Do you have "junk" food in your house on a regular basis?

[Ilfurfante]

Just had a debate with my teen DC who argue that we don't have enough variety of food in our house. When asked what they mean, they actually are just referring to what I perceive to be junk food - so crisps, biscuits, chocolate and sugary cereal.

I try to provide a healthy balanced diet but I don't buy these types of foods as routine because actually they just eat them and leave the stuff which is healthy. For instance, they have a choice of porridge, Weetabix or unsweetened muesli for breakfast or they can have eggs, toast, greek yoghurt, fruit etc (in fact the 12 year old made waffles from scratch and had them with blueberries and maple Syrup this morning). If I bought the sugary cereal, they would eat that - they would never choose any of the above options over that so I don't buy it.

I have just made a delicious home cooked lunch (lamb kofta kebabs, bean and tomato salad, homemade focaccia, green salad and tzastiki) which was full of flavour. They all enjoyed it and ate it but they just don't perceive that this as something of value.

We do have what I would consider "treats" but just not as a matter of course (fizzy drinks if it's a special meal, crisps with lunch sometimes, Greggs etc). I don't want them to think these are part of a normal diet on a daily basis. They think I am totally unreasonable.

Am I?

Interestingly (or not) we very much favour small bags and individually wrapped bars to big share packs of snacks. Foods with natural end points and portion controlled packages make it much easier to eat treats in moderation. DH can easily smash a giant bag of crisps or half a packet of biscuits in a sitting. He does practice martial arts for 6-8 hours a week, but is easily tempted.

I also grew up with meals always ending in a dessert, jelly, yoghurt, frozen mousse, ice lolly or a hot pudding. My kids very rarely have a dessert and are aware that dinner is a one course affair with seconds of that if wanted. I’m sure they are less sugar obsessed than I was.

No very rarely and it is much to DS annoyance that we are an ingredients household. My parents ran a restaurant and I just hate cheap processed food and cooking or making stuff is probably less bother for me as was helping in the kitchen from as long as I can remember. Also raised to believe that snacking was not good. We do have ice cream in the summer and very occasionally crisps. Say a six pack once a month. DH is English so does eat chocolate which I have no interest in at all and neither does DS .

We don’t have crisps and biscuits in all the time but my DD (5) has her own sweets/chocolates tin and she is allowed one thing a day from it. It’s in full reach but she always asks first and she is really good about it.

When I say 1 thing a day it’s things like a single toffee (she loves old fashioned toffee or fudge) or one of the teeny tiny bags of haribo.
She eats very well though, loves her fruit and veg so I don’t feel the need the demonise treats. They are all things she has been given rather than things we buy though. It all goes in the tin and then it’s one thing at a time. I think the fact that she could stuff her face when I’m not looking, but doesn’t, means she has a healthy relationship with treats.

We don’t have much stuff like that in. Not that bothered about them eating it in moderation and they eat plenty of it when out and about but no desire to have it in the house, for myself as much as for them! But my kids are young so it’s a different dynamic I guess.

I would rather take them to the cafe down the road to get some nice cake or a hot chocolate than buy chocolate or crisps to have in drawer I guess.

No. We have ‘normal’ food but relax that in the holidays to have ‘treat’ food. I recognise most food experts probably don’t recommend seeing food in this way but I don’t think my eldest would self-regulate (autism). I just need it not to be ‘forbidden’.

We always have it in, but I’ve never “restricted” their intake they’ve always been allowed to pick and choose what they want to eat and when. I’ve actually now got two kids (12 & 18) who are not fussed if there is “junk food” in or not, it actually goes out of date sometimes! They see it as a normal part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. It was never made into a “treat” or “pudding” or “naughty food” there was no “good and bad” foods in my house because I have severe body dysmorphia and a v restrictive ED and I was so concentrated on not passing food issues onto the kids. I wanted food to be that just food that gives their body energy but also they are allowed to enjoy their food too! My youngest has autism and is gluten free too and on holiday she eats one large portion of a particular crisp type every day and she doesn’t feel bad about it because well - she shouldn’t and it’s not a regular thing. She’s literally on holiday for days out of the year.

friends kids who have had it restricted or whatever seem to go mad for the junk food it’s fascinating to watch especially my two being like nah I’m ok!

This is such a weird take. What on earth is a "military style approach"? They're not on rations 😂 My household is far from depressing - it's busy and bustling with people, and sharing food together is a big part of that. A part that we take much enjoyment and pleasure from. Just because it's not highly processed UPF doesn't mean it's not delicious.

To counter your anecdote, I had a friend with DC the same age as mine. The mum grew up in a household where food was restricted and seen as very negative. She was overweight. She took the opposite approach with her own children where there were no limits on consumption ,with the attitude that the DC would self-regulate. They were overweight as kids. Now adults, the are still overweight and their parents are significantly obese.

I don’t buy junk food and keep it in the house. If we want something, we buy it and eat it. It’s not on tap.

This is the way I was brought up myself so I wouldn’t think of keeping loads of junk food in.

I think more people on this thread need to read Ultra Processed People - it should not be normal to have a cupboard of ultra processed food in the house in my view.

