Previous entry: 
Next entry:
Do your kids eat too much pizza?
Restaurants are still on my mind.
The suggestions of good spots for kids impressed me. It’s clear parents appreciate a place that welcomes kids, whether with menu specials, an activity or just an attitude. So keep offering more ideas. Post them here or on the earlier post.
Still one comment struck me. Here it is, in part:
Holy cow, do you people ever feed your kids anything healthy? Donuts, noodles, pancakes, fried food. Geez, no wonder childhood obesity is out of control.
A bit snarky, but this raises a real issue. We all wage a quixotic struggle to get our kids to eat well. Failure awaits at every meal. Chicken nuggets beckon. Given this, should we skip restaurants entirely? Or is it OK for my preschoolers to eat pizza once or twice a week?
This prompted some simple online research. Turns out the USDA’s website allows parents to design a food pyramid for your kid. Give it a try. I did, and reminds me of a simple lesson: kids learn to eat well at home. Get that straight and then enjoy that night out. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work...
Joy Oglesby has an infant daughter and a sister 13 years her junior, whom she babies to the now-adult...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s...
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters...
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters...
Anne Vasquez is the Online Editor in charge of overseeing SunSentinel.com. She is the mother of a 5-year-old boy and a newborn daughter.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces...
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 13, and Lily, 6, and is married...
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator, and father of two boys and a girl all under the age of seven.
Comments
Mr Strozier,
We had commented on the earlier blog regarding restaurants, and it is with interest that I read this one.
I was the parent who posted about donuts, and as a family who sits down to a homemade meal consisting of healthy foods with plenty of vegatables. So, I did find your comment a bit "snarky" as you say. There is a difference between feeding your kids nothing but junk, and engoying an occasional treat now and then. You should not ask for favorite restaurants and then assume all your readers feed their kids junk. As w working mother who goes to school at night, sometimes you can't help but pull through a drive through.
Posted by: DP | September 16, 2009 1:41 PM
Thanks for the comment. Maybe I wasn't clear in the post. I think a night out for dinner, or a treat, makes sense. We do it all the time.
Posted by: Matthew Strozier | September 16, 2009 1:52 PM
I think, as parents, we are up against a food culture that makes it difficult to NOT serve alot of nuggets and pizza. I have tried to make my own pizza (half the cheese and a lot more vegetables) in an attempt to get my kids to eat more healthily. It is hard - we do eat alot of pizza.
Lisa
http://www.snacksnoop.com
Posted by: Lisa Cain | September 17, 2009 7:27 AM
Mr. Strozier,
Here in Stamford, Conn., we're trying to let our kids enjoy themseleves and not worry so much about what they eat. You should try to do the same.
-TM
Posted by: TM | October 9, 2009 12:33 PM
We need to make sure they are well nourished down here for all their time at the beach. Is there a beach in Stamford?
Posted by: Matthew Strozier | October 9, 2009 12:42 PM
It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader. Thanks again.
Posted by: christian louboutin sandals | October 27, 2009 9:15 PM