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Do Children Need Kids Food?

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The only special treatment my young children get when we walk into a restaurant are the crayons and kiddie menu to doodle on. Why in the world would we punish them with chicken nuggets, hot dog, a reheated pizza, or whatnot, when they can be enjoying the fine Italian/Thai/French/Vietnamese/Californian cuisine that the adults are having?

Does this surprise you? It shouldn’t.

There’s this belief that children can’t eat grown-up food. They won’t like it. They don’t eat veggies. They can’t handle complex tastes, yadda yadda…

Same thing happens when grocery shopping at the supermarket. Entire aisles, product lines, and companies are devoted to that beloved niche market – our kids. Granted, there are some products for babies that make sense – a jar of Gerber to keep in a diaper bag for those cases when baby’s hungry and you’re not near the kitchen. But have you had a look at your pantry and fridge to count up all the things you bought because they’re for kids?

Whether it’s Danimals, a sugary cereal, or glow in the dark Mac ‘n Cheese – think about the real reason you bought these items. Is it because your children really need them? Or because of the clever packaging that has led you to believe these are better choice for your little ones?

What you’ll discover in many cases is that you’ve gotten something with more sugar and in some cases artificial colorings. Blue is a fun color to paint with. Not to eat.

If your children are still very young and not subject to too much outside influence other than parents and close family, it should be very easy to refrain from kid branded products. Problems usually arise when a child starts preschool or learns from older friends in the surrounding social circle.

Viewing TV commercials is a contributing factor, too. It would be great if manufacturers would refrain from using kid pop icons on their packaging. But the deal is just too sweet for both Hollywood and the brand manufacturers. Unfortunately, the industry self regulation is very lax, and the government does not and cannot effectively intervene.

So it’s up to parents to figure out a game plan that works for their family. There’s no one right solution.

Whatever you decide, try  not to be too extreme. The 80 / 20 rule seems to be effective with many of our readers – if your children eat 80% of their food as healthful as you can muster, but the other 20% more leniently (including junk food and post-modern snacks), then you’re off to a good start. If you deny your children any of the treats that they see their friends consuming, you’ll be in for quite the rebellion once they hit the teenage years.

What food strategies are you implementing with your children?

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  • http://www.betterschoolfood.org Dr. Susan Rubin

    Keep kids out of the supermarket and encourage kids to join you at the Farmer’s market instead.
    The food industry has undermined parental authority by marketing directly to kids on TV and on those products in the store. Don’t tempt kids by bringing them into contact with that junk! Shopping on your own will save parents money and their sanity.

  • annie avery

    conversely, susan, being a single parent makes it a necessity to take your kid shopping. mine got an education in labeling, propaganda and how advertising is directed at those who are not enlightened to the wiles of commercialism. we only had cereals for dessert and he was cooking by the time he was 8. would that all parents took the chance to do that, huh?

  • http://www.fooducate.com/blog staff

    @Susan – Farmer’s markets are definitely a great option, but problematic for many people.
    reasons: 1. limited amount of products 2. high price 3. closed for many months in the winter 4. not as convenient as supermarket

    @Annie – your approach sounds great. You took a potentially negative situation and turned it to an educational experience.

    Every once in a while I find myself with the 3 kiddos cramped together in the supermarket cart. We set some ground rules about what we’ll buy. In advance. Each child gets to choose one item from anywhere in the supermarket. Last week 2 out of 3 opted for mango. Real mango, from the produce section.

  • http://www.foolsandsages.com Andrea

    Of course there are different circumstances for every family. I’m not a single parent, but it would take a lot of planning to be able to go shopping alone, given my husband’s work schedule and my childrens’ ages and activities.

    That’s not entirely bad though. My older kids understand generally how I shop, with my coupons and lists and stuff, and we also discuss why certain foods get passed over – like generally, the entire cereal aisle, most of the time … unless there is a crazy sale on something, in which case I will pick up a box of Peanut Butter Capn Crunch and I am the QUEEN OF FOREVER when that happens.

    They don’t get to have the sugar cereal for breakfast, it’s a dessert alternative, and they know why that’s the case as well.

    So … yeah, sometimes they get crap. Totino’s Pizza Rolls, when they’re free. Peanut Butter Capn Crunch (OK, I confess – I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER CAPN CRUNCH) when it’s $.75 a box.

    But most of the time, my 10 year old is just as happy to eat a few pears or whatever fruit is in season and inexpensive.

    We just watched Food Inc tonight as a family. It prompted quite a bit of discussion on the matter and I felt was not too adult for my 10 or 14 year old.

  • http://www.vegetarianhealthcoach.net Melissa Danielle

    I remember going to restaurants and NOT being able to order off the kid’s menus. I was also not allowed to order a hamburger or any other kind of “casual” food. I also remember my mother’s friends being upset (or jealous?) that I ate seafood. They felt those foods were “adult” (maybe: privilege?) foods, but since she bought and prepared the meals, I ate what she ate. Which also meant overcooked veggies.

    I used to get excited about Lunchables – I thought they were the coolest thing ever. But they were terrible and expensive.

    I can understand the marketing of “kid-friendly” foods, because kids are more likely to eat things that are smaller or can be eaten without utensils. But I don’t see why they can’t do that with REAL food.

    My most successful experiences with kids and food is just letting them try it – without judgment or expectation.

    My boyfriend’s 8yo son will eat an entire bunch of arugula (raw) in one setting if we let him – and we do. He’ll also go through olives (and his dad can’t stand olives), cucumbers, and tomatoes. He even dared to try Brussels Sprouts raw. (He later conceded that roasted was the better way to go).

    I’m the Veggie Queen, so I’m usually the one who’s bringing the bounty into the kitchen. But I don’t pressure or push him to eat anything.

    He also loves calamari and shrimp, both “adult” foods.

    I like to include him in on the “What would you like for dinner?” process. A lot of times, he’s surprised us with really good options. Like roasted Brussels sprouts and broiled shrimp.

  • http://brightweightloss.blogspot.com/ Dreena Tischler

    My kids have plenty of opportunities to eat “kid” food. But because they have also had lots of exposure to real food and slow food, they have a preference for it and sophisticated palates. We subscribed to the method of putting a bite of every food on the table on their plates, but not “making” them eat it. After they see a food several times, they want to eat it. There are very few foods my children won’t eat and some of their favorites include foods most kids won’t touch: real sushi, mussels, squids, strong cheeses, whole grains.