Feeding the kids...

This post is probably more for me than anyone else something I need to remind myself everyday to remember what I am doing is more than just ok, actually really great.

A world without sugar is not some sort of permanent doomsday.

Seriously.

Nobody is being cruelly deprived of anything. Unless it's mean to try and prevent tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dementia and a whole host of really other horrible long term crap.

We used to have 'ice cream night' in our house. Saturdays were the only regular time that anyone around here got ice cream. Someone laughed at that, and made a few digs, like it was absurd to limit ice cream. That was a few years ago now but it's shit like that that sticks in your head for a host of reasons. Not the least of which is that's it's really rude to judge the choices that others make for their own children- especially when it's about their good health.

We don't have ice cream nights any more. We don't have ice cream. We did at Christmas and we often celebrate the last day of the school year with an ice cream. But it's a shit load of sugar and the kids just don't need it.

That makes me a killjoy, which kind of sucks. It's not something I advertise though, my cullinary meanness, because it's the sort of thing that makes other parents feel uncomfortable- like I somehow think I'm better than them for being some healthy earth loving mama. Or alternatively it makes them feel guilty because they want to keep putting the snack bars, biscuits and juice boxes in their kids lunches... it's just bloody easier. I know I do it too. If there is a box of muesli bars or a packet of biscuits in the bargain bin at the supermarket then I'll grab it, it's cheap and it eases my 'killjoy' guilt.

Unfortunately it kicks in the other guilt.... the one where I feel crap about feeding my kids sugar.

You are damned if you do and you are damned if you don't- let me demonstrate.

 

This is Tama's lunch from the 17th of September 2014. 

• Hooray he eats fruit and we can see a variety of colours- BUT there's too much fruit, that's a LOT of sugar for a 3 year old.
• There's some protein in those salami sticks BUT the anti-fat crowd would say too much fat and the anti-additive crowd probably puked at the mere thought of all the 'crap' in there. (I agree with them but not the fat haters.
• More fat and protein in the cheese and some dairy too. BUT the anti fat crowd are a bit worried, and the Paleo crowd say no... and then there's the crowd asking if it was made from Grass fed cows milk. Here's the thing it's almost 100% likely Tama left it on the plate.
• The crackers go towards today's count of grains on the food pyramid. BUT here's the dis-approvers: The anti processed food crowd, the Cave men (Paleo), Mr Grain Brain and all his followers and  the low-carbers as well.

Here's Wills lunch: 21st August 2014

• Hooray he has fruit and we can see a variety of colours- BUT he most likely didn't eat it- there wasn't really any point in putting it in but his teachers are watching.
• There's some protein in that pork BUT I do worry about meat in a lunch box for four hours- yes he has an ice block in his insulated lunch box as well but it gets up to fairly high temps here spring through autumn. Oh and the fat loving crowed would say- too lean.
• More fat and protein in the yoghurt and some dairy too. BUT the anti fat crowd are a bit worried, and the Paleo crowd say no, the sugar haters gasped... and then there's the crowd asking if it was made from Grass fed cows milk. Here's the thing it's almost 100% likely Will didn't eat that either.
• The crackers and pikelets go towards today's count of grains/pretzels on the food pyramid. BUT here's the dis-approvers: The anti processed food crowd, the Cavemen (Paleo), the no sugar peeps, Mr Grain Brain and all his followers and the low-carbers as well. 
• The Twistees (those zig zag 'chips).... seriously WTF was I thinking?  Haters: anti processed food crowd, the Cavemen (Paleo), the no sugar peeps, Mr Grain Brain and all his followers and the low-carbers as well. You can be sure they were the first thing Will ate.

What if I replaced the Twistees with a cupcake?  Oh god here they come: The teacher police, the grain police, the processed police, the sugar haters, the paleo pita's as well.


But what if I made the cupcake with almond flour, cacoa nibs, coconut oil and stevia and my chocolate icing was made from 80% chocolate melted down and blended with more coconut oil? On a good day the Paleo peeps will tell you that ok, the low carb people don't mind if it's a treat, the sugar people are fine with that too- the low fat peeps think it's ok and the high fat dudes do to. But the teacher police don't realise it's a 'healthy' cup cake so their knives are still out.... or at least the pens (not to mention the almond flour is no good for the nut allergic kid in class. And the kids sitting next to mine at lunch, have gone home and said "Will had a cupcake for lunch today. Why don't I ever get a cupcake?" And the mum has replied: "Well I am trying to make sure you have a healthy lunch" and in her head she cursed me and felt just a little bit conceited because lets face it Will Stockley's Mum is obese and so is his Dad and their kids will probably end up that way too- but hers won't because they aren't having cup cakes in their lunch. They have healthy fruit juice and heart foundation ticked cereal,  'ticked' Up and Go, and fruit yoghurt. And they choose the McDonald's meals with the tick as well- and they follow the food pyramid and believe that fat makes you fat.

Which is why there's a reversal in the obesity trend- because we've all dropped the bad naughty fat, everyone is getting skinnier. And Les and I are still obviously piling chips, cake and fizzy in our gobs on a daily basis.

Except we all know that's not true- because everyone just keeps getting fatter. And Les and I don't eat cake and we seldom eat chips and I don't drink fizzy at all... Les, well hmmm. Thing is we really aren't eating in a way that 'should' be making us fatter as far as the current health guidelines go.

So we're moving away from the current health guidelines in our house.

For me.... no sugar with two exceptions Fruit and a modicum of Lemon cordial in my water because I hate plain water. I still am working on quitting my beloved Iced Coffee (again) but I am drinking way less than before. Low carbs and high fat. There are some areas I am struggling with but for the most part once I get myself sorted I can see that this is going to be good.

For the kids: I'm cutting down the carbs a bit, we're reducing the processed crap. I'm upping the protein and fat a bit. The sugar factor is where I am struggling and the whole point of this post really.

The prevous commenters disdain for Ice cream day still echoes in my head, Merenia's voice or unreason is much louder, and Wills howls of protest at the absence of some sugars in our house too (his beloved brown sugar on porridge) drown out coherent thought. Ard these things along with being a tired mum on a budget standing by cheap, easy, (sugar filled) food in the supermarket queue and a husband who is less than supportive make this last hurdle so hard.

I feel so mean.

And then I remind myself it's not mean to try and prevent tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dementia and a whole host of really other horrible long term crap in my children. It's not mean to help them regulate their blood sugar- not have those highs and lows during the day. I remind myself I am doing things that have the potential to improve their ability to behave well, to learn and grow into healthy happy human beings without the legacy of a SAD standard Australian diet.

That's not mean. And once we're firm it wont be hard, it'll be normal. And they're not being deprived they are being nutured.

And they can still eat cake at birthday parties- and I won't stand there a conceited Mum- because I know just how fucking hard it is these days to            just           feed            your         family.

 ♥