how much and what kind of junk food/drink do you allow your kids? and at what age?

[sugarbaby]

Over Christmas I was at a party, nothing heavy just family get together, there wer a few kids there. I was horrified when someone else at the party poured her 3 year old son a glass of coke, but later when chocolates were offered she wouldn't allow him to have any because "it contains nuts and children shouldn't be exposed to nuts until they're 5"? The double standard of it all struck me somewhat, although I didn't say anything.

So I was wondering, how much junk food/drink do you allow your kids? and at what age? Personally my DS will not be allowed coke until he is much much older, but I do allow crisps/chocolate/biscuits, but coke just contains too much cafeen/sugar and is in my view, highly inappropriate.

Just a general question though

baked beans = great and good for you
tinned spag = minging but spag hoops acceptable

Zenia, digestive biscuits started off as health food, hence the name. I don't think there are any problems with them other than the sugar content (which may well be lower than in those supposedly virtuous fruit bars).

imo, good quality fish fingers, sausages and baked beans (in moderation because of the sugar and salt) are not junk food.

god I never worry about salt and sugar in baked beans

Not read all these but dd1 who is 3 has:

McDonalds once a month, or more if Barbie-esque Happy Meal
Crisps once a week (supermarket bribe for sanity)
Biscuits maybe once or twice a week
Choc most days, especially as we have a huge tub of Roses at the moment!

But she does not have fizzy drinks as we do not have them or Smarties or sweets as the meltdown after is to be avoided at all costs.

Everything in moderation really, we cook from scratch for everything and meat is from the local farmer so no crap (not that she eats it ).

I don't really monitor like a hawk and she does go to MIL 3 days a week and may live on Lunchables for all I know!

x

I have more of a problem with salt and E numbers than with sugar... so ds (3) doesn't eat crisps, or very rarely (we had some around the house at Christmas but they were the Kettle Creek ones which don't have additives.) He has small amounts of chocolate nearly every day though, and usually a biscuit or two as well (homemade or fairly plain ones like digestives.) We don't have fizzy drinks in the house either, juice is OK if it's 100% juice and not "juice drink".
I can count on one hand the number of times he's had McDs and they've always been when there's no choice... in an airport or as a break when driving. That said, in a proper restaurant he always has a burger and chips, big treat for him!

forgot dd2, 16 months! She just has whatever her big sis throws her way (ie not much).

me neither Enid. Ds has fish fingers, waffles, has browns, beans, dairylea, chocolate cake, the odd biscuit, white bread. He also has plenty of fruit and veg so I don't worry.

dd sometimes has orangina, think its one of the best fizzy drinks
loads of chocolate at the moment but normally only as a treat - once a week and she only likes chocolate so thats the only sweets she has
macdonalds very occasionally
fruit shoots only when we are out with friends as they have them and she wants one then
sandwich lunctime
whatever we have for tea, organic frozen chips once a week
banana for breakfast with cranberry juice (she loves it)

hash browns

oh, and petit filou yoghurt which many on here think are the devil's work...

What is the worst junk food you could give, maybe coke? I drink it sometimes, but neither of my ds like it (they don't like the fizz). I think I would allow it at a party. I took my ds's to a disco party, that a friend was having, they gave the kids sausages(out of a tin), chips from Burger King and coke, some of the kids were drinking cup after cup of the stuff & god were they high on the dance floor, my two were the only one's stopping for a break! they were also very hungry after as they wouldn't touch the food (my youngest had a few of the chips). But it was a party..

oh god coke isn't that bad occasionally

the worst

turkey twizzlers?

cheese strings?

anything goes at a party imo

and Christmas etc

dd1 probably had her monthly intake on Christmas morning but you can't go round with a big stick imo at a celebration.

the worst is probably MacDonalds, but once a month won't hurt anybody

What is the worry with junk food, rotten teeth, getting fat, or behaviour problems? I don't worry too much because as I said before mine don't tend to eat much in the way of junk.

All 3 of those

Yes I do worry about their teeth though.

i think the worst thing is getting into lifelong bad habits and longterm health problems.

but i just can't IMAGINE waht Ds would be like if he got a even a whiff of coke. not worth it.

i think the worst thing is getting into lifelong bad habits and longterm health problems.

but i just can't IMAGINE waht Ds would be like if he got a even a whiff of coke. not worth it.

dd1 (4) is allowed basically anything in moderation.
I hate the feeling of fizzy pop on my teeth (especially coke) on my teeth, it feels like they're crumbling and rotting, so we don't have that problem as it's never in the house.
She does have it out though occasionaly along with the occasional Macdonalds.
She lately will sit and eat a dinner with us and try all the veg and has gone mad on fruit so i'm clinging on to that.

She is allowed chocolate and crisps though as long as she's eaten some dinner/breakfast whatever time she asks.

ds (nearly 2) is allowed

fishfingers
tesco's organic burgers
occasional biscuit (usually at M&Ts)
bits of chocolate every few days
cake (esp fruit or banana cake which he loves)
v diluted fruit juice
crisps (if they are on offer in other peoples' houses, although I don't ever buy them - I would just eat them all v quickly....)

He isn't usually allowed
Any sort of fizzy drink (I don't like any, so never any in the house which makes it easier)
squash
McD's etc (although I did once in desperation when travelling try and get him to eat a few chips, but he wouldn't )
Anything heavily processed - nuggets etc

I don't lay down any completely fixed bans, and he'll probably be allowed all of the above if we are out and about and they were the easiest options, but I do try to stick to healthier stuff at home.

There isnt anything i wouldnt give ds (18 months) everything in moderation then nothing can be said as "taboo" and therefore desirable when he is older.

Having said that he is in that very fussy stage at the moment so try to keep to the veg, fruit and meat road.

As its been mentioned earlier i am more worried about e numbers and salt than sugar.

well I don't go in much for rules but....
nothing much that wasn't Very Wholesome before she was two or so.
Since then, if she asks for it she gets it in moderation. Yes, she has had the odd sip of coke because dh drinks it. If she asks for fizzy drink ("daddy's drink" lol) I give her juice and fizzy water.
Also biscuits, cakes etc if we are having them. She tends to only ask for things if she sees then e.g. when we're out. I trys and steer her towards the healthier option but nothing is completely taboo.
yes to the occasion mcD's (fish/chicken nuggets and fruit) - she also has about three of my chips which is the ONLY time she will EVER eat "potato."
I try not to make a big deal of anything. Usually she is just experimenting and it all balances out with what she has at home.