What do you consider "junk" ??? (food)

[Littledoodledaycare]

Junk would be anything that is processed, refined. Things that contain artificial colouring and sugar, food that contain transfats (these are really detrimental to our health, let alone children)
My name is Annamaria and I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I'd be happy to help if anyone has any questions

[Littledoodledaycare]

Hey Manda, Id switch o brown rice pasta as oppose to corn as corn has no nutritional value, its difficult to digest and its considered a culprit in certain health issues. You can buy brown rice pasta almost anywhere. I have seen it at sobeys & fortinos as well as most health food stores. I shop at Natures Emporium in new market.

We buy organic most of the time, but depending on what's in season I will buy local for most of the summer. Ontario strawberries are always ripe and PINK on the inside. I can't stand spending 5.00 on organic strawberries that are white inside and have to be drizzled with agave to be eaten!!!

All of our meat is organic (well not certified, but abx and hormone free, grass fed beef etc.)

We AVOID the middle aisles, but I'm not TOTALLY against pre-packaged foods IN MODERATION. Things we buy in the 'bad' aisles are still not THAT bad IMO... canned corn or beans, condiments, baking supplies like flour, chocolate chips, sugar *gasp*, almond butter, jam etc.

Every 3-4 weeks I "freezer meal cook" and that's usually lasagna, chili, bolognese sauce, meat muffins, cookies, muffins IN BULK. I package them in meal size portions for my lunches that way I'm usually just making a side veggie etc. and the kids still get a wholesome. home made lunch. I do try and plan my dinner leftovers around lunches but when that doesn't happen, I bust out the freezer reserve

I also serve grilled cheese (with real cheddar slices, not plastic!) but instead of giving each child a grilled cheese I will fill their plates with veggies and fruits and a 1/3 of a grilled cheese sandwich. Not too many kids have "room" for veggies if they fill up on carbs - and even the best eaters will hit the grilled cheese before the veggies

We LIMIT our gluten and dairy consumption so all our pastas are 4.99 because if I'm buying corn pasta, it is CERTAINLY going to be organic. Also I serve almond milk - which while processed is way better than dairy for my little guy's tummy.

I also give kids oreos from time to time... and my kids have eaten a happy meal or two. If they eat well 95% of the time (which they DO) I'm not going to sweat the small stuff.

[Littledoodledaycare]

oh by the way, i forgot to give you all my website, www.intherawliving.ca - i post interesting facts and recipes as well, check it out if you'd like. I am also on facebook. www.facebook.com/intherawliving

[jewel1122]

for the most part alot of our lunch time meals are left overs from the night befores supper rices or pasta dishs soups etc. snacks are usually crackers of some kind a veggie or apple slices milk with lunch and water the rest of the day sometimes juice with morning snack
I do have some picky eaters i have 2 that will not touch anything that is fruit or has pasta sauce and one that wont eat anything but potatos eggs peanut butter bread kd hotdog or fries she hasbeen like this since baby

[dodge__driver11]

I very rarely serve any boxed or proceesed food. I serve a lot of slow cooker made foods, homemade fries from the oven, things like this..The kids love it...the house favorite seems to be home made cheese fries with home made hamburgers.

[wolfpup]

I think I have a happy medium. I know how the parents feed their kids at home and I know they are eatting better at my house than at home so I dont feel bad. I have the parents provide the breakfast for their children... one brings cereal and soy milk because of a milk allergy and the other seems to come with a lot of junk... mini cinnamon buns, cinnabon bars, chocolate muffin, those fruit cups with the jelly sugar pudding stuff and sometimes simply a breadsticks and cheese and nutrigrain bar. The nutrigrain bar I get, the rest not so much! He always asks for what my kids have rather than his. A favorite snack in our house is fresh fruit and vanilla yogurt over top. I know that they eat healthy enough here as I know that probably 3 of the 5 days I have him, he has McDonalds, Pizza or some other fast food for dinner so... my homemade soup, macaronni with sliced tomatoe and cucumber on the side, or even ichiban noodles and a salad are better than what he would eat at home. The other kid is in school so mom packs his lunch. If we bake during the day then everyone gets a cookie or whatever after school, but there is also the choice of fresh fruit along with it.
A lot of parents figure that we will feed them properly through out the day so it is ok for them to do the fast food thing at night!!!
I use stickers and then a prize to reward good behavior. The mom of the youngest boy I had would bribe him with suckers, chocolate, etc... he was 3 and weighed more than my 6 year old son... not healthy!

[sunnydays]

I actually had a parent tell me that she didn't feel bad about serving crap to her child because she eats so well at my house! It's no wonder that same child picks most things our of her meals and refuses to eat them.

I think I have a happy medium. I know how the parents feed their kids at home and I know they are eatting better at my house than at home so I dont feel bad. I have the parents provide the breakfast for their children... one brings cereal and soy milk because of a milk allergy and the other seems to come with a lot of junk... mini cinnamon buns, cinnabon bars, chocolate muffin, those fruit cups with the jelly sugar pudding stuff and sometimes simply a breadsticks and cheese and nutrigrain bar. The nutrigrain bar I get, the rest not so much! He always asks for what my kids have rather than his. A favorite snack in our house is fresh fruit and vanilla yogurt over top. I know that they eat healthy enough here as I know that probably 3 of the 5 days I have him, he has McDonalds, Pizza or some other fast food for dinner so... my homemade soup, macaronni with sliced tomatoe and cucumber on the side, or even ichiban noodles and a salad are better than what he would eat at home. The other kid is in school so mom packs his lunch. If we bake during the day then everyone gets a cookie or whatever after school, but there is also the choice of fresh fruit along with it.
A lot of parents figure that we will feed them properly through out the day so it is ok for them to do the fast food thing at night!!!
I use stickers and then a prize to reward good behavior. The mom of the youngest boy I had would bribe him with suckers, chocolate, etc... he was 3 and weighed more than my 6 year old son... not healthy!

[mom-in-alberta]

What a double standard, huh?
If all we fed them was hot dogs, McDonalds and canned ravioli, they would be up in arms. Once again, caregivers doing the parents jobs, while mom and dad get to be the good guy.
Has anyone else found that parents have an altered perception of how their child eats? Every parent I have dealt with has said their child is a "good eater" and will eat what's in front of them. Only 2 of them (both little guys) are actually like that!! I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why a set of siblings that used to be in my care wouldn't eat much of what I made. One day, the store ran out of whole grain bread, and I had to buy (ick) white. They chowed down on the sandwiches that day. There was the answer. Sigh.
I am not sure if the parents are all fibbing, or just have a different reality, hahaha.

[playfelt]

The kids eat whatever mom puts in front of them but she either neglects to tell you or doesn't realize what we mean by the question that what she is putting in front of them is what she knows they will eat so the very limited repetoire of food choices translates into a "good" eater at home and a very "picky" eater at daycare because we serve all those other yukky foods like real meat and real vegetables.

[Momof4]

You ladies are awesome! I agree completely about serving home cooked meals, mostly organic foods and a minimum of pre-packaged foods - that's me too. My dc children know that Friday is treat day and the only day they will receive any treat unless there is a special holiday or birthday here. And the treats are small, as in a couple of gummy worms or a cookie or mini cupcake.

I know for a fact that unfortunately most of the children in my care are getting close to 100% of their nutrition here during the day and some of the Moms are serving them crap at home. I love my newest family because they are all natural and home made in their eating habits too.