Just wanted to share this newsletter re healthy eating and kids

[Meagan]

http://www.savingdinner.com/news/feed-your-kids-healthy.html
Interesting read 

[Nik2WIN]

Thanks for that - very interesting.

We had the odd bit of "kids" food as I was growing up but mostly ate what everyone else ate.  DH was brought up on kids food and still loves a fish finger sandwich (eeeew)

One of my children is severely underweight and I was shocked to find out that at 7 a child's calorific needs are roughly the same as an adult woman's.  That's a lot of calories to get in a little bit of food!  Presumably their nutritional needs are somewhat greater as they have to grow and develop so all their food has to be nutritionally dense too!  DH grew up with mum and dad eating steak while the kids had cheap burgers.  Given the nutritional needs of children, shouldn't that be the other way around 

Fortunately with my TMX my children are learning to enjoy home cooked food with no additives and, with any luck, that will stay with them for life.

Nik

[Zan]

Oh so so true.
I'm always surprised by how amazed everyone is by what my kids eat (ok my 4 year old eats vindaloo that one I find amazing - but this is the same child who likes frozen veg and dough!). They've only ever had what the family eats (they were never on puree's etc, baby led weaned) and because they'd tried most things by the time they were 18months to 2 years when they go through that fussy I can control what I eat stage they were eating such a variety it wasn't a problem.
Everytime I have kids over to eat I'm amazed by how fussy other people's kids are and feel like I'm starving them, lol, as we don't have kid's food.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I love it! Our kids eat exactly what we do and always have done (although for a while when they were very little it was in a mashed form).

I wish restaurants, cafes and hotels would take note and expand their kids menus.  Many parents don't want to order chicken nuggets and chips for their kids when they are out for a family meal!!!

[quirkycooking]

Oh, I totally agree, Chelsea!!!! Our kids had mashed up adult food as baby's (minus the salt), and eat just about anything now. The youngest (7) begs me to buy new things she hasn't tried when we go shopping, like scallops and octopus and oysters and lobsters and things - so funny! I do buy her mussels & calamari & prawns & baby octopus, but the lobster's a bit expensive, and I don't like scallops or oysters...  I just love that they're willing to eat 'adult' food that their friends turn their noses up at!!

[Zan]

Jo, oysters eeeek!!! I will never take my kids (esp my 7 year old who loves seafood) to a fishmongers just incase she wants them. Just the thought sends shivers up my spine, lol!!

[Nik2WIN]

I'm afraid when I serve rabbit, I lie and tell them its something else, just in case one of them starts talking about cute fluffy bunnies or something ....

Nik

[hools003]

Reminds me of a time a few years ago. Middle son was about 7 or 8 and had a friend stay the night and we took my 3 plus friend to a restaurant. The waiter couldn't believe it when my 8 yr old ordered garlic prawns and his friend ordered chilli mussels!!! He thought it was for us.

[brazen20au]

my kids were brought up eating the same food as us from about 10mo. no special food. no junk food until they were older. but it hasn't helped, especially with ryan.

[Twitterpated]

I always fed my children the same as what we were eating - just mashed or blended. At group gatherings my children were always found at the adults table eating carrot sticks, dips, etc rather that at the children's table with the chips and lollies. I have always encouraged them to try new foods and quite often told small fibs to make this happen. I remember them not liking fish so I stopped calling it fish and instead said it was water chicken. They loved it but still wouldn't eat fish!!

Now as teenagers they do like the junk food like most but still love trying new foods and often they will come to me with a recipe they would like to try. I agree with the comments about the dumbed down kiddie food that is available and think that restaurants should be looking at their kids menu. I also struggle with the fussiness of other people as I was brought up to at least try different foods rather than just say I didn't like it without even trying it, based on its colour, texture, look, etc.

[ellie j]

Interesting .. We have kids who are willing to give anything a go .. I'm always being told that I am lucky but it has more to do with how they have been bought up than luck !! It helps if they see you enjoy all kinds of food

[Nik2WIN]

I remember them not liking fish so I stopped calling it fish and instead said it was water chicken. They loved it but still wouldn't eat fish!!

Brilliant - tonight we're having water chicken!  Otherwise known as tuna!

Nik

[debs]

I remember them not liking fish so I stopped calling it fish and instead said it was water chicken. They loved it but still wouldn't eat fish!!

Love it lol.  My daughter HATES rice but has 3 serves of risotto every time I cook it.  She wouldn't eat lamb  until one day she asked if it was Mary's.  I thought for a bit and with nothing to lose said yes.  She then gobbled it down. 

When we eat out it's usually Asian or Indian. And the kids taste a bit of everything.  We rarely eat somewhere that does nuggets and chips but my daughter will go for a spaghetti Bol as her first choice.  My son on the other hand would go the chips meal. But then he is way less fussy than  his sister and has a good feed when we eat Asian. 

[quirkycooking]

Isn't it funny how kids will eat things with cool names, but won't eat them if they have their 'usual' names! One of my kids always called peas 'crazies' and ate them very happily!    They also called broccoli 'little trees' and pretended they were hungry caterpillers and gobbled them up! My daughter also didn't like rice, but loved risotto - thankfully she likes all rice now! I like that 'water chicken' - so funny!

[Nik2WIN]

Sometimes I dress food up as something an animal would eat - if we have fish its what a cat would eat - cue lots of miaows at the table as they gobble it up, steak is lion food ....

Children are very visual eaters - if they make their own pizza it has to be in a face.  I think its something we lose understanding of as we get older (and something I've only fully understood myself as I articulated it ...)

Nik