'Good' food and 'Bad' food

[FusionChefGeoff]

I love food / cooking. I am thrilled that DS(3.8) has started to really take an interest in what food does - but I am stuck on how best to answer to avoid food issues later.

Personally, I have a very 80/20 approach so sometimes I am adding lentils to my no salt chicken, chick pea and spinach curry with brown rice. But on Sat when DH was out, I had a stuffed crust cheese pizza and reclaimed meat frankfurters . I don't go that extreme with DC but they do have biscuits / crisps / ice cream.

So, how should I respond to the constant "is chilli good for you?", "do biscuits make you big and strong", "what are apples good for?", "does the bread or the cheese make me big and strong"???

I want to say that all food is good but some is better for you?? Or some is treat food and some is everyday food?? But that sets out that biscuits etc are somehow special which can be dangerous...

Any ideas?

I would go with lots of sugar being bad for your teeth.
Cheese is good for bones.
I don't label food as good or bad. We talk abut energy and how they help them to grow. And that they should eat lots of different food.

Yep, tell them in basic terms what different foods do for our body rather than good or bad, so protein foods help us get stronger, veggies help keep us healthy and are good for our tummies, sugar tastes good but is bad for teeth and too much makes us ill, carbs give us energy. Good to eat lots of different colour foods and listen to our body to know when we have had enough etc

Talk about how some things like calcium and vitamins are important for growing big and strong so you need lots, and you can get them from milk, cheese, veg etc but you need less of some things like sugar, although useful for energy, it's bad for teeth.

Do craft with the portions plate perhaps?

I say that it's fine to have chocolate/ice cream etc but they aren't the foods that make you healthy and strong. I have talked about what the different foods give you and what a balanced meal looks like eg protein, carbs, vegetables for vitamins.

I don't label food as good or bad either, don't want my kids getting food issues. Although, they know too much of any food isn't good for your tummy

I say too many sugary things will make holes in our teeth and chocolate and biscuits don't give enough energy for running and playing. I don't ban anything, but if my dd asks for chocolate at breakfast time I say that she can have some with lunch - if we have any in the house.

I tend to go with "this food can hurt your teeth if you eat too much, don't forget to brush!" and for sugary/fatty things "this food gives you a bit of energy to help you play. It's not 'for dinner' food cause it can make you feel poorly if you have too much [true as they feel sick] and you only need a little bit..."

The thing I'm wary of is fruit - which can be very sugary and especially with under 10s over fill them so they don't eat enough other food groups, but thanks to Jamie effing Oliver everyone thinks it's unlimited wonder food for kids.