Comments on: Finding Freshness..even in the Freezer

By: NurturingNutritionist

NurturingNutritionist — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:03:44 +0000

Dear Katharine,
You are right. Congratulations on figuring it out so soon! However, it’s not biological that your kids are less attracted to M&M’s-it’s behavioral. You have successfully taken the romance and mystery away from chocolate and have put it on the same level of desire as apples. Now your children can enjoy chocolate in moderation. Where if their access to chocolate were restricted when they did get the chance they would most likely overeat on the candy.
Of course, this does not work in every family. The reason being exactly what you wrote >. Parents will try to not say anything, try not to interfere and tell their children that they’ve had enough, but they just cannot do it. It may the their own diet demons they are living with or grew up with – who knows. The point is you have to be very comfortable with your own feelings about food to successfully pull this off in your home.
However, it would still be wise of you to continue referring to chocolate as a treat and not a snack. Make the chocolate available and unrestricted when it is available, but continue to teach your children about healthy foods. Those that are good for their bodies and will help them grow up to be strong and healthy.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:54:49 +0000

My question is this: could it be that children actually crave what they need to thrive? I have been experimenting with not limiting my kids’ access to M&Ms, cocoa with marshmallows, etc. and it seems to be working… sort of. My kids have not suddenly started eating tons of spinach, but they will choose plain milk over chocolate milk, for example and no longer care about M&Ms (after one day of a big bowl where anyone could have them at any time, unlimitedly with no parental commentary.) But back when I was limiting these as a “treat” they always wanted chocolate. Does this make any sense? I am not sure how far to go with this experiment but it seems to have worked in terms of regulating the chocolate items. Any thoughts? Advice?

By: Wendi

Wendi — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:01:33 +0000

My 12-month old son adores pancakes and pumpkin is a fun and very nutritious option. I add pumpkin puree along with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to the pancake mix and voila! This past weekend I made a new variation by adding a raising/walnut mixture to the recipe. I softened the raisins with hot water and blended them together with walnuts (he’s not allergic) to eliminate any choking hazards. He loved them! He’s little, so I skip the sugary syrup and they make great finger food on their own.