My regular readers and family members are already aware that I'm choosy when it comes to what foods I feed my family. The reasons are many. For one, when the kids eat better, I eat better too. When I eat better, my weight stays stable, I have more energy, I feel better and am a better mom and wife. When the kids eat better, things from how they sleep to how they behave improve. Probably the biggest one is that growing bodies need good fuel to stay healthy and strong. Plus, the other day I was listening to a radio show on which a doctor was blaming high rates of cancer, obesity and other diseases on the vast amount of chemicals that are present in our lives. Of course, he was also trying to sell something, but I think he's got a point.
Anyway, while I avoid certain foods and ingredients like the plague, I'm not the kind of mom who starts lecturing when another mom produces a bag of cheese curls and passes it around, nor am I the mom that makes her kid eat tofu and an apple at a birthday party when all the other kids are eating pizza and ice cream. If someone offers my child a snack, it's fine. I'm not going to scrutinize the list of ingredients before saying okay. I figure if they eat well enough at home, there's room in their diets for other stuff.
A few weeks ago, a few of us moms headed over to the playground after school for some extra rollerskating practice. We stopped at home first, so I could feed the kids a snack and change Maureen's diaper, and the other moms went straight to the playground.
When we got there, the other kids were still in the midst of a snack, and one mom offered Johnny a granola bar, which he happily took.
She turned to me and said, "It's not organic, it's not all natural, it's just made by Quaker."
This is the thing, though. I have never, to my knowledge, discussed my food preferences with her. So was it a random comment? Or how would she know how I feel about certain types of sugar and fat?
Then it hit me. Practically every week at school, I sit at the table of parents and eat a cold salad made with quinoa or bulgur, chickpeas, vegetables and feta cheese. And when I had jury duty, she picked Johnny up one day and took him to ice skating. I sent his lunch with him. The lunch consisted of a box of Horizon organic milk, a Kashi cereal bar, an organic yogurt tube, and a homemade peanut butter sandwich, made with what my mom calls "textured" bread. Think dark wheat with seeds and stuff in it. Definitely not white bread.
I guess actions speak louder than words.
But I still let him eat the granola bar. And when he didn't finish it, I ate the rest myself.
Anyway, while I avoid certain foods and ingredients like the plague, I'm not the kind of mom who starts lecturing when another mom produces a bag of cheese curls and passes it around, nor am I the mom that makes her kid eat tofu and an apple at a birthday party when all the other kids are eating pizza and ice cream. If someone offers my child a snack, it's fine. I'm not going to scrutinize the list of ingredients before saying okay. I figure if they eat well enough at home, there's room in their diets for other stuff.
A few weeks ago, a few of us moms headed over to the playground after school for some extra rollerskating practice. We stopped at home first, so I could feed the kids a snack and change Maureen's diaper, and the other moms went straight to the playground.
When we got there, the other kids were still in the midst of a snack, and one mom offered Johnny a granola bar, which he happily took.
She turned to me and said, "It's not organic, it's not all natural, it's just made by Quaker."
This is the thing, though. I have never, to my knowledge, discussed my food preferences with her. So was it a random comment? Or how would she know how I feel about certain types of sugar and fat?
Then it hit me. Practically every week at school, I sit at the table of parents and eat a cold salad made with quinoa or bulgur, chickpeas, vegetables and feta cheese. And when I had jury duty, she picked Johnny up one day and took him to ice skating. I sent his lunch with him. The lunch consisted of a box of Horizon organic milk, a Kashi cereal bar, an organic yogurt tube, and a homemade peanut butter sandwich, made with what my mom calls "textured" bread. Think dark wheat with seeds and stuff in it. Definitely not white bread.
I guess actions speak louder than words.
But I still let him eat the granola bar. And when he didn't finish it, I ate the rest myself.
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6 comments:
I'm the same way...I'm pretty picky about what the kids eat around here, but I realize they are still kids and as long as they are making good choices most of the time, a sugary crap-filled snack every once in a while is not going to hurt them. Good for you for not stressing about it!
I think it is reasonable to be flexible. We have recently cut out a lot sugar and junk at our house, but I can't get rid of it completely. And I figure, once in a while won't kill them.
I think it's that quiet way of living your life that speaks volumes to people. I love that about you my friend!
Happy Mother's Day to you!
I think my family is a lot like yours in regards to food/our diets. I would never judge someone for not eating the same as we do, but I have found a few of my mom friends are quick to "apologize" for the lack of organic or fuirt/veggie based snacks snacks. I felt weird and wondered WHY were they doing that - what they buy and eat is their business, I really don't care. Ant like you, one day I took a look at what I had out at playdates and reliazed my snack offerings spoke louder than I did :) air popped pop-corn, fruit, homemade mini banana oatmeal muffins, instead of goldifsh crackers, gummi-treats and cheese sticks. I never deny my kid anything at playdates or parties, I just don't have it at my house becuase mostly I know *I* am the one who lacks the willpower to stay away from it!
This is funny. I think it reveals that so many parents are sensitive to food choices for their kids that moms who offer other kids food often fear judgment. Or, at least they figure they'd better err on the side of full disclosure to the child's mom.
I'm like you. I think its sad that as women we are so afraid of being judged by each other, it sounds like your friend was worried that you wouldn't approve of the snack. I went on a school field trip recently and was surprised that one of the crunchiest moms I know packed a pretty mainstream lunch for herself & her son...made me wonder if she was feeling the same way, worried that she would be judged if she pulled out "earthy" food in the midst of lunchables and snack packs.
It doesn't seem to matter what we choose-we still feel insecure about others choosing differently! I hate that.
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