Which way is better to help to ensure your child does not become a junk food-junkie?

Question

1) Let the child eat whatever he/she wants so that sweets/fast food are no "big deal"--they never feel deprived so they grow up not craving "junk".

2) Only let your child eat "junk" occasionally so that they do not develop a taste for such food, rather, they prefer natural, unprocessed foods.

Answer 1

Number 2 --plus-- hot cereal with the family for breakfast, a packed lunch instead of lunch money, and a family dinner prepared at home.

The family that eats together healthily stays healthy.

Answer 2

#2

You might also try educating your children about foods and why certain foods are better. Mine are 6 & 3 and consistently make healthy choices because I've taught them why we avoid certain foods.
My oldest LOVES cereals made with whole wheat. He chooses bran flakes over sugary cereals every time! He requests carrot sticks. Sure they do sometimes ask for treats but they mean home baked snacks that I make. Every now and then I buy cookies by Newman's or Annie's Homegrown.
I've taught them that a cartoon on the box is the companies way of tricking them into buying junk they don't really want. They never ask for it anymore.
You should be aware that junk is not just chips ahoy or twinkies. Most prepackaged foods are loaded with junk and dangerous chemicals. Read labels and be aware of what you are buying. Even the healthiest looking foods are often pure junk. Most brands of graham crackers, most brands of peanut butter, etc. You don't want anything hydrogenated. If you buy that stuff you might as well let your kids exist on a diet of just twinkies.

Answer 3

Number 2 is the better option, which is what we've tried to do. However, your child will want the junk food and sweets always, so don't think they won't get a taste for it. Just make sure you educate your children on the ills of junk food/fast food and the benefits of eating healthy.

Answer 4

I think number two. My child eats what I eat and he is 2. If I eat salad he wants it because mommy is eating it. Just don't have it in the house and explain to your kids at a very young age why certain food is bad for them. My sister has 2 kids (7 and 4) and she did an amazing job at this. When they get treats they pick out healthy food instead of junk. They don't even know what a twinkie is...no seriously. I think it is cool. I have always been impressed with her for that.

Answer 5

I'm not saying I will do this with my son, I have a long way to go before I have to worry about him wanting junk food, but I think the way they did it on old tv shows (Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith...) is the right way. A healthy (?) meal and then dessert every night.
Of course, they didn't have 5,000 different kinds of candy & junk to choose from back then. Just saying that in a perfect world we'd eat 3 meals a day with dessert at supper time.

Answer 6

Number 2 If you bring junk food into the house the kid will want that over the healthy food.

Answer 7

Well, although I am not a mother, I was able to raise my niece and nephew without junk food. I even gave them milk without sugar. And I saw to it that the fridge has fruits for them to get natural sugar. As a result, at the age of 24 & 25, they still have milk teeth.

Answer 8

Something I try to do (since we always have junk food at home) is try to trick him into thinking it's junk food. Try sunchips or nuts instead of potato chips, or p-nut butter and jelly, yogurt, or fig newtons instead of debbie cakes. Make sure he or she eats a healthy breakfast and lunch before allowing sweets of any kind, and try to keep the most tempting things out of sight.

Answer 9

Look, you're the one who's buying the stuff not the kid, so don't blame the kids. My parents bought junk food very rarely, and we always had to ask permission to eat it. We were never fat, and rarely ate junk, so I have to say #2, not #1. If you let them eat whatever, then they will.

Answer 10

how about feeding the child fresh veggies and fruits.

the child should be put on a program IE: food pyramid early on.

i'm afraid it's too late.

never use fast food as a main food source, bad news, bad start to a long war with the bulge and health issues.