Is DS’ diet really that bad?

[enuquer]

Please be kind.

DS is 2, will be 3 at the end of the year. His daily diet is usually

Breakfast: weetabix or rice krispies/corn flakes

Morning snack: an orange or a yoghurt

Lunch: Ham sandwich with an orange or yoghurt (whatever he doesn't have for snack) and some wotsits or quavers

Afternoon snack: 2 biscuits or a small packet of chocolate buttons

Dinner: pasta/pizza/ sausage and mash with carrots/fish fingers/chicken nuggets/ the occasional McDonald's happy meal (probably once or twice a month)

Dessert: ice cream or a small chocolate bar

Then he sometimes has chips if me and DP have had a takeaway, and he isn't asleep yet.

The only fruit and veg he'll eat are oranges and carrots. During the day he does drink water or apple juice and has a bottle of milk before bed.

We recently stayed at my mum's as my mum said that he shouldn't be eating those foods and his diet is awful.

Is it really that bad?

I don’t think it’s the best diet. I think the issue is things like crisps and biscuits and chocolate and a sweet pudding all in one day. There is also a lot of processed food- unless you make the pizza/pasta sauce etc? There is usually quite a lot of added sugar in bought sauces/ pizza/ meals. All added in I think it probably is higher sugar/salt than is ideal.

Toddlers can be difficult to feed, do all you can do is keep trying to get him to taste different foods, even if it is a small amount to start with. I’d also knock things like extra chips after his dinner on the head. I would also say your partner should not give him a slice of pizza (or similar) when he declines a meal- if he knows that if he refuses something new/less appetising then he will be given something he does like then it’s no shock that he refuses.

You lose most of your control when they start going to other people's houses and birthday parties anyway.

And all your control when they go to secondary school. Fizzy drinks and sweets on the way home or when they're out with friends at the weekend and in the holidays.

I think it would be substantially better if you just changed the dinner so he's eating proper non-processed food and switch the crisps and afternoon snack to something less processed (e.g. a flapjack, cheese, chopped up baked chicken) and maybe drop dessert to a couple times a week.

I don't think 2 year old need this level of sugary snacks and juice- that stuff should be occasional.

Looks like it's the chocolate buttons and ice cream or sugar desserts your mum is talking about.

If you want him to eat more healthily, you need to discuss it with your partner to stop him from giving him the unhealthy foods. That's needed straight away to have an effect.

If he refuses any other snack than chocolate, it's not going to harm him to simply not give him a snack.
Likewise if he refuses any healthy dessert like fruit, just don't give him dessert. It's tough to change habits once formed, especially if he sees others around him doing the same thing, but the sooner you start the easier it will be long term.

McDonalds twice a month is quite a lot!

@TheLovelinessOfDemons

You lose most of your control when they start going to other people's houses and birthday parties anyway.

And all your control when they go to secondary school. Fizzy drinks and sweets on the way home or when they're out with friends at the weekend and in the holidays.

Yes but they can eat nutritious food at home can't they? You can't just think fuck it they'll be on 4 cans of coke and 10 malboro red at 15 so they may as well eat shite for the next 13 years

That would be a lot of processed and sugary treats even for an adult weighing 4x as much. Could you swap the chocolate buttons, pudding and crisps for something else? Grapes or strawberries perhaps if he wants something sweet?

So not being thick here, but when you are saying less processed stuff, so in the case of dinner, say for example instead of fish fingers/nuggets, the meat on its own as opposed to battered/fried/breaded etc.

What do you suggest someone does if for example like many now, especially those on their own, I have to claim Universal Credit. They are trying to say that I pay extra on top so that my DS can stay in day care until 6pm 🤦‍♀️ which means getting home after 6, trying to do stuff that needs tending to and make dinner?! What on earth should you start doing from scratch at that time, when the child will be most likely starving as my DS is now when he only does 3 hrs a day at nursery, and most likely asleep on his feet, nagging me as he does when we get home as it is, and then do a bath etc, and all magically done and child in bed by 7.30/8 as the Health visitor told me 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦‍♀️
Sorry OP I didn't want to jump in on your post and make my own, rather add it in as an additional/combined point.

Yes I admit when children are exposed to certain foods from a young age, this is where they then ask for them and get used to it. And it creeps up quickly and easily, giving a bit of this or that, and stopping other stuff because they won't eat it. And before you know it, it's become a problem. I am also experiencing that.

To be fair we grew up on cooked meals, mostly some sort of meat a couple of veg and potatoes etc. Sometimes a dish like a stew or casserole, and a Sunday roast. But unfortunately that's where it ended, as I would eat sugary cereals or biscuits with a cup of tea, as my DM says that's all I would eat. I really wish they had done more but they didn't and we all know how difficult it can be with busy lives and trying to do everything. I have always been big since childhood and it has followed through in to adulthood. My DM's outlook is that it is down to the adult when they get to adulthood to deal with their own diet. But I disagree, childhood comes before that!!

@movingadviceneeded Loads of toddlers eat things like that, my daughter doesn’t eat nuggets and chips because I’ve never given them to her. She’s a very difficult eater but her safe foods are things like blueberries, eggs and kale because that’s what she has been exposed to.

@MrsFin

McDonalds twice a month is quite a lot!

2 meals at McDonalds over 30 days out of a possible 90 meals is 2% McDonald’s.. that is not a lot.

[quote notanothertakeaway]@CallMeRisley
@Moonbabysmum

Do you call biscuit/cake a “naughty snack” to your kids?

Referring to biscuits / cake as a "naughty snack" is unhelpful

And so is referring to them as "treat"

It's OK to have these in moderation, but unhelpful to introduce feelings of guilt around food, or to imply that the horrible veg must be tolerated to get to the reward of the lovely cake

This book explains it far better than I can

]][/quote]
Ugh my DM calling the recommended food I cooked DS1 from the CF Trust nutrition booklet "junk" in front of him. It was preventing him from becoming dangerously underweight. It's not junk, it's dinner.

