - make sure it has banana in as banana releases energy over a longer period of time otherwise he'll get a massive sugar rush then his sugar levels will plummet. But sounds ok if you do that. Dd quite often just has smoothie for breakfast.

Juice diets are a spectacularly bad idea for adults, never mind children.

You would be far better (and also for yourself) to educate your son about eating moderately and healthily than signing him up for a faddy way of dieting at the age of 7.

No.

He does need complex carbs in the morning and some protein.

5 veg and 2 fruit in a smoothie is not a healthy start for a 7 year old.

I although think awful idea...

My Ds isn't much of a breakfast boy so alternate with different breakfasts to keep him going. At 7 I would like to encourage him into a pattern of eating before school

Try Milo in milk (bit like malted hot choc). It's got quite a lot of vitamins and minerals. I could never eat brekkie as a child so my mum bought me that to at least get something in me. I sometimes dipped brioche in it.

Is he overweight (not sure I have read other thread)? I just can't imagine a juice made of veg being enough to get a 7 year old through to lunch with enough energy to concentrate on lessons, possibly do PE, walk to school, run around at break time etc. What's wrong with wholemeal carbs, dairy product and fruit for breakfast-or does he not like stuff like that? He could have veg juice and some cereal/toast/whatever?

Will the people who are saying no please explain their reasoning?

Eating nothing or all the stress of an argument followed by something unsuitable versus basically a fresh juice of 5 vegetables and 2 fruit for breakfast sounds very reasonable to me. Try it for a week and see how your ds is. If he's getting tired mid-morning, then maybe he needs some oats or similar adding in.

You can put oats in a smoothie, yogurt, all sorts.

aarrrgghhh...x post with about 15 replies

If he will not eat anything for breakfast, then I would

Who lets a 7yo "refuse" breakfast ?

Not great for his teeth.

I think if I drank a smoothie on an empty stomach, I'd have heartburn until I actually ate some solid food.

You're putting him on the road to an eating disorder.