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Would You Feed Your Child “Diet Food?”
Caroline Campion, contributor to Babble’s The Family Kitchen, posted a piece today about discovering that a kindergartner in her elementary school was being sent with lunch consisting entirely of low-calorie, packaged, processed foods. In it she says that “the little girl was able to describe the calorie-counts of each item.”
She offers some valuable insight “as a long-time editor at several woman’s magazines,” discussing stories where ”eating disorders start with the writer describing a mother who was obsessed with fad diets—from grapefruit to South Beach—or put them on a diet at an early age.” I remember reading a similar story in Oprah magazine about Robin Marantz Henig and her daughter Jess Zimmerman. Robin spent Jessica’s childhood feeling ashamed that her daughter was fat. She says she “packed abstemious school lunches—half a sandwich, a fruit, no junk.” Experts say it’s best not to talk to your kids about dieting, and even though Henig was trying to keep her daughter’s weight in control (Zimmerman maintains that she is naturally fat), a piece of fruit is a much healthier choice than a 100-calorie cupcake.
Campion ends her piece by saying she thinks about “sugar and fat content as well,” but has “never given (her) kids a Snackwell product or a Lean Cuisine meal or a glass of Crystal Light.” What do you think? Is it okay to feed kids “diet” food?
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Snarky Mama commented on May 20 10 at 6:55 pmI don’t think anyone should eat “diet” food.
GtothemfckinP commented on May 20 10 at 6:59 pmI agree with Snarky Mama…these foods are bullshit.
Nobody is “naturally fat” by the way.
Manjari commented on May 20 10 at 8:55 pmProcessed diet food is no good, and people shouldn’t be feeding it to their kids. The really tragic thing about this, though, is the psychological damage these messed up moms are passing down to their children.
im-in-tx commented on May 20 10 at 9:37 pmI grew up on this type of processed diet food junk. It’s so unhealthy — for kids and adults.
Diane commented on May 20 10 at 10:46 pmI don’t eat “diet food” and I wouldn’t feed it to my kids. No way you would find “reduced calorie” food in our house. Yuk.
carolyncastiglia commented on May 20 10 at 11:19 pmI agree! Boo on diet food! It’s better to have a little real sugar than a lot of chemicals.
carolyncastiglia commented on May 20 10 at 11:20 pmI should say, tho, I think a lot of people don’t realize what they’re eating. People are only just beginning to get educated about food.
GtothemfckinP commented on May 21 10 at 6:39 am“I should say, tho, I think a lot of people don’t realize what they’re eating. People are only just beginning to get educated about food.”
That is true. I don’t believe people are naturally fat, but I do believe they are naturally stupid.
Ri-chan commented on May 21 10 at 11:29 amI don’t know, I’ll munch on one of those 100 calorie snacks sometimes when I’m craving chocolate, and sometimes my son will want one and I’ll give it to him…
GtothemfckinP commented on May 21 10 at 3:07 pmI think you’d do better just to eat a piece of chocolate! Him, too…
While I prefer high quality dark chocolate…a Hershey kiss only has 25 calories…
Lindsay commented on May 21 10 at 8:46 pm“Diet” food is so terrible for you! It’s sad that so many people are ignorant enough to think that “diet food” is healthy food. And yes, I agree with Caryolyn. I’d rather eat a little bit of real sugar and fat than down a lot of “low calorie” chemicals.
Marj commented on May 22 10 at 11:57 amI eat diet food. Mostly because I’m always dieting and trying to fight a lifetime of junk food addiction. I don’t think it’s a great idea to give little kids either diet food or junk food, but to be honest, I’m not sure how much control over that I will have as they get older.
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