Of course it's a lot

You do realise it's not compulsory to eat a Macdonalds ever?

@Redruby2020. You're absolutely right on both counts.

First, food habits start in childhood. It's very hard for an overweight child to then become a healthy weight as an adult. It's doable but it's an extra challenge in life which young adults can do without.

Second, it's tough, time-consuming and expensive to try to ensure your kids eat well (or at least are offered varied, healthy food), especially if you're on your own and work long hours. But healthy food habits are one of the best gifts you can give them. I also wish my parents had tried harder.

Precisely, @Bryonyshcmyony any yet it makes up only 2% of someone’s meal choices. 98% of the time they select other food.

On MN you will be bashed for feeding your child anything other than meals cooked from scratch, McDonald’s is a swear word as is chicken nuggets 😬, don’t ever mention giving your children anything fizzy to drink, they must only drink water and chocolate is for Easter and christmas only 😬. Lentils are a healthy staple and you get brownie points if your child eats oysters, sushi and broccoli.

Yes! The PP who noticed we eat a lot of meat. That does stand out against the more modern diet.
My DD became vegetarian so I have had to adapt or offer substitutions to meals on offer. She doesn’t live with us now so it’s not affected our meat eating behaviour on a normal basis, but it did highlight to me that our meals are all meat based which I hadn’t thought about before.

I’m not inclined to go vegetarian myself, but for health reasons I am aware that we need to go a bit lighter on the red meat front!

I am not convinced of the health benefits of Quorn and other meat substitutes so don’t want to use them. We do use pulses in dishes, mainly barley, lentils and chickpeas. Beans in chilli and the odd salad or stew. But we are used to eating meat so I don’t think we will give it up altogether, but as you say it is worth keeping an eye on the type of protein we choose to eat.

@Lovemusic33

On MN you will be bashed for feeding your child anything other than meals cooked from scratch, McDonald’s is a swear word as is chicken nuggets 😬, don’t ever mention giving your children anything fizzy to drink, they must only drink water and chocolate is for Easter and christmas only 😬. Lentils are a healthy staple and you get brownie points if your child eats oysters, sushi and broccoli.

Don't be silly

Do people really feel this attacked when they are criticised for poor food choices?

(also lentils and broccoli are cheap, healthy foods that 3 out of 4 of my kids really like)

It's not good but it's also not that bad. I'd swap afternoon snack and dinner out for something healthier.

Vegetable pancakes are a hit in my family. Just flour, garlic powder, salt and vegetables. Obviously not the healthiest but it's a way to get some vegetables in!

For desert you could do banana ice cream (just frozen banana blended)

I don’t understand why you’d give a 2 year old so many processed/sugary snacks? You need to focus on whole, unprocessed foods. He’s 2 and developing, don’t feed him crap!

That’s a lot of chocolate and lazy dinners… it’s not appalling but too much processed food IMO

@enuquer breakfast is fine as well as oranges and carrots but too many yoghurts during the day (full of sugar), lunch is okish but sorry your Mum is right and your dinners are the worst - nuggets, sausages and fish fingers... on a daily basis that's pure madness as they're highly processed and full of salt, sugar and saturated fat.

A small child or anyone really shouldn't be exceeding their daily salt, fat and sugar allowance on a daily basis. You need to cook fresh unprocessed food at least for dinner such as free range chicken - in a stew or roasted in the oven. Do you cook proper dinners for yourself or just chuck something in the oven / microwave? You don't have to be a fantastic cook to make simple, healthy meals. Just look on YouTube or ask your Mum for simple recipes...

@Redruby2020

So not being thick here, but when you are saying less processed stuff, so in the case of dinner, say for example instead of fish fingers/nuggets, the meat on its own as opposed to battered/fried/breaded etc.

What do you suggest someone does if for example like many now, especially those on their own, I have to claim Universal Credit. They are trying to say that I pay extra on top so that my DS can stay in day care until 6pm 🤦‍♀️ which means getting home after 6, trying to do stuff that needs tending to and make dinner?! What on earth should you start doing from scratch at that time, when the child will be most likely starving as my DS is now when he only does 3 hrs a day at nursery, and most likely asleep on his feet, nagging me as he does when we get home as it is, and then do a bath etc, and all magically done and child in bed by 7.30/8 as the Health visitor told me 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦‍♀️
Sorry OP I didn't want to jump in on your post and make my own, rather add it in as an additional/combined point.

Yes I admit when children are exposed to certain foods from a young age, this is where they then ask for them and get used to it. And it creeps up quickly and easily, giving a bit of this or that, and stopping other stuff because they won't eat it. And before you know it, it's become a problem. I am also experiencing that.

To be fair we grew up on cooked meals, mostly some sort of meat a couple of veg and potatoes etc. Sometimes a dish like a stew or casserole, and a Sunday roast. But unfortunately that's where it ended, as I would eat sugary cereals or biscuits with a cup of tea, as my DM says that's all I would eat. I really wish they had done more but they didn't and we all know how difficult it can be with busy lives and trying to do everything. I have always been big since childhood and it has followed through in to adulthood. My DM's outlook is that it is down to the adult when they get to adulthood to deal with their own diet. But I disagree, childhood comes before that!!

I cook 30 minute fresh meals. Pasta dishes. Noodle dishes. Simple quick curries. Bakes. Even pastry; tarts and simple pies don't take long.We love Japanese and Greek food; you only have to google for some recipes. There are oodles of food bloggers with quick, fresh meals to try. Yes, alright, it's 30 whole minutes to chop, put in pan, stir, season, serve... but it's still perfectly doable.