“Ah! That was a long day at school. After getting another star in math I want a reward from mom!” thought Ria. She danced her way into the front door with this very thought. “MOM get me my snack reward; I got a star!! But wait, I am going to pick what I want!!!!”
Multiple thoughts flooded the mom’s mind. What kind of snack will she choose? Will it be her favourite fruit? Or will she head straight for the potato chips and Cola? I think it’s time to discuss the two not so magical words (JUNK FOOD) if she picks the latter! Can’t believe it’s time to have "THE TALK" with Ria!
“Mom I want French fries from Mc. Donald’s. Let’s go!!” jumped around excited little Ria.
“Baby, do you know you’ll be turning 5 soon? Do you know what a big number that is? You are going to be a big girl! Let’s discuss your birthday menu? I had an idea of something cool for the theme of your birthday party: ‘Health is wealth?’ Come on now, don’t make that face.”
By this moment, Ria had lost interest in the conversation.
She imagined herself alone at her birthday party, because none of her friends would come to eat cauliflower, broccoli & cabbage. But her mom lifted her mood by mentioning the first item on the party menu: Frozen Yogurt. Ria was obviously shocked with her mom’s response because she loved her Fro-Yo.
Let’s dive into clearing this confusion around junk food that Ria had.
Foods commonly considered junk foods include gum, candy, desserts, fried fast food and sugary carbonated beverages. Many foods such as hamburgers, pizza and tacos can be considered either healthy or junk food depending on their ingredients and preparation methods.
Re-read the last line until it sinks in. Foods which are on the must-eat list of most kids are not all unhealthy, what makes most of them unhealthy is the way they are prepared & how often we eat them. Makes sense? Here is an example to explain it even better:
Ice cream is loaded with sugar, fats, artificial flavours, and a whole lot of calories. This makes it unhealthy, and thanks to the high amount of sugar, it can be addictive. Next time you crave ice cream, go for frozen yogurt instead. Frozen yogurt is made with whole milk, is nutritious, and contains almost five times less sugar than ice cream, making it a healthier alternative.
Having said that, the crux is that over indulging is harmful & mindfulness is the king. We have to make sure that the foods mentioned below are on a ‘no binge eating’ list for your baby :
So watch out for these bad boys on a daily basis, but do reward your babies with an occasional Fro-Yo on days they let you nap for 5 hours straight.
OCCASIONAL being the point of focus here!!