Absolutely this, I dont know why this narrative has traction, oh I do actually, its to convince people that feeding their kids a load of crap is doing them good because its going to benefit them long term

I like crap. I like home cooked food. I dont buy a lot of crap for myself, my OH on the other hand eats pretty much solely beige food, I cook from scratch but he turns up his nose pretty much most of the time. Apart from my baking which he and I both eat too much of.
But unrestricted access to junk simply means we eat more junk as humans

I dont notice europeans, who generally have better diets than us, going crazy if they're visiting the UK or America as an example, they (the ones we know) are horrified at what we serve up in restaurants and shops, particularly for children.

We have a fair bit of junk food and I leave it to the individual to choose what to eat. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think people can use either approach along with some anecdotal evidence to support whatever decisions they’ve made, understandably people get defensive about their own decisions and upbringing, but what we know on a population level is that being in an obesogenic environment with easy access to UPFs is no small part of the increasingly high levels of obesity we see in the western world. I don’t want my house to be an obesogenic environment I suppose, given everywhere else is.

I agree. I grew up on home cooked meals and home baked goods. I don’t like shop bought cakes or biscuits, I don’t grab a packet of crisps or chocolate bar because I’m hungry. I feel really unwell if I eat junk food for a few days. And I appreciate good quality ingredients.

These are deeply ingrained habits from childhood so I don’t feel like I am restricting myself.

It really is true and the effects - physiologically, psychologically and behaviourally - of restriction was first clinically observed and reported in the Ancel Keys/Minnisota Starvation Experiment. The impact of restriction in diet culture is a leading driver of disordered habits and behaviours including those experienced by people with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating disorders. Combating and removing restriction is a key part of eating disorder recovery in both over and under eating disorders.

Its perfectly possible to become obese from home cooked food and home baking...I'm a great example 😂

I’m going to break this to you gently.. even Dr Chris van Tulleken (the writer) allows his kids to have occasional junk at home. Everything in moderation.

My kids are all around 50 now but , yes , we had this moaning all the time but they said’ there’s never any food in this house 😂. They did this even after they had left home and my husband had died. I was having to keep an eye on my money so only bought what I needed. They would complain cos I had no crisps or biscuits in , I must admit it wasn’t my DD just my 2DSs .

If you actually restrict it which would involve not letting your kids eat the party food at the party or not getting them an ice cream when the Ice cream van arrives at a beach and everyone gets one. Telling them thar’s a bad food - we shouldn’t be eating this.

That’s restricting.

Not having junk food in all the time and getting them into the habit of making a healthy snack when they are hungry is developing a long term healthy habit that will help them eat well without feeling like they are restricting themselves.

I do have what my DC’s refer to as a ‘crunchy’ and ‘ingredients’ household….but we do actually have a drawer of ‘junk’ such as a few bags of pop chips, popcorn, nuts etc…and Tony’s chocolate. It lasts for ages, because like it or not, the healthy and ‘in moderation’ lessons have paid off. As teens they’re aware not to binge or eat too much unhealthy stuff.

Exactly - children need to learn about a balanced diet. All the kids I grew up with in households like this went crazy and bought about loads of rubbish from the tuck shop.

I am allergic to bananas but buy them if DS asks for them so o don’t get the ‘we don’t eat it so don’t buy’. They are members of the household and are surely able to ask for things.

There is a lot of disordered eating wrapped up as ‘healthy’. Not saying this is OP but exists

We have always had stuff like crisps / popcorn in the house, but not limitless amounts. I buy enough for each kid to have 3 or 4 small bags a week. They chose if they wanted this at home or in their packed lunch when at school.

cereal, I still generally get one small box of reasonably low sugar cereal like Cheerios. And the box need to last the week. This is a few bowls each and porridge the other days.

Friday remains chocolate/ sweets day . We get a big bar and share it.

mine are older teens now. I will buy them their special treats in the weekly shop and they eat them when they want- but it’s a small portion , but not huge amounts. Example, one loves dairylee dippers. I buy her a 3 pack in the weekly shop, she regulates when she eats them over the 7 days.

I’ve never bought biscuits regularly. If we have company I will buy a packet to offer.

I think demonising junk food can lead to kids binging when they get the chance. Makes it forbidden and exiting.

I should add that DS (he is 9) is a fussy bugger whose favourite food is either homemade chicken tikka masala or roast chicken with rice. He is allowed popcorn, crisps and chocolate occasionally but mostly eats rice cakes, fruit and yoghurt for snacks.

He is slim and active, as kids should be.

Having a vocabulary which labels foods as ‘junk’ or ‘healthy’ creates a hierarchy of foods that is restrictive as it sets up the list of ‘special’ or ‘treat’ foods that become more appealing. Hence why the OPs teens are complaining that the ‘junk’ food she’s happy for them to buy, but not provide at home, is the more desired.

Having ‘junk’ at home but teaching kids that chocolate/crisps/sweets are to be eaten for enjoyment or for taste or to satisfy a craving, and that to satisfy hunger a sandwich or omelette etc such be eaten first, is creating a balanced approach without having to restrict at all.

Where I live fizzy drinks , crisps, biscuits, sugary cereals are part of a weekly shop. Even for the more health conscious parents