I am really strict about the kids’ diet. They have 3 healthy meals a day and fruit snacks in between. The only drink allowed is water.
But I also think one needs to be reasonable. As with everything, you have to have balance. And it’s impossible to sustain a healthy diet with kids 100% of the time.
So, I let them eat and drink pretty much anything they like on weekends. This way they don’t feel the need to eat sweets and other treats during the week, or sneak around at school with their friends.
So typically we would eat eggs with smoked salmon on toast with fruit juice for breakfast, have pizza or go out for a meal for lunch and then have a light meal for dinner. With ice-cream and chocolate for dessert if they finish everything.
Miss Z started having school meals this year. I told her that she always has to choose 2 vegetables. She says she does. There’s a choice of dessert every day. We agreed that she won’t have dessert – she can have yogurt or fruit and sometimes she can have jelly, but nothing else.
Now you may be wondering – how do I know that she’s not having the desserts every day? In truth, I don’t know. But I like to think she is telling the truth because she has no reason to lie. Still, I couldn’t control it even if I wanted, so I let go.
Lots more to say about food… other posts to come…