Friday, January 21, 2011

Walk the walk...

Ok, so I may step on toes with this post, but I've had my toes stepped on for the same thing....probably even BY the people who's toes will be stepped upon, so here goes.

So, we've always been sticklers with our kids and their sugar intake (mostly J, but the more I learn and more I observe, the more I am also).  At Halloween, we do the ole, pick 10, sell the rest back to us, then bam, in the trash (unless it's a PB cup or twix...then BAM into my closet).  Or at Christmas time, we put about 5 small bite sized candies into their stockings, then apples and orange (which my boys love, Kam, not so much).  But even day to day, we don't do fruit snacks or fruit roll ups, or capri suns, soda, etc.  Why?  read the grams of sugar in those products!!!!
My kids get sugar....they know what sugar tastes like....they know sugar can become an addiction...and they know why our bodies don't like too much sugar.  All things I wish I'd have known growing up...but didn't, so have been fighting with my addiction, weight, sugar induced health issues (which 90% of them are) for years!
And we've heard it all, "fruit snacks are FRUIT snacks" (read the sugar content...or better yet, read the fruit content in them)
"they're kids, they're supposed to have sugar"  Really?  That's where it starts.
Or my favorite, "my kids are always sick!"  10 minutes later to their kid, "go have a bowl of cocopuffs" or "Can i get a Happy meal with nuggets".
Honestly, kids learn to make healthy eating choices if they are reminded enough why they should and only given healthy options.  Some people think my kids are deprived...they're not.  They get their "spoonful of sugar" most everyday.  Ok, maybe not sugar anymore, but we make cookies and brownies with other, less harmful sweeteners, and YES, we go out for ice cream probably once a month...and the kids know that when we go out to the movies...WE BUY CANDY!!!!

Most of you know I'm a crappy mom.  My kids struggle with manners and other things, but I feel confident, that nutritionally, I'm a good mom.  So don't' worry, my kids know what sugar tastes like...they have it everyday, just not the 22 teaspoons that the average kid gets.

From what we've noticed, the more sugar a kid consumes, the more Tylenol and antibiotics they consume.  Which I guess if you dont' understand/know the harm in those, then you're ok with it.

Ok, have toes been stepped upon?
Sorry

I just know that we get a lot of crap for feeding our kids the best way we know, because we feel it's VERY important.  And sometimes that's um, annoying.  So I thought I'd post this post so people can understand WHY we chose to go with little or NO sugar in our diets.

10 comments:

Biddle Family said...

Nuff said sister!
Just be happy you learned this with your kids b/c were just now trying to figure everything out. I am pretty sure you're not stepin on my toes... I just wish I had all the knowledge you have about food & your body. I guess we can thank Jase for that! & you for being so awesome to implement it in your life!

Melissa Fullmer said...

you're awesome and such a good example, food is such an important thing, good food is soooo essential to make kids happy and healthy. we have really cut back on the sugar too, they only get fruit snacks at grandma's house, they are only allowed to snack on cheese, fruit or veggies. They hardly ask for candy anymore which is really good. They know it is a TREAT not a daily thing. So yeah, thanks for the reminder. Miss you!

Cat said...

Hey Kristal...I grew up in a house where there was NEVER any sugar or white flour...we ground our own whole wheat. We were always healthy & rarely got sick...not one of us 6 kids ever took an antibiotic. It's alot of work to do all that..I've always admired my mom for what she did. I do think it is important to educate our kids so they can understand how food works in their bodies & let them make some of those choices for themselves...which sounds like your Halloween thing. My mom was SUPER strict about the no sugar thing & it really made me want it more!

Keep up the hard work...your kids will be grateful for their health!

Lanae said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lanae said...

I honestly think kids are better at gravitating towards healthy foods than adults with already established bad habits. It has been so neat to see my kids (all previous sugar addicts) slowly ask if things have sugar, if they are good for our bodies and if it will make them strong. They have chosen to cut out a
lot of sugar all on their own especially at school, where I'm always amazed at how much sugar they are given. It may take a little longer to prepare, but it is so worth it. Plus it makes me feel better that I'm doing all I can at home so when I do have the urge to drive thru Krispy Kreme for the kids birthdays, it won't kill em! I like to think that the homemade bread makes up for the nuggets every once and I while.

Mary said...

100% agree. You're the farthest thing from a crappy mom I've ever seen. :)

Woodside's said...

It gets very tiring trying to explain to people why Jaran can't have that candy or other sugar product. Sometimes people look at Justin and I like we are killing Jaran by not giving him "those things". Great post....sometimes it needs to be talked about:)

A mother heart said...

Q-how do you handle when other people try ot feed your kids sugar? WE had a friend over yesterday and her mom brought a box of fruit snack which I never buy and I actually really hate. (Seriously WHY are they called fruit snacks...they are corn syrup candies!)
I didn't want to offend her so I accepted them and my kids ate them. I didn't want to take them. I wanted to say thanks but I never feed them to my kids EVER. How do you tell someone that wihtout being rude?

Kristal said...

um, honestly we just let em have it. If they ask, "can your kids have some of these?" We'll usually say, oh, no thanks, they're ok, they just had (whatever treat they just had)". It's really not that often for us. A lot of our friends eat really healthy. Sometimes when we stay with people that don't eat healthy it drives Jase nuts what our kids eat, but it's only a day or two, and I think it's fine. We eat good the 90% of the time at our house. No biggie. But if it's someone that you are around a lot, I'd just explain to them how you feel it makes your kids react and ask not to give it to them anymore. I know my kids after the holidays when it's sooo inevitable and prevalent, they are soo quick to get angry, and grouchy, so I let people know that when my kids get too much sugar it effects the way they act (just like it does ANYONE, but pointing it out kinda helps my point).
I dunno...good luck.

Koi said...

Ahhh, that's why you don't stay at our house. We're some of those "crappy eater friends":o) My thing is it take too much time to be a nutritionally good mom, so I'm a bad mom in the nutrition department. I'm working on it tho....