Those who know me know that I avoid, and advocate that children should avoid sugar. “If it were up to me, all meals would begin and end with dessert.” Yup, these were my words and sometimes, even today I have been known to utter them. I have always been addicted to sugar.
My entire life has been spent watching my weight go up and down and up and down. I was a terrible eater as a child and grew into an overweight teenager who couldn’t even recognize herself in the only photo I ever allowed to be taken of me at that stage. That photo was a real wake-up call. Remember, this was back in the day of the miracle of TV dinners, boxed side dishes, and frozen desserts. No more cooking or baking: just pop a tin into the oven, and 20 minutes later, yummy in the tummy.
Thankfully, in the past twenty years the fields of nutrition and dietetics have exploded and people like our dear friend, Jan Katzen, have become watchdogs for us on the subject. More and more information is at our fingertips. Solid scientific studies and FDA guidelines are being upgraded in response to the health risks caused by poor nutritional practices. Leading the WORLD in childhood obesity is the USA. Now ain’t that something to be proud of!?
Cooking shows and competitions are all over our airwaves. Every time I turn around a new restaurant is opening. Bakeries specializing in cupcakes, and ice cream and frozen yogurt stores are springing up in every strip mall. This doesn’t even include all the hidden ADDED SUGAR in foods that trick us into thinking they are healthy for us. Just read the label of flavored yogurts, trail mixes, granola, or even these new power bars. Did you know that the American Heart Association recommends that women do not consume more than 100 calories a day from added sugar and men, 150 calories? While the nutritional content of packaged food must be on the outside, it is often so confusing, or worse, in 3-point type one needs a magnifying glass to read. Who among us can let reason triumph over the delicious smells and tastes of all these foods?
It Isn’t Easy To Say No!
It’s your child’s birthday or some other special event; who wants to be the Debbie-downer that doesn’t send in cupcakes or some other fantastic gastronomic dessert?
Who wants to be the parent that hands out sample-size toothpaste at Halloween instead of candy bars? And then, what do you do with all that leftover candy from Halloween anyway? It’s a crime to throw it away.
What child do you know who would willingly trade their pre-packed lunch meal with another child with carrot and celery straws?
Who among us has that kind of willpower?
You do! You do if you and your school’s policy begin to shift and change with regard to food. You do, if you are the parent who does the food shopping and menu planning in your household. You do, if you learn to be creative in some of the substitutes you make in recipes to limit certain ingredients. You, as the adults in the room, have that power to stop this cycle of food abuse when you model correct nutritional behavior in your homes and schools.
I’m not advocating that you cut out all yummy things and certainly not all at once. Can you imagine the withdrawal symptoms if we all went cold turkey (and incidentally, honey turkey and ham? Read the sugar content on those foods!) on sugar and processed food consumption? What I’m saying is start off on the right foot, yourself, first.
“To Thine Own Self Be True”
William Shakespeare’s character Polonius is attributed to uttering these famous words in Hamlet. And that’s why 40 years ago I started keeping a food diary. No, I didn’t confess sins each night as I sat and wrote in it, I simply decided to be truthful with myself about what I was eating, when I was eating and how much I was eating. It’s not meant to be shared with anyone. It’s just a tool I’ve used over and over again when I start to see the pounds creeping up. I don’t go on crazy diets that deprive me of food and are, therefore, unsustainable. I use the diary to help me face myself honestly when I’m really trying to kid myself. Have you ever been there? “Nope, not me, I didn’t eat all the gooey stuff on the bottom of the brownie pan after I put them on the plate, nope not me.” “Well, I certainly didn’t drink three glasses of wine with dinner last night with that plate of cheese and crackers we put out while watching TV.” “It’s really cold out and all these delicious, creamy, and hearty soups give me the extra layer of fat I need to get through the winter.” Or how about this one, “I just ate what the baby didn’t eat off of her plate. I just hate to waste food. It was only a little of this and a little of that.” I could justify anything when it came to eating what I wanted to eat. So that’s when I look back at my journal entries, after the fact, of course. It wasn’t all that difficult to see why my weight was on this constant up-and-down ride and, even more so, why I had no energy or focus.
I’m almost 63 years old and have maintained a healthy weight and eating style since my twins were born 37 years ago. I had to for a variety of reasons, but mostly for myself. By keeping the journal, which for many years was done in my head, and incidentally, does not work as well as taking the time to writing it down, I am accountable to me. I have to be OK with me, and I modeled good nutrition in our home when my daughters were growing up and do it with my grandchildren as well. My granddaughters are eating champs. They adore cut up veggies in their lunch and prefer to snack on fruit. And yes, they love their treats, but, and this is a huge but, they eat only one piece of leftover Halloween candy or a tiny piece of cake or a quarter of a cupcake if it’s offered.
Schools that provide meals can certainly control the menu items. Many states require schools to follow very strict guidelines regarding food service and, while not as great as it could be, at least they are moving in a better direction and restricting some of the processed foods and sugar content. For schools where the parents are sending lunches and snacks, why not incorporate your policies about food into the content of your parent handbook or even new student interviews? If you need guidance creating healthier and compliant meals, there are several services available to help you navigate. An internet search for your area will yield a list.
Tomorrow’s Child/ April 2018 / Pg 28
